Working from home: great (most of the time)...

Quoi de neuf?... or in English: what's up? No, I don't speak French... yet, I just looked up for the translation of what's up? After my visit to France and Belgium, I'm really interested in learning the language, even if it's just enough to pass by.

So, again, what's up? what's new? Not much at this moment, still getting back in track in some of the aspects of my art. I've been taking advantage of the break I took during my vacation, to reorganize my work of space, which includes (but it's not limited to) my studio. In case you didn't know, my studio is at my house, and well, working from home has many, many, many advantages, but also comes with some setbacks. I'm not complaining, the advantages far outweigh the disadvantages... I'm just putting it out there. One of the main disadvantages of having my place of work at my place of living, is the distraction factor. And, for a procrastinator like myself, that can be a pretty big deal sometimes.

Working from home gives me the opportunity to get more work done, because first of all, it saves me a lot of time in commuting; and second, I work at my own rhythm and pace, which allows me to work for as long as I want. On the other hand, this also puts me in charge of the activities of the day, and if I don't have a plan, the hours in the day just fly by. Additionally, as I mentioned, there are many distractions around that interfere with any job, but they seem to amplify when I'm at home. But, let me detail a bit more on each of the factors that I just mentioned:

OK, let's start with the two advantages:
1) Saving time from commute: there's no contest or doubt about this one. It doesn't matter how close a job site to my house is, nothing beats walking a few steps to  the room next door, where my studio is. I myself am not very fond of driving, and I really dread being stuck in traffic jams. I don't hate driving, I just don't particularly like it, and doing it everyday for a long time, on the same route, it just does a number on me.
2) Working my own hours: I love that! As I mentioned, I can work at my own pace and for as long as I want. This is really useful when it comes to my artwork, since it's not uncommon for me to work all night long, stopping when the sun is coming up. Sometimes I'm really focused into an artwork piece, I'm "in the zone", and if had to stop to go home, well, that would interrupt my creativity. Note: choosing my own works can also be a disadvantage, because it's really easy to get sucked up into work and forget about everything else. It's also easy to over do it, neglecting sleep and/or health. Fortunately, for every time I work long hours, I also get enough rest. It's just a matter of staying anchored to reality. :)

Now, what about those disadvantages?
1) Time flies by when there's no plan: I learned the hard way that if I get up everyday with the attitude of "let me think what I'll be doing today", that won't take me far. I'm the one in charge of my activities, nobody else. Nobody will draw up a schedule for me, or a list of activities, or tell me when to take a break, etc. Nope, just me. That's super-cool, but also time consuming. Nothing comes for free in this world: remember I mentioned how much time I save in commuting... well, a lot of that time gets spent into planning, something I wouldn't have to do with a regular job.
2) Distractions, distractions, distractions: by talking to other artists (or anybody who works from home), I have concluded that this is the most common of the disadvantages of having a studio at home. It is so easy to get sidetracked. There are so many distractions coming in: be it the availability of taking a break at any time of the day (see? nothing comes for free), or somebody knocking at your door (the house door and/or the studio door); or maybe just a bug that looks more interesting that the artwork piece on which I can be working :) The point is that, when one allows it, anything can be distracting. On top of that, working in front of a computer (which is what I do for the most part) can be even more tempting, with the Internet at my finger tips: "What was the name of that song?", "When is that movie coming out?", "Oh, look at that video, that's so cool!", etc., etc.

Of course, there are plenty more of advantages/disadvantages examples when it comes to working from home, and they change with every specific person. But, this gives you an idea of my particular situation. And, as you can conclude from what I wrote, I really like having my studio at home. I'll take it with all the distractions and extra work. At the end, it is about being comfortable and content (to say the least). Most of the people I know like going to work, and then coming home to rest and forget about work until the next day. I don't have that choice: since my job site is at my house, work is always there. But at the same time, my work is my art, and my art is my life. That's why it doesn't feel like a job at all (if I may call it a job).

As always, thanks to anybody reading this post. I hope you liked it, as it gives a bit more of a perspective of who I am, as a person and as an artist. Also, if you would like to help me keep working from home (hint, hint), please consider becoming a patron of my work. $1 will do the trick and you will be helping me a huuuuuge deal. Just visit patreon.com/popeyewongart to sign up. Don't hesitate to contact me if you have any questions, I'll be glad to help. Thanks again and see you next time!
​~Pops.