Two - Face

Why were Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde stories about villains or Batman a vigilante?

I’ll never understand it because to me it’s much harder to wear two faces than one. Bear with me because I know this seems like it is going to be some existential piece about identity and the necessity of being yourself. Although that is a great topic, it’s one for later. I am here today to talk about work life imbalance.

One of the hardest things that I ever decided to do was to go out and pick up a $1500 camera and say “yeah this is what I’m going to do with my free time.” But at the same time, it was the most rewarding. Many people have something they rather be doing than their 9-5 and although that is not completely the case for me, photography was that thing.

The issue arises when you are at your 9-5 thinking about photography so much that you start watching YouTube videos, looking up shoot ideas, or talking your visions out with people and then forget that you are literally getting paid to do something completely different. Not to mention that feeling that you get that if not for your 9-5 you would be able to completely put yourself behind the camera and on a leap of faith it would take you so much farther than anything else. In this situation, I don’t know what’s more scary, the thought of making it or the thought of not. As contradictory as it sounds, success can be scary; what if I make it and it’s not what I thought it would be? How will I ever fund a full career out of this? What if I get bored of this 10 years down the line? These are all questions that I ask myself when people say “well where do you wanna take this photography thing?” That being said, I like my job. I work in tech and help design PCs so I get to learn a lot more about things that I use everyday as well as be involved in some of their creation but also I can see a future here. Not necessarily in the company alone but in this industry, I will never get tired of technology (i.e. Photography) but there are many places I can go with it. Heck, I can even be VP of production for Nikon in the U.S. wink wink if anyone who works there is reading this.

Remember that balance is a thing.

I guess what I am trying to say is that for everyone that is doing more than just their 9-5, keep on keeping on. Something has to pay the bills but something also has to fill your heart. If it is important to you then keep at it but remember not to overwhelm yourself. The other day I went to a conference room to answer a Facetime call to plan a shoot I’m working on and realized this is not okay. Find a good middle ground or even make a schedule for when you will work on what. Obviously work at work, and outside of work if need be but just allot sometime to put your passion first and work on it. Once you have a schedule you should also include downtime, if you are always either working on your 9-5 or on your passion project you will never make time for yourself and for relaxation and if you’re like me that means YOU WILL CRASH.

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Weirdly enough, I started this piece before the Covid-19 Pandemic that we’re in but as for me it holds true more than ever. I am fortunate enough to be able to work from home during this crisis but at the same time, it feels like my workload has increased exponentially because of it. I have some days that literally go 7-7 and then I go on to read my textbook about digital electronics so I can finally understand something at work lol. But at some point in the day I start thinking to myself, “I am at home all day, so I can work on my blog, plan photoshoots, look at new fits, learn piano finally, cook new things, check in on everyone else, learn the market, and workout. ” I don’t know about you but that is a lot and although I don’t have a schedule down pact, it took me some time to realize that this too will pass so I don’t have to do everything but everything that I can do, I should plan it out well and pay attention to my health most of all. I can’t let impatience get the best of me regardless of ambition and you shouldn’t either. That’s enough from me for now so I’m off to take my own advice and make a schedule, until next time.