Honest To Blog -- Clocking Out

This week's Honest To Blog is probably going to do nothing but make me sound a bit neurotic to be quite frank. I tend to have a handful of HTB topics lined up (or even written) but this one is something that sort of reared it's head this week and I felt compelled to talk about it (in hopes that I can fix it!). Being that i'm about 90% self-employed (lacking the 5-10 hours a week I bartend), I've found that I simply can't stop working. I don't know how to just "hang out" at home. I can't lay on the couch and watch tv or go get coffee with Mike without constantly feeling the need to work. I chock it up to the instability of freelance work and self employment. I think it terrifies me that I'm not relying on a set paycheck or salary every single week. My bank account is simply what I make it. Lately I've found myself diving into fifteen projects at once just to make sure we're comfortable and we can save for our wedding and store. Even at the City and Colour show last week I was answering emails on my phone! It's a habit that I just can't quit.

I guess working too much is slightly better than feeling too lazy to work at all, right? At this exact moment I'm working on fulfilling ebook orders, Kaelah's Closet orders, getting ready to launch Honeybean's online shoppe (tonight!), 2 website designs, 3 blog redesigns (with a 4th just being finished!), and my own personal projects and blogging. But I love that feeling. I love being busy. I love the feeling of crossing things off of my to do list and marking another project done. It's almost like it's an addiction.

After a few nights of 15 hour days on the ebook, Mike started to notice that I really just couldn't stop. It was 11pm and I was still on the computer, typing away, responding to emails while a document loaded or saved. At one point he came and physically removed me from my computer and sat me down on the couch. The other day he took me for a an hour and a half coffee date just so that I wouldn't come home and work on design projects.The good thing about our little date was that it ended up being one of the most inspiring talks we've ever had. I'm so grateful to have someone in my life that understands my incessant need to work or be doing something. But at the same time, I need to learn that it's okay to step away. It's okay to take a break or take a day off. (I actually started writing this for Sunday, November 20th, but then decided to take the day "off" to go with Mike to a photoshoot. So now I'm picking it back up!)

A lot of it too has to be the product of my computer/work station being smack in the middle of our house, and our house has no walls therefore I can see my computer from every single corner of our loft. It's almost as if it taunts me. "You could be kerning that text! You could be coding that layout! You could be answering your emails as soon as you receive them!" Plus, when your blog is so personally driven, it's hard not to think about it at all times when you're out doing things!

I'm not complaining in the slightest. I love my job. I love that "work" doesn't really feel like "work". I love the ability to make a living doing things I'm passionate about and being able to share it with all of y'all. I just wish I had a better "schedule". I even have to schedule in ukulele practice or an episode of Dexter. I'll work right up to it and most likely after. I know I need to find a balance, however, simply to avoid getting burnt out and abandoning everything at once. It's an exciting time in our household and we're taking great measures to ensure we get to share the Honeybean Dream with you. It just happens to be exhausting in the process (which makes for better sleep! :P) 

With that being said, I have to ask... How many of you work from home or have found yourself in a similar position? How do you delegate what will happen today vs. tomorrow, and how do you know when it's time to walk away for the evening? I've tried working "set hours" but I always find myself in front of the tv looking at my computer and thinking "I could just go answer 10 emails..." How do you decide to clock out for the day? If you've never experienced this before, maybe you still have an idea you could share? Let me hear it! I'm all ears! 

Now, I've got some designs to tend to! ;) Happy Sunday, honeybees!

♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

Honest To Blog is a weekly free-writing feature where I talk about things that are silly, frustrating, or whatever else. Sometimes they don't make sense, and sometimes they're controversial. But they're honest!


  1. This is so perfect. I needed to read this today. I'm so tired and overworked. Eeek. xo, rv


  2. I have this same problem...and my husband is always saying that I need to take a break!

    I do my best to compartmentalize. I work all week and then on the weekends I relax. It is easier said than done, but it is important for my sanity and my marriage!

