Bickering, sulking and figuring things out like actual grown ups

Work life / Life life

Hi there!

It’s the school hols again here and it got me thinking about work hours.

When I first left art school and was working hard to become a full time illustrator I would work all the hours. My desk was beside my bed and there was no distinction between work life and life life. My bed was a second desk, and I would often sleep with paper snippings from the floor stuck to my feet. I was really driven, and I loved it.

I worked like that until I was 36, then Pie was born and I quickly realised I had to figure out some regular work hours to keep us all happy and healthy.

Gerry is self employed too, so we decided to swap shifts as best we could. It wasn’t always easy, especially if we both had deadlines at the same time, but we muddled through using a combination of bickering, sulking, and sometimes we even talked like actual grown ups!

When Pie was wee we had to work out regular work hours

These days Pie is nearly 15 and doesn’t need us on hand as intensively as she used to, but we still keep to regular work hours and protect our weekends because we realised during those toddler years that having proper work hours keeps us all happy, healthy and (sort of) sane, and THIS IS THE BIGGY, it keeps the quality of the work up.

Maybe everyone works all the hours in the day when they are starting out, then realise it’s unsustainable long term? 

My usual work day

I wake early before the rest of the house is awake, about 6am usually. I’ve always been a lark ever since I was a kid, I love an early morning.

I sneak out to my washhouse studio and either get my space ready for the work day ahead or crack straight into work.

At 7am I open Pie’s curtains, give her a nudge and put her radio on. I scurry around finding PE clothes, signing forms and finding bus money before she leaves the house (usually without a coat even though it’s cold, teens!)

Once she’s gone G and I do a Joe Wicks workout on YouTube. I know, don't laugh, I am embarrassed even telling you. If Pie is around she rolls her eyes at old people jumping around and hides upstairs until it’s all over. We have been doing it every day since lockdown and I feel so much happier and fitter, and I work better because I feel so good afterwards.

Then I make my breakfast: I’m in a phase of fruit, nuts and cacao hot chocolate if ya wanna know.

In the middle of the day I get some lunch and take Peggy for a walk on the beach. Sometimes we call in to see one of our friends who work from home too. One friend always has a biscuit tin stocked with BARS of chocolate, not just biscuits, so that’s a bonus.

Pie gets in at about 4pm and either Gerry or I stop work and cook while the other works a bit longer. I am not good at working after about 4pm, I feel too tired and ready for a change of scene.

In the school holidays, which is now 🐣🐣🐣, I wake up and start work around 5am. By the time the rest of the house is awake I have done nearly a full day’s work! I am knackered by 9pm and nod off in front of the telly before being shooed off to bed. 

When do you work? Do you have regular hours? I’d love to hear in the chat below.

love Helen

P.S. This podcast by Blindboy ‘Are you Really John Wayne?’ is AMAZING! The first ten minutes he chats about finding your unique Creative Voice using chips as a metaphor 🍟😂

P.P.S. My nephew drew some evil Easter bunnies (sorry abt the low res image), I got myself a beautiful yellow bag from Printed Peanut that is great for carrying LOADS of bags of crisps, the teeny tiny daffs are poking through and I made an effort and put up the Easter branch, but the chicks will only hang upside down. We’re calling them bat chicks 🦇🐣

P.P.P.S. My book Saving Mr Hoot has been shortlisted for a UKLA awards! What is extra special is that the UKLA Book Awards are the only children's book awards judged by teachers.

This is actual goodbye now. Love ya! Hx