Meet Cydney Williams | Artist & Yoga Instructor

We had the good fortune of connecting with Cydney Williams and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Cydney, how has your work-life balance changed over time?
I like this question, because of the allure of having a simple recipe to achieve a constant state of balance to anyone at any stage of their life is so appealing. However, we know there is no quick reference sheet of work life balance have to’s and what not’s. Balance is always changing over time especially when growing into new stages of your business, practice, and life. Work life balance is all about a personal acceptance.

I used to think I had to do all things… cook & meal prep, workout & meditate, work hard in my studio & attend all the events, make time for myself & family, etc. In today’s era of buzzy, but real terms like ‘burnout’ and ‘boundaries’, it is hard to tell how to not lean too far in one direction. In the beginning of anything, half of balance is figuring out what you actually have to be balancing. Where you need to put your time and energy. That phase of figuring out the context of your field does not last forever, nothing does.

Now, balance for me is acceptance with gratitude. Accepting that there is no timeline for me personally and that my business is fueled by a lifelong love of making. In order to remain in balance I need to stay clear on what my real priorities are. You can’t be everything to everyone, so balance is about being enough for yourself. You need to know yourself. So my hack for work life balance is to make sure I do things to feel my body, hear my thoughts, and love myself and family. That ensures I have enough fuel to make. The rest will follow.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I work primarily as a painter who incorporates and experiments with a vast array of mediums. Professionally, I spend my time busy painting, playing, and teaching. Whether that be preparing for exhibitions, fulfilling commissions, experimenting in my studio, and/or catching up on administrative work the studio never has a dull moment. In addition to painting, I teach studio art classes, art history classes, and movement classes. 

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
A little itinerary would be:

~West Side Day~
Wake up~ Make a turmeric & ginger juice and some eggs + stop at Copenhagen Bakery for some coffee sticks 🙂
Morning~Meet the friends at Sunset Beach in the Pacific Palisades and surf for a few hours
Afternoon~ Change in the car and act fancy at the Getty Villa & eat lunch at the cafe there
Evening~ Eat pasta at Colapasta in Santa Monica
Night~ A fire at Dockweiler Beach

~East Side~
Wake up~ Get a donut at one of the any of the many independent donut shops around LA
Morning~ Thrift for a cute outfit on Melrose
Lunch~ Fish tacos at the Farmers Market
Afternoon~Wandering around galleries in the ArtsDistrict or popping into the Broad or the Hammer
Evening~ Dinner at any of the amazing places to eat in LA~ ideal family dinner at Checker Hall in Highland Park
Night~ A concert at the Greek Theater

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Success and perspective would not be possible without the women artists in my life that constantly redefine womanhood (often the masters of work life balance)…

Some names worth mentioning:

Alex Williams
Dominique Powers
Delia Pelli-Walbert
Osmeli Delgado
Grace Roselli
Orange Li
Zara Fina Stasi
CLoD- Claudia Echeverria
Dorothea Rockburne
Ella Whittemore Hill

Website: www.cydneywilliams.com

Instagram: @cydney_williams

Image Credits
Image Credit: Dominique Powers Eric Voigt Roman Dean Kate Skinas