  3. Oh Kaelah! I've been there... I once took a position at my company that offered more money, but was salaried, so I ended up working WAY MORE, was always on call, and money ended up being less... NOT WORTH IT!

    My motto is: I work to live, I don't live to work.

    You have to find a way to make time for yourself....

    I'm sure you enjoy doing things that don't involved work. Like that camping trip you went on earlier this year? You just have to MAKE YOURSELF shut it all off. Maybe try to take at least one day off a week, even if not a full day, a half day? Take that time to do nothing but stuff for YOU! A picnic with mike and the girls maybe? Sans laptop! A hike through local trails? A movie date? Anything that makes YOU happy and is not involving your laptop as I think that's what draws you in all the time!!

    Even while you are at home, if it's a laptop you have, shut it off and hide it while you enjoy tv, etc.

    Good luck my friend! <3

  4. I have the same problem! I work part time, am in grad school, and am constantly working on my etsy shop in any free time. One of the biggest things for me has just been TURNING OFF MY PHONE!!! I make a point where if I am out with my friends, my cell phone gets turned off and put into a pocket inside my bag, where I don't touch it until I get home. It's difficult, and I'm always fighting myself on what I "could" or "should" be doing, but in all honesty, if YOU are not your best self, you won't do your best work when it comes time to actually get things done. So keep working hard, but be sure to take time just for you, away from all the work!


  5. I don't even freelance these days (for much this reason), but I still find it really hard to let myself sit and do nothing - no matter how tired I am, if I don't have plans this evening/weekend, I feel like I need to make the most of my free time by making things or mending things or cleaning the flat... It took me a long time to accept that sometimes I need to just stop and relax.

    I hope you find your balance soon. :)

  6. Yes, yes, yes! I am exactly the same way. I might be watching TV, but I have my computer on my lap, or a commissioned hat on the needles. I love my iphone, but it's just fueled the fire!

    The one suggestion I have is keeping a weekly To-Do list that lays out each day of the week. If I have one massive list, it's hard for me to prioritize, but the weekly look lets me stop working if things don't need to be done today. And sometimes they don't. For real.

  7. I am EXACTLY the same way. If I'm not working, I'm thinking about work, a new project, goals I want to accomplish, things I need to pick up to finish a piece. It seriously never stops...and I truly love it, but yeah it does get a little tiresome at times. It's gotten worse ever since I've gotten an iPhone. Now I can answer emails and check sales and my blog 24/7. I'm constantly plugged in, even when I'm in bed trying to sleep. Totally an addiction.
    However, I'm thankful that I'm so passionate about my "job" because I think that you have to be this dedicated and this obsessed if you're going to be able to run your own business. There's no one to rely on for a paycheck except yourself, so you've got to always be thinking ahead and striving to out-do yourself so you can keep growing.

    I think taking a day off every week that is an honest-to-goodness day off is really important. It's so crucial to give your mind a break, even for a couple of hours...that way you're less likely to burn out and feel overwhelmingly stressed. eep!

    You're doing such a great job with your blog and business, so don't feel guilty and know that you are definitely not alone. Love you dolly! <3

  8. This is a great post. I understand where you are coming from. You run your own business- therefore there really isn't a "clock out" button for you. You also love what you do. There is nothing better than that. You are doing what I am trying to do. I'm working on my blog part time but I also have a 40/hr a week management position. I want to be able to be completely self-employed in a year. I also am planning on taking on a part-time position in January doing e-commerce work for an interior design company. It's crazy; I know. But as long as you love what you are doing and are going in the direction you want to be going in- you are fine. I think it is a good idea to take mental breaks though. Maybe set aside 30 minutes a day that is just devoted to yourself without working. Congrats on your ebook by the way. That is amazing!! Have a good Sunday! :)


  9. I'm in the same boat! Just today I was thinking I should turn down a project simply because I don't want to squeeze it in my already busy schedule. Then there's the guilt of letting people down, AND turning down (almost easy) money. But I simply don't want to stress myself out too much, especially when I'm trying to wrap up so many things before Christmas.

