How I survive as a Designer and Dancer
I had the opportunity to do a video interview with Vulcan post (video below!) and I thought I’d just share my thoughts that expands a little more!
As already mentioned, I’m a designer in Circles.Life & also a dancer doing several different things purely out of passion. While it is true that my schedule is crazily tight, I don’t believe in letting either of them slip by. I’m just going to pen my thoughts down in this discussion about having work life balance & juggling many priorities in life other than work.
1. Work life balance is not necessarily a 50-50 split
To many, having a work-life balance simply means having a 9-5 day job, & having the freedom to do whatever you want after. However, is that truly the definition of work-life balance? Personally, I spend an average number of 9-10 hours at work, starting as early as 9am and leaving at 7-8pm at times. I then spend an average of 2-3 hours at dance, be it attending a dance class, going for a rehearsal etc. Do I sound like I have a life? Probably not. But do I feel like I have work-life balance? Yes, I totally do. One very important aspect is a point that I brought up in the video about having support from my colleagues which further motivates me into doing well & excelling at both areas in my own way. With that, I don’t see my work as just a typical day job, but it’s something that i believe and want to work hard for in order to continue growing. Liking your job is the first step to bridging the gap between work and life. When you are doing something that has meaning, you will find that there is lesser dread but more motivation to keep on growing & climbing.
2. What is sleep?
As with all commitments & interests, there are bound to be sacrifices. One such sacrifice for me is sleep. My routine always consists of me ending the night off with a drawing, be it calligraphy, vector or whatever that comes to mind. This is a personal choice but because of this, I am able to do so much more in 24 hours. However tired I am, whenever i manage to do something or draw something simple at night, the sense of satisfaction is real.
3. Do what you really love & things will fall into place
I recently helped out in a dance camp not too long ago, and I’ve seen well enough how doing what you love can impact the people around you. You may not realise it, but your passion will show through the craft you do, and people appreciate it more than you ever know. It doesn’t really matter if you think you’re different, just be confident in doing what you do, and that itself will be significant enough to make an impact somewhere else. The heart matters the most in a craft. Personally, I love dance & I love design, but truthfully I haven’t been fighting hard enough for what I want & I acknowledge that. With that said, I am going to fight even harder to do what I love both ways. I am not better than anyone else, & there’s just so much to learn in honing a craft or two, so all you can do is to always be a student & continuously learn.
4. Fail again and again.
When you are able to accept failure, better things will come your way as you emerge stronger. I admit that I am not exactly receptive to failure, but I have been learning over the years & slowly allowing failure to be a part of my growing process. What really happens when you fail at something? You beat yourself up over it, demoralize yourself for being such a failure, and sometimes even think of giving it up altogether. But once you get over that phase, you will tell yourself it’s okay, you’ll do better next time. And the cycle repeats. This vicious cycle called growth. I have failed so many times, but each time, I learn from the past experience & make sure I try again the next time, be it in dance or when doing design. It sucks for sure, but hey, no pain no gain! Balancing both design & dance was definitely difficult at first & Ive encountered several red flags along the way. But when you put your mind into it, it will happen somehow. If you fail to make it work? Try again.
Sometimes you will face different obstacles in your life, be it from work or from your passion. Personally, I’ve been through some & I totally know how it feels like. You may not know how to deal with all the situations, & sometimes you will get frustrated knowing that it’s not within your control. Facing stupid rumours? Hearing things that you didn’t even know about? I just want to say that, it’s alright, it’s okay. Let them speak, let it go, it will all pass. As long as it doesn’t get you down, you’ll be fine. One day, they will realise the truth.
5. Set goals for yourself & stick to it
How I go about my year is first & foremost setting aside 2 different set of goals. I’ve two sets of goals for my dance and design track, and I find that it has been helping me in terms of keeping things in check. We may not be the most responsible species to constantly align with our goals, but knowing you have goals in the first place does help.
These are perhaps not new thoughts at all, but they’ve been working for me & I hope it will help in a way or two as well. :) okthxbye