Live by Design

'There just aren't enough hours in the day', based on that saying I'm willing to make a couple of safe assumptions. Firstly that I'm not the only person who has felt this way before, and secondly, that I'm probably not the only person looking to make better use of my time. This is what led me to ask poet and photographer Massiah Abraham how a typical day in her life would look if time was unlimited resource. This week I've decided to ask the same question to Julia Fonseka – a London-based Graphic Designer, and It’s strikingly difficult to deny that Julia's answer has crossed all of our minds at some point or another.

Julia’s designs are a true representation of her experiences, she uses her emotions at a particular time to inspire and push her work, hence her saying ‘live by design’ and, as a friend, she’s someone i can rely on to speak her mind.

Having asked Julia how she would spend her spare time if she only worked three hours every day, she proudly confessed that she would probably spend the time sleeping – you have read that correctly, sleeping. “Yes, it is as simple as that. Sleeping is good for you! Not to mention too few of us get the rest we need to recover, both physically and mentally.”

As she continued I found her answer entirely relatable, “I would also want to take more time to develop my creativity skills. So visiting galleries, exhibitions and attending workshops”. It’s an honest answer, and if you’re working in the creative industry then from, the perspective of a realist, you may have said something similar.

After reading about the prediction of economist John Maynard Keynes in the early 20th century, I started considering whether we would be generally better off if we didn’t have to work as many hours as we do, and after speaking with three artists with vastly varied opinions I’ve come to my own conclusion.

How we spend our time is a conscious decision and there’s little progress to be made in blaming the unhappiness of our circumstance (should that be the case) on external factors, because you’re the only person who can control the balance of your daily habits. If it we only needed to work around three hours per weekday I have no doubt that there would be other dissatisfactions within society, because one routine is not necessarily going to suit everyone.

Whilst John Maynard Keyne’s prediction didn’t quite hit the mark, technology is continuously making our work routines more efficient in other ways. The number of increasing freelancers, and the uprising out-of-office work trends are great examples of the flexibility technology is allowing us to have, making it possible to juggle other priorities to our convenience.

A three hour work week may not be possible for all of us, but you are the only person who can make the adjustments to create a lifestyle that allows you to achieve those ‘I would if i had the time’ bucket list goals, and incorporate the lifestyle values that are most important to you.

You can follow Julia Fonseka’s designs on Instagram here.

#artist #belladonna #creativeminds #interview #design