  10. Oh gosh, I am the same exact way!! I even keep my phone on my bedstand, and actually check if I need to relist items in my etsy shop in the middle of the night whenever I wake up. I dream about my etsy shop. It's annoying!

    Even if I sit down to watch a movie, I plop my laptop in front of me and work while I'm watching. I just can't unplug. I chalk it up to the same reason you mentioned -- when you're totally responsible for your own income, you feel like you need to keep working or it will just disappear. As much as I love being self-employed, I definitely have fantasies about chucking it for a 9-5, just so I'd finally have some downtime to relax :p

  11. Gosh, I completely know the feeling! I never sleep very well, because I know I will have tons of emails when I wake up! And sometimes I truly feel too too too busy! You will get through, pretty lady!

    Lost in the Haze

  12. I used to have this problem, too! (I've been a full-time freelance graphic designer going on 6 years now)

    For me, it was a matter of knowing my own limits. Working constantly, non-stop, leads to burn-out - do that a few times, and you realize that though you may feel productive, if you're not taking care of yourself and taking time out, you're actually not doing your best work. And that is ultimately not good for your clients or your business.

    Living with another person who pulls you away from work helps, too. My boyfriend in particular has a crazy work schedule during the week, so weekends are really when we do most things, so that helped in enforcing the 'no working on weekends' rule I currently live by. Having a puppy who needs love and attention and walks during the work day helps, too. And in my current abode, my 'office' is in it's own separate room upstairs, so it's not constantly in my field of vision (I had that issue, too). It's a bunch of small things, but they all help.

    I guess my point is: you'll eventually find your balance and what works for you.

  13. Om my goodness! I can so relate to this! I love days when my family doesn't have anything planned so I can spend all day working on my blog. I love making a to-do list and slowly checking all of them off. I want to work for myself someday, and if I ever do I'll probably be a lot like you. I just love working my blog!

    Maybe you could try turning your computer off when you take time to relax? Then you would have to turn it back on and get all your programs up and running again before you could get back to work... I know my computer is a lot less tempting when all my tabs in Chrome have been closed! Lol.

    Anyway, good luck with making time for yourself. (Also, you are really lucky to have a guy as great as Mike that understands you. ;-D)

  14. I for one if I feel too overwhelmed will completely shut down and read or lay on the couch, but i'm not the least business driven. I would love to have more drive and focus like what youre talking about though.

    My husband however is not so much a "workaholic" because his career is his life and passion. If he's not working on a new project in some state of development he is miserable. but it's taken years for him to feel alright with getting off the computer and being done for the night or not starting a new project immediately after one finishes. I think just like with everything else it will take practice. Once you feel comfortable with reaching a certain milestone you may be able to relax more too. Also when you're able to have a separate work space it might help...and turn your phone off!! Last but not least youre 23! you can burn the candle at both ends for a while yet baby! just wait till your 27 and it's all naps naps naps :) xoDanielle

  15. While I'm not as busy as you are (way impressive), I do go to grad school full-time and try and take on outside projects. However, I'm one of those who will always take a day off. once a week. no matter what. the few times I don't - I start feeling physically ill with the constant "go, go, go".

    For me, as an uber film snob who plans to work in the industry after graduation, I watch movies. Or I get together with my fellow film snob friend and we'll sit and talk movies and storytelling over beers for hours. it helps with the stress and helps get the mind off the three million things going on.

    I'm always the one telling people to take a break..even if its for a couple of hours. You have to...otherwise, your brain can't "breathe" as I like to call it.

    fantastic blog...always read it everyday. :)

  16. I hope you figure something out! Dave does so much work on his own that he can't sit on the computer without working and he always has his computer open! When we go shopping he is always looking for things to resell in his ebay store. I'm sure he can completely relate with you!

