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One thing better than my job itself is doing my job from home. I have mentioned numerous times that I am one of the select few who can say that my worst day at the office is probably better than many other people’s best days. I really love what I do. And the best part? I can do it from home! Here is why I love it:
My office is mobile.
Hubbles and I don’t have blood family in Port Elizabeth. His mom and brothers are in Johannesburg (1 068,8 km), and my parents and sisters and nieces are in Lydenburg (1 371,6 km). So the upside is that I can pack up my office and work with my family for a week. No one will even notice!
My time is my time.
Sure, I work crazy hours at times, but I do have nice and quiet days where I get to run around the house with the tiny human or blog or search random useless stuff on the internet without having to close the screen when an unexpected pair of eyes takes a glimpse at my screen. I also don’t have to plan my personal appointments around my lunch hour. Sometimes, no matter how well I plan things, I need to work over weekends. It is not ideal, but I do allow myself some festive playtime the Friday afternoon before the working weekend ahead.
I don’t get involved in office politics.
Being very sensitive, office politics are one of the primary reasons I can’t work at a normal office with normal people and normal routine. I am not saying there is no politics at all, but it is not a situation where colleagues work each other up and discuss other people. You also don’t see when your friends are mistreated, which is a real bonus.
I get to listen to whatever I feel like.
No chit-chatty radio stations with annoying advertisements. No conversations about topics that bore me. No bitching. No cackling. Nothing. I listen to what I want when I want and at any volume level. (I have to add that I do miss the ever so often small talk. Thankfully I can phone a friend or family member.)
I get to spend a lot of time on research and inspiration.
My boss won’t stand behind me tapping a foot while I am scrolling through my Pinterest feed or reading a blog post about Graphic Design Humour or something else. As creatives, we need these things. We need to feed our minds with juices from other creatives. It is a visual culture every creative feeds from. I am thankful I get to spend quality time on this.
I don’t have to dress up every single day.
A couple of years ago I worked for a client at their offices. It is nice to dress up a little more than just jeans and slippers every now and then, and one does feel a bit more >I don’t know the word< when you are all dressed up and you actually have someplace to go. But, apart from running out of clothing options, I got eczema around my eyes for only wearing mascara every day. (Read this post on how to fix tired eyes.) So, at home, I like to vary my outfits. Some days I dress up and makeup, other days I just put on a pair of jeans with a comfy sweater. I don’t really spend the day in PJ’s, although it sometimes sounds like I do!
I get to be a magician.
Well, that’s what many people think, anyways. Especially the members of my family. It is nice to be able to do stuff not everyone else can. Sadly so, I also often take this for granted and expect that everyone can do it. You know, click here, do this do that, and voila! Magic. Time-wise, sometimes my clients also think I am a magician. It is tough gathering powers from places you never thought to look for it, but seeing the magic afterwards is just priceless.
So there. It takes a lot of self-discipline and dedication to work from home. But the pros outweigh the cons by far!
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