Balance is a verb
The truth is balance. However the opposite of truth, which is unbalance, may not be a lie. —Susan Sontag
Running a small creative studio requires being thoughtful about a wide range of priorities: training and mentorship, partner relationships, pitching projects, and of course—somewhere in there—actually doing the work we’ve been hired to do for our clients. It’s no wonder that balance is my goal for 2019.
At A Hundred Monkeys, we try to do things differently. Not just for our clients, but also for ourselves. We’ve seen other creative studios work incredibly long hours, almost as some kind of badge of honor. As if creativity requires burning the midnight oil before getting a brilliant idea at the eleventh hour.
On any given day, our studio empties out around 4pm. If there’s work that requires uninterrupted time for concentrated focus, I’ve been known to leave the office after finishing my team responsibilities—as early as 2pm—such that I can commute during off hours and finish up my work at home.
This is not to say that we’ve never worked into the evening for a project we really cared about. Only that it’s the exception—not the rule. We do what it takes for the work to be good. It’s just that most of the time, we’re able to do so without letting work take over our every hour.
We are very intentional about setting up our studio in order to make this possible. We do what we can to minimize the time required for studio admin. We make the most of everyone’s time at the studio. This means we try not to fill everyone’s calendars with endless meetings. A meeting is for actually working on something collaboratively. This allows us to free up as much time as we can for creative work during regular hours. Which means leaving plenty of time for actually living life outside of the office.
That said—with the same size team, we’re on track to do more projects this year than last. By about 20%.
Internal processes are crucial. But external factors play a large role, too. This means politely turning down work that appears overwrought. With enough practice, you can spot these projects from a mile away: unrealistic expectations, too many cooks in the kitchen (and no real chef de cuisine), lack of clear communication, etcetera.
Paradoxical as it may seem, turning down work has led to doing more work. And this work is increasingly aligned with our values. Saying no to projects that will be overly taxing on our team frees us up to say yes to projects with our favorite partners and longterm clients.
Balance is not a state to be achieved—it’s a process. You have to tend to it daily. Start by thinking about what is most important to you and your team. Then make choices with those priorities in mind.
