Working from home: The struggle is real

So we now live in Covid-19 land and everyone is either unemployed or in the great “work from home”. I am fortunate enough to still have a job and to be able to work from home. But what does it really look like for a graphic designer to work from home?

I was lucky that the place I currently live already had a small space carved out for me as a work area. That being said, it’s full of art supplies that are everywhere. I cleared off my desk and was able to bring home my laptop and Wacom to work. I also connect to our VPN everyday to gain access to all the files I need. While I normally work with items off my desktop, basic stock images are all kept on our server so our whole team can access them. 

Each day I get up and eat breakfast at my desk as I would at work. Once I get into the work however, I fall into a more strict work schedule than I normally would when at Central Office. This is because I have to have a schedule. Going into the office gave me enough of a schedule to plan my day, make sure I eat lunch (most days), and end work at some point before 6 because I had to go home. Now with it all being in one place it’s a lot easier said than done.

The first week, I worked non stop until it was 6pm, skipping lunch each day, not seperating my home from my work, and blurring lines. It was a mess. Now I take a lunch break, roughly the same time each day for my hour lunch. I have a hard stop that I need to walk away from the computer. As well, I bought a drawing desk and my partner is helping me turn our second bedroom into a full mini studio. This way I can create the separation of work, artwork, and home all in a two bedroom apartment. I even have a section spaced out for yoga and a mini workout routine. 

This space separation is very important. As someone who had trouble with separating from work in general, creating those boundary lines is really important to a healthier and happier home while stuck in quarantine.