5 Ways to Maintain work-life balance as an Artist - The key to success!

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Master the recipe for becoming a long-term, thriving artist by embracing holistic strategies, mastering work-life balance, and learning the art of self-care.

Welcome back, Artpreneurs! Today, we are discussing the topic of prioritizing health because without our health, we have nothing. You can't do anything 100% until you honor yourself.

This is the #1 key to long term success as an artist. 

We are all about strategy here on Empowered Artist, but we're also about the holistic artist and taking care of ourselves so that we can be long-term bad-asses. 

Today, I want to talk about five changes I've made to maintain a work-life balance as an Artpreneur. You'll learn my number one priority to succeed long term as an artist. And how to rest without shaming yourself. 

I want to share a short story with you about a very difficult decision I had to make recently in my business. I hope you find a gem today and you can use a direct takeaway!

YOU WILL LEARN:

✓ Eliminate THIS one word from your vocabulary.

✓ Prioritize your health above all else.

✓ Find ways to fill your spiritual cup every day.

✓ Resting should be reframed as self-honoring.

✓ Take regular work breaks to prevent burnout.

AND 

00:00:00Introduction to the episode and topic of work-life balance

00:02:00Story about making a difficult decision in September

00:03:00Importance of prioritizing health as an artist

00:05:00Discussion on the difficulty of resting without feeling guilt or shame

00:06:00Changes made to maintain work-life balance as an artist

00:09:00Importance of filling the spiritual cup daily

00:10:00Need for work breaks to avoid obsession

00:10:00Encouragement for the week ahead

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Transcript

Jenna Webb: 1:11

/WOW you guys welcome to empowered artists. Episode 25. That's a milestone. Thanks for being here with me. We are all about strategy here on empowered artist, but we're also about the holistic artist and taking care of ourselves so that we can be long-term bad-asses. Today, I want to talk about five changes I've made to maintain a work-life balance as an Artpreneur. You'll learn my number one priority to succeed long term as an artist. And how to rest without shaming yourself. I want to share a short story with you about a very difficult decision I had to make recently in my business. I was having a conversation with one of my Artpreneur academy students who also has chronic health issues like I do. She was preparing for holiday art sales and also considering a big move, which would uproot her art studio in the middle of all her big business priorities. When I shared my story with her about the difficult decision I had to make in September, I thought, oh my gosh, I need to talk about this on the podcast. So, let me give you the context of what happened in September and how this difficult decision came up. So I had been working on something revolutionary for you, empowered artists. It's been taking up all of my time and creative energy. And I've been going at it hard in September. It's going to transform your social media art sales and content planning forever. In fact, here's what I want you to do so I can serve you best. Go and flood my podcast voicemail with your social media planning and sales questions. Visit Jenna Webb art.com/podcast. And hit record. You don't have to download a thing. Ask your biggest questions about selling art on social media and planning social media content. You can ask any questions dealing with social media, just fire away. So, let me tell you, I have been burning the candle at both ends with this amazing project. I get really obsessive and it's not good when you work without breaks or you spend nights and weekends working. I'm a recovering perfectionist too, which does not help. I got sick after returning from Baltimore and DC. That was the Bruce Springsteen trip that I told you about a couple episodes ago. But when that concert got canceled. My boyfriend and I decide to make the best of it. And we went to the national aquarium. I actually met my boyfriend's family in DC. But when we got back from the trip, you guys. I was sick for 10 days. At the same time I was working to finish up this revolutionary project for artists. Then I had an upcoming women's business networking event. Where I was going to fly to the other side of the country. Sick as a dog. And when I get sick, my body gets F'ed up. It really messes with my migraines when I can't regulate my sleep. But this business networking event for women, I had been looking forward to it all year. I had already paid for it. My flight was booked. My hotel was booked. But ultimately I decided to cancel. The timing was just too hard on my body. It was a really difficult decision to make. I kept wrestling with this decision. But when I lined up my priorities and I always know my health comes first. It was an easier decision to make. cause I knew if I went on this trip. Sick not feeling well. And I had to exert a certain amount of energy. I knew I was going to meet some incredible women and it was going to be wonderful for my business. And I was going to gain all these resources. So it sucked. I having so much FOMO and I'd really. Hated seeing clips of the event on social media. And I felt like I was really missing out. I had spent the money. But I knew it was the right decision to cancel the trip to self honor. Get the rest of my body really needed. So that I could show up and be the best version of myself for what comes next. And I had this conversation with my art preneur academy student, she had ultimately decided to not move in the middle of her busy art season. Which was really great. Because without your health, you have nothing. And you can't show up. Whether it's honoring your mental health. Being fully rested and getting adequate sleep, drinking enough water. Getting outside enough or going for a walk. You can't do anything 100% until you honor yourself. So why do we put this off? Why is it so much easier said than done? I think it's because when we're overwhelmed, we live in a cycle of fear, shame, and guilt. It used to be that the minute I rested. I would get out the shame stick and beat myself with it. The first word I would call myself was lazy. And that would be a broken record in my head, calling myself lazy. I would really talk crap to myself. The entire time I rested, I would think about what I wasn't doing. And I'd feel so guilty and shameful. So we keep hustling and grinding. We put unnecessary pressure on ourselves. If we rest, we feel guilty. We start scrolling social media and we get caught and false comparisons. It's terrible. If we don't practice resting in a healthy way, when we finally take our break, we're no good at it. We live in FOMO. Look at how much fun everyone else is having at this event, look at all the things I should be doing right now. I'm going to be so far behind.... then the stress cycle builds. We've got a practice resting, in a way that honors the point of resting in the first place. We've got to drop the FOMO. Drop the comparison. Drop the guilt. Drop the shame. You've got to know yourself a little bit. I'm a recovering perfectionist. I get into obsessive passion. And sometimes I think that working really hard is a good thing when it's not. The five changes I've made to maintain a work-life balance as an Artpreneur are: number one. I stopped calling. Resting rest. And I now call it self honoring. You guys know I have chronic migraines. I have to make a judgment call every single day about when I need rest and when I need a little kick in the butt. Sometimes I need a gentle push and I'll even write on my calendar, the word gentle push. And other days I need rest. And I'll usually write in a word of the day that of whatever it is that my body needs or if I need to dig deep. So the first is I call. Resting self-honoring. Number two. I have removed the word lazy from my vocabulary completely. Number three. Health is my number one priority. When you know your priorities making decisions are a lot easier. Then you don't have to live with guilt and shame when you make a decision because you know, it aligns with your priorities. Number four. I make sure I'm getting my spiritual cup filled every day. Whether that's a walk. A meditation, getting outside, whatever works for you. I know that I need something to fill my spiritual cup every day. Sometimes it's just a conversation with a friend. But I can't go into obsessive work mode. Every day. It's not good for me guys. Number five. I have to take work breaks. So that even a good obsession doesn't turn into my Achilles' heel. I hope you found a gem today and you can use a direct takeaway. Share with me on Instagram. At jenna webb art If you had a takeaway today. And please go run to my podcast voicemail and think of your big social media sales and content planning questions. Ask me some questions. I'd love to answer them right here on the show. If this episode fell on your heart, I would love it. If you left a review. Follow the show and share the show with a friend. It would mean the world to me. I love you. I'm proud of you. Have an amazing week. And I can't wait to see you. Right back here. Next week for another great show.