  17. I love this post - completely describes how I feel right now! Oh Kaelah Kaelah, you're such a dynamic person, so artistic and capable of so much! But I totally understand how hard it is to restrain yourself from wanting to work every second that you can.

    Best of luck giving yourself some time to relax, girl!

    chloe ** http://flowerponychloe.blogspot.com

  18. I do the same thing so often. Grad school is definitely not a 9-5 job, and so I find myself working constantly or feeling guilty when I am not.
    I have been trying to place a limit on my hours. I know that I am a morning person, so I wake up early and get as much done as possible before classes/lab time. And then I return to everything until 8pm. That is when I convince myself to have me-time. I either watch TV or catch up on some crafty things and letter writing.

  19. I do the same thing. Granted I work a job from 4-midnight... but I also bring my crafts to work with me (it gets very dead and silent after the first three hours at work so I need something to do.) Otherwise I sleep from 2am until about 8am and then am up for the rest of the day. I work out for an hour... otherwise I do nothing by craft and work on stuff on the internet. I'm hoping things change after this deployment, because I'll be with my fiance and probably work a little bit more. But even when I am at work I am thinking about all of my craft projects. Its crazy. My brain doesn't know how to shut down and I am always thinking of either blog posts or emails i need to send.

    Sorry if I went a little crazy on that response. O.o
    <3 Jenn

  20. I completely agree! It is so hard to feel like your freelance work isn't just taking over your life!

    I am a freelance video editor (mostly wedding videos) and I have been known to take phone calls from clients at 11PM and I would work on family vacations! Guh it was absolutely horrible! I never had a moment just to zone out it seemed like.

    But thankfully my fiance who is also does freelance work (vfx,editing,graphic design, you name it he pretty much does it haha) sat me down and told me I was going to make myself go crazy if I didn't stop working all the time. So we both decided to make a daily schedule for ourselves were we work from 8-6 daily and make sure we get at least 1 day off to ourselves. Now that is not to say we both don't have those coulpe of days every month where we are working till 10 or 11 at night to get something done, but honestly that seems to happen to even people with a normal day job every so often.

    Once we made the schedule it really helped me actually feel relaxed and not get dragged back into working when I am "off the clock".

    Hopefully you will be able to find a nice compromise between work and your free time, and it seems like Mike will definitely help you find that compromise sooner rather than later!

  21. When I can't get my brain to stop running, I go on a nature walk. It reminds me that if I'm always doing work to live an artistic life, I might miss the things that inspire me to live that life in the first place. It's like going to the gas station; fill up on inspiration before you're running on fumes! That said, if you're having fun, that's what it's all about, so don't worry too much :)

  22. I do the exact same thing, and I'm not a freelancer! My job allows me to work from home sometimes and other times travel to wherever the hell my company needs me to go. When I'm working from home sometimes I notice myself working so much harder because I don't have that 9-5 beat...it's good to take a step back and enjoy life because it's life, not work, that you'll want to look back on. <3 Good luck girl.

  23. I've always been this way too! I would much rather be busy than not have anything to do. I have a full-time job so my days are spoken for, but I do a fair amount of freelance work when I get off at 4:30.

    Just in the last 6 months or so, I've been able to get into the groove of it. I have three nights a week that I dedicate to my boyfriend of 5+ years. I wouldn't trade that time with him for anything! That's my down time for sure... I also visit with my families for a few hours each weekend and of course I watch Dexter on Sundays :)

    During certain parts of the year I volunteer with a local organization one day a week, so during those times that leaves me one night to GET SHIT DONE. And on that one night, I'm like a machine. I do as much as I can before I completely run out of steam. haha. My life sounds pretty structured, but I get enough curveballs thrown at me to keep it interesting...like weddings.

