Meet Natalie Battles | UX Designer & Documentary Filmmaker

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

Hi Natalie, how has your work-life balance changed over time?
A mentor once told me to never try to accomplish “balance,” but rather learn how to prioritize what was important. I think I would take that one step further and say that I have learned to stay agile. (*cue Ross yelling “PIVVVOOOTTTT” on the narrow apartment stairs in Friends)

My career has been unique and multifaceted with the main through line being just that I was there for all of it. I think if I had tried to find balance in experiences and opportunities that took me from hiking the Himalayan peaks in Nepal to meet with village leaders rebuilding after the 2015 earthquake, to pulling together focus groups to redesign communication strategies for the CDC after the pandemic, I would not have been as open and ready for the journey.

I get a thrill approaching life with an open-handed curiosity and have found that the ability to pivot and reorient throughout has led to a fulfilling and purposeful career.

I will say that this year has been a little different as I became a mom to the most delightful little human. This has been the biggest pivot of all! I thought that I would have to slow down once he came to join our family, but getting to know him has revealed inspiration and wonder in ways I couldn’t have drummed up on my own before!

All of this to say, my life is not one of balance per se, but one of curiosity, delight, and small and large degrees of change.

I wanted a platform to continue to tell stories! This Story Productions is where I get to experiment with light and motion and discover the poetry in even the most “mundane” of moments.

Social impact: how does your business help the community or the
world?
The intersections of humans and our natural world is a particularly important piece I like to emphasize in my work. Overall, I would say I contribute by giving others the space to be truly themselves. The honor of being given such vulnerability ends up challenging and changing me.

Risk taking: how do you think about risk, what role has taking risks played in your life/career?
Risk is an inevitable part of life. I have very little control over the chaos of how things work in this world, but instead of fighting it with anxiety, worry, and fear, I pursue understanding of what I can and empathy for what I can not understand. I have definitely been pummeled by the hustle of life and my choices of how to live it, but I have also experienced the most surreal beauty and purpose. Similar (for me) to having a child. Being pregnant was a practice in getting less and less able to do things as I had always done them as my body prepared to bring a new
soul into the world. Then actual labor and birth that followed was otherworldly in it’s difficulty, pain, and purpose as my son and I transitioned from one person to now two separate beings. And now I am reborn, expanded, and eyes more open because of it, not in spite of it.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
Risk is an inevitable part of life. I have very little control over the chaos of how things work in this world, but instead of fighting it with anxiety, worry, and fear, I pursue understanding of what I can and empathy for what I can not understand. I have definitely been pummeled by the hustle of life and my choices of how to live it, but I have also experienced the most surreal beauty and purpose. Similar (for me) to having a child. Being pregnant was a practice in getting less and less able to do things as I had always done them as my body prepared to bring a new soul into the world. Then actual labor and birth that followed was otherworldly in it’s difficulty, pain, and purpose as my son and I transitioned from one person to now two separate beings. And now I am reborn, expanded, and eyes more open because of it, not in spite of it.

If you are a parent, what do you think is the most important thing you’ve done as a parent in terms of the impact on your children?
Time. Time for playing, discovery, and just learning how to be a little family of three. Time for cuddling and reading and grounding our feet in the grass while watching the trees bud and grow their leaves again (for me) and delighting in his first spring ever! I will truly feel like I have succeeded as a parent when he runs up to me and grabs my hand to show me how the leaves look in the light or to come watch a sunset with him.

What is the most important factor behind your success / the success of your brand?
Curiosity and empathy.

How to know whether to keep going or to give up?

I’m a big believer in putting things on the back burner hypothetically speaking. Throughout life, my priorities are constantly shifting, expanding, and contracting and I may have an idea or an inspiration that will need some time to simmer and grow for a season rather than activating right away. Keep those little thoughts and dreams, even if it’s not their time yet. Maybe something else or someone else needs to come along first to get that dream back out front, but I wouldn’t give it up completely.

What makes you happy? Why?

Too many things to even list here make me happy!
Things like Daydreaming while staring out the window, or sitting in rocking chairs on my porch watching the day go by. Long walks with my husband and baby just talking about nothing and everything. Driving into the mountains just to go on that hike we were curious about. Laying on the ground talking to my baby while he giggles and grabs at my hair. Finding the perfect light to capture the innermost feelings of the one’s who are opening up to tell me their stories.
Watching the disparate pieces of production come together like a piece of music in the editing room.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
If you’re here for a long weekend, I would take you to the high museum of art to start! On our way to the museum, we would stop by the Riverside Bellwood Coffee shop for some incredible rich coffee (they roast their own in house)! After perusing the museum, I would head back over to the westside for lunch at souper jenny’s and maybe even book one of their garden tours! (If we timed it right, we might even be able to book a spot at their farm to table lunch!)

For the afternoon, we would head over to the west side trail in the west end to walk it off. We could stop in at overlook to do some light bouldering (climbing without ropes!) and then head over to monday night brewery to see what’s new on tap!

Saturday morning, we would head over to Freedom Farmer’s Market (spring time is when it really gets going with all of the beautiful flower vendors!) Grab breakfast and coffee at the market and walk around the beltline connector trails there. If we wanted to stay out, maybe bring a hammock and picnic on the greenspace in poncey highlands. Maybe catch a highland yoga class before heading to the most populated section of the beltine to find a spot for dinner (maybe Krog street market so everyone can sample everything?)

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Dedicated to the love of my life Ben Battles, and our tiny human, Ari Battles.

Website: www.thisstoryproductions.com

Instagram: thenataliebattles

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/natalieroush/