A host of factors, developments, and dynamics have made most industries more competitive than ever. As a result so many of us wonder whether there is still such a thing as work-life balance. We reached out to the community to hear perspectives on finding the right balance.

Christa Collins | Visual Artist & Musician

I think it’s super important to have a healthy work life balance. I’m not able to be the best I can be if I’m burnt out or if I feel like I’ve been cooped up for too long. But when I have a commission due or project deadline I always prioritize getting it done. Sometimes it can be hard to walk away from a painting or whatever the project is, but it’s also good to take a break and get out and find inspiration in the world. I get energized from taking time to myself. Read more>>

Dr. Pamela Gurley | Business Strategy Expert & Author

My work-life balance has evolved over the last few years, but most of all over the last two years. I used to work 14-15 hour days, and now not so much. I am much more intentional about how I spend hours in my days and place boundaries in place as a business owner. I used to feel that in order to be successful, I had to constantly put forth work when that was hardly the case. Don’t get me wrong, I used to have great balance in the past, but it is not like I have now – mostly because I extend grace to myself when I want to lay in bed a little longer, go to bed a little earlier, work half days, etc. I guess I started seeing that just because you are working does not equate to productivity (meaning if I am drafting ideas because I am in a mental rut). Read more>>

Felicia E. Gail | Interdisciplinary Artist, Writer, Curator, and owner of Collections Stewardship Southeast

I appreciate this question about the evolution of balance in my life. Thank you. It’s interesting because my friend, Jiabao Sun connected me with you, and she embodies artful balance and empathic care, so it seems befitting that I answer this particular question with thoughts of her friendship in mind. Currently, I work independently as an interdisciplinary artist, writer, curator, and as Collections Stewardship Southeast based out of Atlanta. Faced with a personal and professional crossroads last spring, it became very clear it was time to make a major shift in my life. I needed to explore new avenues within my own geographic region, one I’d grown quite passionate about. Not only was geography ever present in mind, but It also became very important for me to understand the limitations my body was communicating as of late. I needed to understand how I could work with the changes in a positive way. By making both professional and conceptual leaps, I have been so lucky to reinvestigate my own interests within the art world as a whole, spend quality time in my expanded communities of individuals, museums, and galleries, and I was immediately able to spend more time on my personal art practice of writing and photography. Making these, at times subtle, yet major pivots in perspective permitted me to activate a more balanced approach to everything, really. I am now making space for art, life, family, body, community, and mind again. I may embarrass myself and not always get it right, but I believe it is about the effort we put toward the journey that can transform an overall experience. Even in this short time of transition, I have had the good fortune of reinvesting in my home region in Northwest Florida by doing an artist residency last May, as well as getting to know my new home better here in Atlanta. I moved to Atlanta in March of 2019 from Pensacola, FL for love and work. While the love part remains incredible, and it was a great experience to have a steady gallery job, I noticed I wasn’t always participating in the city in the ways I felt I could. In my life, I’ve prioritized traveling and have spent time in many places in the US, a bit in Cambodia and Vietnam, and a five year stint in Vancouver, Canada. In Vancouver I earned my MFA in Visual Art, worked in film, bicycle mechanics, lived with fascinating people, worked at a gallery, volunteered with artist-run centers, and taught at a university. It was there I learned about true acceptance, and the language that surrounds being present for yourself as well as your community. I learned how collectives work in general and tried to apply that to my working life overall. Inspired by the people I have connected with, I try to embrace the bumps and turns. and I am continually ready for what art may reveal within it all. I try to be generous with what I’ve learned in return if generosity is what is called for. I’ve learned saying no well is a gift that can benefit rather than be a space of guilt. Living a life in service of art, being kind to all bodies, connecting with people, all while holding a strong sense of urgency feels like the most important parts of keeping the balance in my life. No matter what career happens, what has occurred personally, or where I’ve landed physically or metaphorically, and I’ve landed in a few crazy places in my life, art has always kept me constant, kept me steady, kept me connected. This all sounds incredibly idealistic, but I’m glad idealism still exists in my mind in spite of all the things that might have squashed it. I’m certain I won’t always know what’s coming to knock me down, but I hope I can keep a sense of humor while I stand up again to meet it face to face. Read more>>

Erika Bowen | Biomedical Engineering Ph. D. Student

During my academic journey, I found myself striving for perfectionism, dedicating excessive time to school-related activities at the expense of personal relaxation. This obsession stemmed from a clear goal I set at the age of 13 to become an engineer, recognizing the challenges ahead as a first-generation college student and woman. Initially, this focus kept me on track, satisfied my parents, and engaged me like a puzzle or game. Read more>>