    It seems like Oct and June are the busiest wedding months, so I usually have a wedding every weekend during those months. It's hard to shoot all day on Saturday and then get everything edited in a timely manner. Sometimes when I'm that busy I just feel like I'm going to crash, but then I remind myself that I've made it before and I can make it again! Then when I get caught up I'm looking around like..."ok, what's next?" And it feels weird when there's nothing to do! That's when I start finding new projects to start...and thus the cycle begins again.

    Ok, that was a lot of rambling! It's fun to share though :)

  24. Oh wow, "busy bee" seems to be very fitting for you!
    I'm not a freelancer and I don't work from at home but I was in the opposite situation a few years ago when I wasted one whole semester (that my parents paid for) by hanging around at home! It was just not nice, it started with being too lazy to get up early and ended in being at home wasting away the days by doing unimportant stuff. And I always had a bad conscience but couldn't get out of this undertow of laziness.
    Long story short: fortunately I managed to get things straight again and I never want to go back to this situation, so believe me it is amazing that you work so much! You are a power girl and I admire girls like you who manage to do thousand things at one time! Please stay as awesome as you are :) And it's also important to have a counterweight that balances you out, so your boy does a great job too!

    Happy Sunday for you two!

  25. I love the feeling of working all day and knowing you are on top of everything and have earned your sleep! Sometimes I burn myself out at night and know I have to stop when I start to do things wrong! Because then I will have more work the next day if I muck up orders the night before!

    You work so hard kaelah, but it has paid off! Your blog and business are outstanding :) xxx

  26. I tend to work way to many shift work hours whilst studying for uni and holding dancing commitments. Luckily I have a partner who can see when I start to burn out and tells me so. I'm looking at taking up a less stressful job that relates to my future career path and moving to a less full on extracurricular activity.

    Alice xx


  27. YesYesYes! I love this post! I work from home and have SEVERAL different projects and "jobs" to keep me busy. I constantly feel the need to be doing something and even out and about I'm checking or sending emails. It's like you said though, we don't have the stability of a check so it can be scary. I enjoy all the things I do so I'm ridiculously happy to be doing them but it's important to know when to break so you don't get burnt out. I never take a whole day off because painting and making things can be relaxing to me with no deadline. But I know when to quit ;) I think if you love what you do...that makes all the difference!

  28. I love these posts! And I have to say miss Kaelah, I wish I was as dedicated as you are. Living a creative life, doing what you love, & making a living is a total dream of mine and seeing all the work ladies like yourself put into your dreams gives me inspiration. But I am so caught up in the safety net of a 9-5 that I don't want to take the plunge.

    Its good to be so dedicated, & all of us bloggers/hive+honey/honeybean lovers appreciate your awesomeness.

    I hope you find a good time to relax & have a freaking wonderful holiday!!!!! :)

  29. hi there, long time follower, first time commenter. first off, here's the source for the sharpie picture, i recognized it from when i reblogged it awhile ago:


    anyway, i was actually on the other side of the spectrum from you up until lately. recently i started working at a company that i thought would give me enough free time to work on my own business but i have had to spend more time at my "real job" and had almost completely given up on my goal. but following your blog has been such an inspiration, seeing your passion and drive has honestly reminded me of what is important TO ME and that i can make my vision a reality if i work harder and refuse to give up (so thank you for this).

    i am picking up steam and i am by no means a workaholic like you but i know it is important to find balance. a good way to do this is by scheduling free time on your to-do list. pencil in a time to take a walk by yourself or a calm bike ride. or pick up a new book and tell yourself to read so many chapters or pages a day, just for pleasure. or it could be something even smaller like making yourself get up and walk away from your computer to simply stretch and breathe deep once an hour. or take a moment before bed to do free-writing where you can just word vomit into a journal (by hand- walk away from the computer!) and that way you don't lie in bed with all your gears turning bc you've already gotten it all out. good luck finding balance, i think the first step is realizing you even want to change it!

