Shoutout Atlanta Feature: Work-Life Balance
I truly believe work life balance is key to maintaining a healthy lifestyle and keeping your sanity on a day to day basis. Self-care is at the center of this balance for me now, but it is something that I didn’t always prioritize. I have incorporated saying no to things I don’t want to do and focused on making time for things that serve my health and my passions. I struggled a lot with this when I first started my professional career, and by no means was this an overnight success.
I am an orthodontist by profession, but I have been an artist my entire life. I have an extreme passion for both of these areas, so when I began my professional career I struggled with finding a balance and taking time for myself to indulge in a little self care, which for me is painting. I was used to creating custom paintings here and there as I went through dental school and residency, but I always considered it just a hobby. Friends and family kept asking me about taking my art career seriously, and I finally took the leap when I finished all of my studies and professional training as an orthodontist. When I graduated in 2017, I created an LLC for both my orthodontic business and my art business as I prepared to enter the working world.
There were some definite bumps in the road in the beginning with finding a good balance. I felt like I was always working and my passion for creating art pieces was falling behind. I was also recently married and I didn't want to overcommit to my businesses and let my personal life fall behind. Slowly but surely I was able to navigate both and find a good balance that allowed me to work professionally and still paint on the side. Just when I felt like I found a good balance, I became pregnant and gave birth to my daughter in 2019. Life as I knew it changed in so many ways and all things regarding my art business took a pause while I navigated motherhood, returning to work and finding a family balance. Once my daughter got into a predictable daily routine, I was happily able to reintroduce painting back into my life. I didn't even realize how much I missed it until I completed my first project after almost a year.
As many aspects of my life changed, painting also looked completely different than what I was accustomed to previously. What used to be my painting room was now my daughter's nursery. I got bumped into a corner in the dining room, but I was able to make it comfortable and still feel productive. Long gone were the days of sitting down, finding my creative zone, and painting for 8 hours straight. Now, painting happens in 2 hour spurts while she is napping, or in the evening after she goes to bed.
As life would have it, just as I was finding this new version of balance, along came COVID-19. Just like most of the world, I found myself at home full time with my husband and may daughter. As an orthodontist, I am unable to work from home so I was left with a lot of down time for almost 9 weeks. I immediately knew I needed to find a release and something to break up the monotony of quarantine, and painting was my answer. I found a new excitement around being able to focus on my art business while I was out of work in regards to my in-office job. This time allowed me to really explore creating more ways to make prints of my art. I love creating custom pieces, but they take a lot of time. I was able to research and find lucrative opportunities to take advantage of selling art in different ways. I always want painting to feel fun and relaxing, so I also learned how to start saying ‘no’ to art commissions that aren’t fulfilling to me.
At the end of 2020, I had a tough job decision to make. I was working 4-5 days a week and knew I was planning to leave one of my partial job opportunities. I prayed, planned, and finally decided to take that extra time to stay at home and focus on my family, since my daughter was still at home and had not returned to daycare yet. It worked out beautifully, and now I am in office 3-4 days a week. The other days I am able to help at home and take advantage of this time to focus on my art business as well. The beginning of 2021, as crazy as it has been already, is truly the first time I have felt a complete work life balance. I am extremely fulfilled with my orthodontic career and the practice I am working in now. I have never been happier to have an extra day or two during the week to spend with my daughter and refocus on my art business and new art projects.
I get asked all the time how I am able to do it all and manage being a wife, mother, multiple business owner, artist, friend, etc. Sometimes it feels like a whirlwind, but I am intentional about finding balance so I can pursue different passions of mine. I built my work schedule in a way that works for my family, my career and my art business, which luckily doubles as self-care for me. There is never a perfect day, and I’m sure life will continue to throw unexpected challenges my way, but being intentional about my time and is key to balancing all of the puzzle pieces of my life.
