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.

Cylene Walker-Willis and Jessica Murphy Wildly Brave Dance Company | Community Dance Artists

Cylene Walker-Willis and Jessica Murphy of Wildly Brave We met in graduate school. That environment meant we had very similar schedules and allowed us to be in the same room a lot which was great. It was easy to carve out rehearsal times, meals to chat about life, and our own personal time once the school day was over. After we graduated our work-life balance and how we worked together changed. Since we live several hours apart, it became difficult to meet up frequently. Very quickly we settled on weekly FaceTime meetings. The dates of those meetings were flexible, usually changing from semester to semester as we both started out teaching in higher education. In those early meetings we would always carve out time at the beginning of our meetings to be social. We would vent and fill each other in on our life. Read more>>

Shameela Keshavjee | Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist & Telehealth Provider

I used to try to balance everything else important in my life with work. That just made work the priority and resulted in a lot of frustration, unmet needs, and fatigue. Then I had a therapist tell me: “You’re smart enough to know that balance doesn’t exist.” And that’s when I let go of the idea that balance had to look a certain way. It’s not 50% work, 50% everything else. Balance changes from one day to the next, and I have to be intentional about creating it. I also have to be intentional about listening to what I need during any given day or week. I have to ask myself: “how many clients can I see this week and still prioritize other important parts of my life?” I had to learn to view my creative projects, my relationships, and my self-care as just as important as my career, so that I could allow myself to make time for them. Once I did, I started to enjoy my life more. Read more>>

Joan Avant | Violin Instructor & Recording Artist

Before having kids, I thought I was busy. Little did I know ha! Well after having kids, I’ve had to prioritize the tasks of life while simultaneously being a creator and entrepreneur. My first business which is running a violin studio. It is something I’ve done before kids and continue to do today. My second business started as of late which is running my own record label as a recording artist. In being a music creator, I was able to start chipping away at this after my youngest child started school. I would write and record while the kids were at school. Then in the afternoon I would help my kids with their schoolwork. Then, later in the afternoon, I would start teaching violin lessons. It’s a busy life, but I’m able to be with my family and do the work I feel I was meant to do. Where there is a will there is a way. Read more>>

Angelika Eleni | Musician, Dancer, Studio Owner, Arts Events Organizer & Graduate Student

When I was younger, and before having a child, I struggled immensely with time management. While I still have the tendency to procrastinate, I am more able to put it into perspective and get tasks done. Previously, I would put things off for so long that I would ultimately miss out on experiences and opportunities that I still regret and it would create this cloud of anxiety and dissatisfaction. Having a daughter now, who I know will learn from me for better or worse, has completely changed my perception of time and what to accomplish during it. If a task gets out of hand for me now, I can buckle down and just get it done without the fear of is not being ‘perfect’ or exactly how I imagined it. My time is not all my own now either, so when I get uninterrupted moments to myself I have extra motivation to work toward my goals. Before I used to see my goals as these huge, unsurmountable mountains but now I doggedly trudge through no matter what. One step closer is better than no step. Read more>>

Chad Johnson | Musician & Author

This is something with which I struggled a lot for a long time. For the past 20 years, save for three years in the middle, I’ve worked from home and made my own schedule. And in just about all of that time, there was always as much work as I wanted to do. Therefore, there was always this nagging notion that “I could be making more money.” Even though I would regularly put in more than a 40-hour work week at times, I often felt guilty when I would take time to do something I enjoy. It was always in the back of my mind: “We could get more of the things we want, take more trips, save more money,” etc. if I just work more. The result was that I always felt heavy with guilt and found it difficult to just relax and be present — in the moment. Having children definitely helped changed that mindset. Read more>>