  30. I'm a student at the moment studying art but when it comes to my art work and things to do with college..I can always find something better to do. But when I think of blogging/making things/crafting/writing there are not enough hours in the day. All i think about all day is what I can make next? what will be the next chapter in my book? what will todays post be? I suppose that tells me that I'm doing the wrong thing and I should do what I love...but I don't think you can really ever over work if you love doing it? just make sure you make time for you and your loved ones :) xox

  31. I felt this way when I was producing a fashion show last spring. I was just having so much fun working on it that it consumed my life. It's great to be passionate about things, but there is a point when it's too much. For me, that point was when my boyfriend pretty much told me I need to take a break and think/talk about something else for a change! Ha!
    I would say not to worry about to too much as long as you are enjoying what you do. Theres nothing wrong with working hard to accomplish your dreams!

  32. When I was taking 24 units last semester it was hard to find time to relax or stop doing work. I was surrounded by four roommates who had full loads and jobs, as well as that problem of having a giant computer staring at me in my main living space. One suggestion I have is to schedule time off. Just make time to go outside. When you have to shoot an outfit post for your blog, stay out of the house an extra hour and get coffee. If you have an errand to run, spend some time just browsing at the store instead of going straight home. You have to introduce it in small amounts instead of blocking out hours at a time.

    As for that pesky computer issue, I'm going to suggest dividing that space off. Get a curtain you can pull over to hide it, or even throw a sheet over the monitor, anything to make it disappear.

    Last, just turn everything off. I find myself turning off my computer a lot more. Once I save everything and shut it down it becomes a lot more work to reboot everything.

  33. i honestly agree that though i am lazy i love to "feel" busy. once i keep going i can't stop and i really do need a mike of my own to call the stops haha.

  34. I literally have this exact same question going up on my blog tomorrow, so I can't offer much advice, but I can say I know how you feel. I have a full time design job, plus working as a freelance designer, aerialist and blogger.

    The big problem is, I love all of it (except the 9to5 of course). I love working and writing and designing and rehearsing for shows. I enjoy spending my time glued to my computer, but I often find myself having to schedule dates with friends or shopping with my mom a week or two in advance so I can fit everything in.

    I know I need to make space for time off, but I have no idea how. It's easy for people to say 'just stop for a few hours and walk away,' but it stressed me out to not be working through my neverending to-do list. And even if I'm not working I'm definitely thinking about work and brainstorming more projects.

    I'm glad someone else is in the same work-a-holic boat haha Gonna come back and read your comments tomorrow to see if anyone has good advice <333

  35. I am indeed in the same position. What I do to clock out is think of myself as somebody else. My dad is a workaholic too, so I think how do I feel when I see him busy all the time. Then I agree, yes, I need a break, not only a break, I'm going to pamper myself. I make a special tea, I watch tv or go out for a walk.

  36. Just discovered your blog, it is amamzing! I just moved to TN a couple of years ago, and run my husband and my comics and clothing businesses from home.
    I can't run away from work because it is always THERE. But I am greateful to have somehting that is ours,and thay I enjoy :)


  37. sounds like u got things down! :) Sometimes i think we're adults and if we want to work late at night then we can, but also need time out. Do u seperate personal hobbies and work stuff? ie, projects that dont have to be finished! experimental stuff, where u can pick things up and put them down.

    Also i know u have lists, when ur trying to relax, jot down ur ideas to go over later, so then ur not missing anything.


  38. i totally know what you're talking about! i'm not that busy yet, but between starting my business and my two blogs i'm always in "work mode". making lists of things i need to do, beating myself up that i haven't finished everything on my list yet... working on things at random times because they're RIGHT THERE. i can never just sit down and relax, i'm always working on or thinking up ideas.

