Work-Life Balenciaga
First off, I’m so sorry if you thought you would find helpful commentary on fashion here because of the title — I just named it that because I thought it was a cleverer way to say ‘A Work-Life Balance Saga’, and it made me giggle a little. I’m not in my fashionista era yet, but I will be soon. Amen. Pray for me.
Down to business.
So, I’m writing this because I had the day off work due to the intensity of a pitch we worked on for the last couple of weeks — and here I sit, at my laptop, missing work.
It is unbelievable.
I’m not very honest with people about how I feel about working — because I feel like I’m supposed to hate my job, but somehow I don’t. To hate your job is a key part of culture; it is the fabric of both small talk and the most vulnerable conversations within friendships. It’s the first in the customary lineup of topics when the word ‘adulting’ comes up, and it’s the punchline of most of the memes and reels I stumble across.
But I don’t hate mine; and it’s for such a unique combination of reasons that this can barely be attributed to any one factor. Mind you — I do not write this as a recommendation or guide of any sort; because rather than contriving, I somehow happened to find myself here. So I don’t claim to be able to teach it. This is a purely descriptive and narrative piece, and it will be long-winded so get ready. Or get out.
(I’m kidding, please. I love you for reading, don’t get out).
Let me start by clarifying that I work very hard. For extended periods. My nights and weekends are often partly consumed with work — both freelance and my 9–5, and I give it my all. I revel in receiving briefs that are almost unfathomable to me and cracking them in an impressive manner, and I like to think I am building a reputation for doing so.
I work in advertising as a creative. My official job designation is Senior Associate, Concept & Copy — which means that I write words and formulate ideas to sway audiences with the goal of solving a problem for brands; and that I also do this at a level that presumes I have tons of experience and value to offer.
A few years ago, I graduated with a Law degree, great grades, and some confusion about how I was to thrive in a field that bored me so profoundly. It had dawned on me that my career path was completely up to me; a human being who had managed to study Law at a prestigious university for five years without for once stepping into a Moot & Mock Court session. At least, I thought to myself, I have my NYSC service year to figure it out.
And figure it out I did.
I flex my creative muscles every day at work; in a way that goes beyond writing itself. Being that I have written (and written well, might I add) since I was little, having a 9–5 as a writer satisfies a part of me that needs nourishment everyday. It’s something that I couldn’t have achieved in many other industries, and I’m thankful for it.
I also work with really nice people. Nice in the sense that there’s a marked absence of the usual simmering brew of office politics, backbiting and constant taking of umbrage. I don’t know a great deal about their personal lives, but they present as the nicest folks who always show up for one another in the most beautiful, unlikely and kind ways. They’re also actual legends in the making — time bombs of industry fame and notoriety that I consider myself lucky to work alongside today. Really pleasant people to be around; and never a disrespectful word or a raised voice (except for the prank I organised to piss my boss off on April Fools’Day. Yes, it worked, even though he insists that he figured us out.)
The typical ad agency has relaxed dressing rules — I mean, you are dealing with creatives. I tend to be a laidback dresser, so this favours me. I come to work decked in floor scraping boubous. Football jerseys. Mom jeans. Shorts. Nike slides with funky socks. Intricate ankara dresses, and sunglasses all day if I please. No one really cares what anyone else is wearing, and it takes a lot of pressure off me and allows me to function in the most focused way possible. And it also helps that I have a work-desk that I’ve made all pink and cutesy (it’s the article’s theme photo, in case you somehow missed it. And no, I’m not done decorating it — I still have a few plants, trinkets and stickers on my list.)
So you see. There’s a certain cachet, a finely curated je ne sais quoi from this mix of factors; that has now graduated into the divergent state of liking one’s job. Now here’s the issue with liking my job — sometimes, I truly don’t know when to stop.
Because, pray tell, WHY am I currently on my work laptop by nighttime on an off-day?
Writing used to be my chief hobby, now it’s turned into a job. So it’s not that effective as a means of relaxation anymore. I once tried, long ago, to be a gym girlie, but that was the very opposite of the downtime I needed after a long day. I try to be a movie girl, but I’ve found that I prefer watching short snatches of a show to pass time while eating, as opposed to sitting for hours to watch something. I’m thinking of going back to martial arts soon, but that doesn’t really count as a hobby. I’ve tried podcasts, but they don’t work for me as my brain refuses to compute the concept of it. Am I supposed to listen to podcasts while just chilling by myself? Like, to fully sit down, stare blankly and give it my attention — as a means of entertainment? Haba.
Because of this, I usually just spend my free time talking to my family and friends, or scrolling through social media. When I’m bored, I start brainstorming work stuff again. Almost as though that is my brain’s default.
I don’t really know how to separate work and daily life anymore, and I think that may be a problem. I don’t live with my family, and most of my significant friendships are now long-distance, thanks to emigration and a host of other factors.
I’m not sure how to undo it; and I’m also not sure whether my focus is supposed to be on undoing it at this stage of my life. I mean; your early twenties are supposed to be the time when you put in your all to build the foundation of your career, yes? The time when you can take the most risks, work the longest hours and bounce back easily, and the time when you worry about the responsibilities of others the least. So, is this a good thing?
I really, really hope so.
