Author: Kelly Kalac

Homework: Balancing Work & Life While Working From Home

Right now I’m sitting on my couch in my living room with my puppy at my feet. It’s a gorgeous day outside. The news of the world is crazy. Its right there at my fingertips. I have social media on my phone and the news on the TV that I could turn on at anytime. There are tons of chores that need doing around the house, and lots of projects I would love to work on other than “work”. So how do it do it?  In my current job as a Regional Brand Manager I work from home a lot. It’s great if you can make it work for you, but it’s not for everyone. I want to share some of the guidelines I give myself when working from home. Hopefully they can help you to be successful as well.

  • Regardless of whether or not I have a meeting or a phone call, I aim to be up and working by 8 am everyday.
  • I work for at least 8 hours everyday. I give myself a start and an end time. I don’t work on any personal projects until I get to that end time.
  • I allow myself little breaks as needed, to use the restroom and walk the dog. I do not take an hour lunch. I work through my lunch to keep myself focused.
  • Once I am done at the end of my work period, I go to the gym. This gives me a nice break between work and personal projects.
  • I set up my living room work space every day, and take it down every day when I am finished. This was I don’t feel like I am working all of the time.
  • I don’t watch TV or movies when I work. This way I get more done and I don’t feel distracted.
  • If my roommate or significant other wants to use the living room and I am working, I can go to the bedroom and work to share space.

Am I perfect at this? No. Do I sometimes make exceptions to these rules? Yes. One of the beautiful things about working from home is that there is no boss constantly watching over your shoulder so there is more flexibility. Once I found a good system for it, I found I was more productive at home than I ever was in the office. I didn’t have to worry about commuting, office politics or remembering to bring a lunch. The most important thing for me was following guidelines like the ones above to develop the self-discipline I needed to be successful. Also If I was not perfect at holding to those guidelines I didn’t punish myself I just took note of where I was missing the mark and tried again.

I hope this helps!~

How to be an Artist While Working in Marketing

Its been a struggle over the years to both make money and be an artist. At first when I graduated from college with an art degree it was hard to find work. I was under a lot of pressure to try to make money however I could. Not only to pay my living expenses, but also my student loan debt. With many twists and turns along the way, I became a marketer. I didn’t go to school for it. I sort of fell into it through modeling on the side, but  that’s a different story.

Marketing is a great field to work in while also working on your own personal creative projects. While working full-time as a Stoli Diplomat for Momentum Worldwide, I was also able to work with an amazing team to write and receive a grant. We funded and execute a large-scale art project at Burning Man. While working part-time as a Brand Ambassador for Amazon Beverage,s I was able to intern as a part of the art department on film crews. Currently, as a full time Regional Brand Manager with Neuro Beverages, I have been redoing my website, prepping a painting and designing my next large-scale art project.

I think marketing works better for me than other jobs have because the culture around marketing generally encourages and supports artists. Working on creative marketing projects keeps my creative mind going and gives me new ideas to pursue in my own projects. With flexible schedules I am able to find time to fit in my art. With a stable income I don’t have to stress about not being able to pay rent or student loans and I still feel creatively challenged.

If you are working in marketing and also trying to pursue your own creative projects simultaneously here are a few ways things I have tried that have helped me to be more successful:

  • Make a to-do list for both work and home. I love lists. If I write things down I know I will eventually get to them It helps keep me going and on task all the time, whether I’m at home or at work. I keep one list for work and one list for home. Once I am finished working for the day, I switch to my list for home. There are items on that list I work on every week .  A few of those are each of my art projects. I don’t necessarily get to them on the same day or at the same time every week, but I do get to them and work on them for a solid amount of time. This keeps me feeling like I am progressing, but also like I am not overwhelmed.
  • Always Make Art A Priority When Not Working:  I always make art a priority when I am not working. For me this is evidenced where I put it in my list. I must have balance. So the other things I have near the top of my list are: Exercise, Meditation, Cleaning, Learning and Focus on my Relationships.
  • Set Achievable, but Challenging Goals: It’s not easy to be an artist while also having a full-time job. At times I have been discouraged because I thought I couldn’t create anything meaningful while also working. At other times I have set goals and deadlines for myself that when coupled with my full time job have pushed the limits of my health. The goal is balance, but it is not easy. It is absolutely possible to create meaningful art projects and develop a community around them while also pursuing a career in Marketing. Set a goal. Make it a big one.
  • Anything is Possible: Ask yourself the question: “What is my highest potential?” And think about what that looks like. Then think about what you need to get there. The one thing you have less of while also working a full-time job is time. So give yourself more time to get there. Be patient with yourself. Another way to get around the time issue is teamwork. Maybe you can find some other people who are looking to build meaning outside of their day jobs who would like to work with you.

Good luck with all of your art and marketing endeavors! Thanks for reading.

Let go. Burn. Love.

Fifth times a charm.

I gave up this year. This year I was done trying to control everything. This year I was done trying to sacrifice everything at the altar. I’d found my soul once. I’d given my heart once. I’d found my freedom once. I’d nearly given my life once.

This year I let go.

Instead of rushing in, instead of planning everything, I let others take control. I gave, but only what felt good. I let others take care of me too.

This time I let go.

I took the time to stop and appreciate what I had. I didn’t push myself to go and see everything, Instead I enjoyed the moment and let the moment steer me.

I needed to let go.

I let the sand and the sky and the wind and the creation and the destruction move me to dance. I let it come into my body and moved to the rhythms of the edge of the universe.

I let go.

I grounded my self in the dust and opened myself to the sky. I danced until the sky opened up and the wind whipped me to a spiral of song.

I let myself love.

I stopped needing to play games or control. I shared my love with the people that were there sharing with me. I trusted. I didn’t long for anything more. I opened myself to contentment.

I let go in the love.

I gave it away to the fire in the temple. My strength. My community. My love. It’s stronger than any evil that tries to drown me out. Including my own. I watched it burn.

Let go. Burn. Love.