In my previous work life, come Friday afternoon, all thoughts of the office receded, and the weekend began. There was very little (if any) cross over. It was, I suppose, "work life balance." I worked and then I lived and the two very (very) rarely commingled.Not so in my new normal. There is no line really. I write on the weekends, pull product, go to shoots (think about writing, products, and shoots). The girls (and in the case of this past weekend Bryan and my mother) often go with me. Audrey has even started to help beyond just schlepping and hauling, giving me suggestions about ways I could make a piece more fun or interesting (99% of the time she's spot on — she's good that one).
But after spending 14 years toiling away there, I'm so trained in the ways of corporate America that this blended existence tends to make me feel guilty. Somehow I can't shake the belief that a lack of work boundaries is a bad thing...even if you, gasp, enjoy it.
I was thinking about this a lot on Sunday after the aforementioned family affair of a work weeekend. I was worn out, as due to some scheduling issues, I found myself with three different shoots between Friday and Sunday and the need to return a bulk of my pulls on Saturday. It was more work than I typically do on any weekend, and yet, being able to do it with my tribe made me feel a little bit like I wasn't exactly working. It made it seem a little bit fun. Suffice to say I did not know what to do with that feeling.
So I did what I always do when I don't know what to do about something: I looked at the interwebs (I have a problem, I realize). And I somehow got stuck on Carine Roitfeld. And while I was stuck, I came across a couple of her quotes that made me feel a bit better about the entire enterprise...
Like this one:
I always mix personal life and work, because when you love fashion, it is not work. Fashion becomes a passion. So you don't finish Friday and have the weekend off. You have to mix work with your kids, their education, your family and finally everything comes together very easily. I am very happy with the results. I don't regret anything and I am very close to my family, which was always the most important thing for me. (Hint Mag)And this one too:
My life is mixed with my work, so there’s no weekend, it’s everything mixed – fashion and life. I have a picture of my dad where he is wearing a Peruvian sweater and then we have Helena Christensen wearing the same sweater in a fashion shoot for French Glamour in Peru. Everything is mixed. I think this is charming. It’s something personal. (Dazed digital)
There was no stop and start for Mme Roitfeld, no weekend. (She borrowed her dad's sweater for a fashion shoot for the love of Pete), and, wait for it, she was totally ok with it.
Friends, I'm beginning to think that the key to happiness is this whole "being ok with it" business.
What say you?