By far the most common conversation we have with the folks we interview is about work-life balance. Starting a business or pursuing a creative career makes finding work life balance really tough because there is no clear start and end to one’s work day. We’ve shared some of our conversations on the topic below.

Amanda Brooke Perrin | Writer & Performer

In my 20’s, work was my entire personality. I got it in my head pretty early on that if I wasn’t working, I was wasting precious time. I measured my worth based on how busy I was… which, looking back, is a bit of a bummer. Don’t get me wrong, I’m grateful to past me for working so hard and getting me to where I am today. She had BPE (Big Puppy Energy) and could’ve lifted a truck with her ambition alone. But nowadays downtime is a necessity. I simply love to Sloth Around (™). Maybe it’s getting older or maybe the industry has worn me down to a nub of a person (especially right now… has anyone checked Hollywood’s pulse?). Whatever the reason, every day I find it more pertinent to spend time with loved ones, recharge my batteries and stay curious about life outside of writing and performing. To prevent burn out and to ensure my life is as big and full as humanly possible. Read more>>

Sophia Wolfe | Artist, animator, filmmaker

Thanks for having me again, Voyage LA! I’m always excited to participate in your articles, and this series in particular is such a sweet idea.

I would not say this is necessarily great advice, but it is the truth about me: My life is my work. Of course, I am an artist, so work means thinking, writing, sketching, singing – expressing my love for life and art in every way my body can. A palm reader would find on my dominant hand that my “love line” and “work line” are actually conjoined into one, single line. I am a single, young woman with no pressing commitments to anything or anyone. This will not last forever. So, for as long as I can, I will be prioritizing my relationship with my art above all else. Read more>>

Ana Farre Moutinho | Filmmaker

I’ve had to reassess how I view work-life balance after leaving the corporate world to pursue film. Work and life aren’t all that easy to separate when you are pursuing a passion. Working late or working weekends, missing social events – these are sacrifices that come with this field. Read more>>

Anne Fishkin | Sr. Team Lead at Amazon and Sr. Director of Marketing and Special Events at Absence of Proof

When I was younger, I was all about the ‘grind’. The ‘girl boss’ mentality was a real phenomenon for me. I didn’t think I’d be taken seriously if I wasn’t the first one in and the last one out, and to be fair, that holds true in corporate culture. Over time, and after reading the 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, I realized that there are ways to quantify urgent vs non urgent, important vs non important and that helped me maximize my time in a more efficient way so I had more room for play and to prioritize my short term and long term goals. I have always believed in the ‘work hard, play hard’ mentality but now realize that in order to speed up, we have to slow down. I highly support time off to recharge and I feel zero guilt taking off work to invest quality time with my friends, family and to experience all the beauty our world has to offer. I will not be checking emails or slack when I’m OOO, and if it’s a true emergency, I will answer and be there. It’s important to fully be present and not just on a vacation – it’s every day. Read more>>

Julia Hendrickson | Artist

Reading “Daily Rituals: How Artists Work” by Mason Currey liberated my thoughts on work schedules. He offers the daily habits of numerous artists. Each highly specific, distinct from the others. We are so enculturated in this 9-5 post-war schedule that is hard to consider what might actually be better for us. My schedule now prioritizes rest, as a mechanism of production, rather than a forced march thru the requisite hours. With this priority many people ask how I get so much completed. It is paradoxical, and has proven itself over time as the strategy that works for me. Read more>>

Jorge De Los Ríos | Account Manager, Actor, & Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Practitioner

The concept of balance is very interesting to me because in various stages of my life, I have faced the challenge of simultaneously balancing multiple personal and professional projects. The secret to achieving balance in my life lies in thinking long-term. Sometimes, we tend to want all aspects of our lives to be perfectly aligned, and while this is certainly ideal, it often doesn’t reflect our realities. When we think about our long-term goals, both personally and professionally, we can allow ourselves to focus more intensely on certain areas of our lives that need greater attention for a specific period, and then later give more attention to other aspects. Read more>>

Sophie Pokorny

When I started in the photography industry right out of college, I was obsessed with finding work in my field. I almost felt like I had to prove to myself that this degree was worth it. I would take any job as long as it was photo related, in an effort to establish myself in the career. I was happy doing that for a while. I worked a variety of jobs anywhere from commercial product photography, high school senior photos, and real estate photography. I eventually became, and still am a remote retoucher for a small portrait studio in Chicago. Read more>>

Elena Shelton

I believe that having a flexible work-life balance is essential for a dynamic life. I’m always juggling various roles, but one of the cornerstones of my work is as a Birth Doula, which I’ve been doing for the past decade. As a Doula, I engage with expecting families from early pregnancy onwards, offering personalized birth preparation and then continuous on-call support starting at three weeks before their due date until after delivery. Despite the challenges and sacrifices of on-call work and needing to be ready to support my clients at a moment’s notice, it has profoundly shaped my understanding of work life balance. Read more>>

Heath Rutledge-Jukes

Balancing the demands of medical school with the responsibilities of running a startup has been both a complex and fulfilling challenge for me. When embarking on the journey of founding King of the Curve, it quickly became apparent the intensity of juggling academic commitments and entrepreneurial pursuits. My initial struggle with work-life balance leaned heavily towards work, as medical school alone demands an immense amount of time and dedication with endless studying, lectures, and clinical rotations. Incorporating the responsibilities of a startup into my schedule often meant working from the early morning till late at night. Read more>>