the balancing act: in life and online
Long time no talk, Venting Machine (and readers) …
Yeah, I know. It’s been a hot minute. I have no explanation other than I started a new job and the adjustment period really took me for a spin. And continues to do so.
The careful balancing act of work and life is one I admire more and more in people with every passing day. How does one work a 9-5 and have a side hustle? AND work out? AND have social time? At present it feels impossible. And I don’t even have kids. Imagine that for a moment, then please applaud all of the 21st century women around you who are empowered to pursue their ambitious career goals while raising a family back home. It’s fucking Herculean. And respectfully, it’s maniacal.
They say you can’t rely on motivation. Motivation is fleeting — always running out on you, leaving you high and dry. Discipline on the other hand is unyielding. So I guess that means I have none. At least in terms of balancing my creative personal work and my professional work.
You see, as someone who derives joy from delivering results to others, working for myself therefore presents … ahem, a problem. I’ve always dreamed of it for myself, but if I have the follow-through has yet to be seen. It’s an especially perplexing conundrum considering the discipline I’ve always applied to fitness (which is a personal goal for which no one depends on me). I wish I had the answers to why I lose momentum and can’t administer the same drive to my creative endeavours as I do my fitness regimen, but alas, I don’t.
Along the same thread (or perhaps not), for those who do succeed in pursuing their creative passions, particularly online, I ponder how they strike a balance with how much they share with their audience. I certainly like to think that as a follower, I connect more with public figures (whether they be actors, musicians, rockstars, or plain ol’ influencers) who are honest and transparent, as they tend to forge a more human relationship with me to which I can relate. Then again, I sometimes get caught up in the wondering about someone online. Someone who perhaps doesn’t share a lot, if at all. Someone who shows only the glamorous lifestyle shots while shielding the world from the imperfect underbelly of their lives. I can’t be the only one straddling these two axes. Am I more invested in the person who shares their deeply intimate life moments with me, or the enigmatic, elusive character of a person who appears to have it all together? I hate that I even have to pose this question to myself.
I suppose I’m curious. How much is too much when it comes to sharing? Are you more invested when a mysterious public figure finally does an interview or launches a campaign than you would be for someone who was open about who they were from the start? My theory is that while we enjoy consuming content from those who are talkative and active online, we are much more likely to pounce and buy into the reveal of a mystery. Burning questions feed into burning desires.
This is why supermodels are so successful. How do they do it? Drop the fitness routine! What do you eat in a day? How do you manage such a busy schedule? What’s the key to success in your industry? Being shrouded in mystery is leverage for them to exploit, whether it be to promote a weight loss tea, a fashion house brand deal, or their own YouTube channel. If someone were asking you a question over and over again and you had the opportunity to answer while making money, don’t you think you’d do the same?
Either way, I’m not trying to shit on models. That’s not the point regardless of if I were. My question remains: how much is too much when sharing online? It’s all about attaining that state of homeostasis, an equilibrium I’m eager to explore further as my life unfolds. It’s my view that we all would be a lot better off if we were interested in honesty. More people and businesses need to be honest. It establishes a connection through which we can better ourselves and learn from one another. And I endeavour to be honest in the pursuit of my creative outlets, and I’ll be damned if I ever figure out how to balance it all. In an effort to begin this process, if you made it this far, here’s an Easter egg. I don’t share this lightly — keep in mind this post was originally written in August and only published recently.
Stay real.
—K. JO