  39. I do not work from home but I know/read blogs of people who do. It appears as though you are doing a lot right now but from what I know about the self employed it's not unusual. Plus, you are at the age where you can put in long hours. It appears as though people who ar

  40. I feel the exact same way about working from home. Granted, I am no-where near as busy as you are, but I am CONSTANTLY thinking and creating. I may not be selling much, but its all personal for the most part.

    I have read blogs such as Elsie's from Red Velvet and in one blog post, she said that when the Red Velvet shop was getting itself together, she worked constantly and just kept going. But she KNEW that is what it took. Kaylah from TDS said she starts at 6 and stops once her fiance' Kevin gets home at 3.

    It is hard when you have a creative job and you LOVE doing the work involved, esp when it doesn't feel like work. But you have to remember that overloading will lead to burn out. You need to set up atleast 1 day a week just to relax. You work your bartending job and this creative job, you have tons going on constantly not to mention personal life, so remember to take a day for yourself. If you don't take care of yourself first nothing else will get taken care of - that is what I have to remind myself.

    I am working on getting my own schedule figured out, and i believe slowly and surely you will get yours perfected as well. I can't offer much advice but remember to have a day for you and your man.

    oh oh oh! This may be a little off topic but I figure it can relate in some way. I read in a magazine about sharing time between boyfriends/friends that friends should get atleast 3 days a week for you, and the other time can be for you or you and your man. Maybe try thinking about your creative job as a friend - 3-5 days is enough, and you dedicate the rest to you. I guess that is the best comparison I can do with time.:]

    get it girrrll!!!

    <3 Amy Louski


  41. Ohboy. You can't even imagine how much I identify with this right now! I have tried everying...scheduling, purposely not scheduling...it's all so hard! And the hardest part is letting myself have a break. I LOVE being busy, but sometimes the flipside of that is being overwhelmed and burnt out, and at those times I've learned to FORCE myself to take a break (like getting a pedicure!). And in the end, it's why I love working from home so much. It can be difficult to separate work from life, but then again you can take naps and read books in the middle of the day if you want to and there's no beating that :)


  42. I understand that you take what you can get if you're not on a set paycheck, but your body will simply thank you if you take a break from time to time. and the world won't end if you finish a project tomorrow instead of today. I can see where you're coming from, but if you don't take it slow sometimes your body will pay for it in a couple of years. so just make little coffee dates or walks to get away every now and then :)

  43. I used to be in the same mindset, throughout college and in the year after. When I wasn't working at my "real" job or doing homework, I was taking on freelance projects to fill my time. Then, one day, I kind of just snapped out of it. I decided that my full-time job was more than sufficient, and that I valued my time with family and friends more than I valued money or the satisfaction of getting something done. Best of luck to you in finding a balance that works for you and Mike.

  44. I have this problem too... But i'm proud of it, because i see so many illustrator without job that i'm happy to work so long time in a day, in a week.... I'm a work junkie yes.... BUT we take some week ends just for us ( my BF and me) visiting places we love, because imagination and mind need new stuff for be abble to produce pictures. At least i notice we aren't many to love our job so much and this point is surely the more important.

  45. I agree with what Kate says, I sometimes I wish I had a 9-5 job, because at least I can stop at 5!

    I've worked from home for four years and it doesn't matter what one does, the ultimate is discipline. If i can discipline to not look at my emails for a couple hours, I feel like I could do anything. There is always something to be done, whether or not I relax, so may as well chillax the heck out of my time, right?? ;)

  46. I am the yin to your yang. I have a natural gift for savoring old books and cups of tea, wandering without purpose and gleaning a sense of satisfaction from merely thinking about a project, or checking out blogs of you wonderfully inspired ladies. The truth is, I am never happier than when I am actually creating something I care about and I sometimes mope over my lack of initiative. For me, the trick is to just START something, anything, and the rest falls into place. For you I'm guessing the opposite would be true. Coach yourself with a word or phrase, EXHALE and find small moments of rest.


HEY! Thanks for dropping by. xo KB