I am a designer based in San Francisco and have been working from home, or more specifically from my couch since the pandemic started. I started daily drawing and posting these on Instagram to help cope with stress and blow off some steam. In these drawings, I explore blessings, challenges, and absurdities we have to deal with while working from home.
In fact, I was sitting on the couch so much in the past two years it completely broke down. For convenience, I ordered a new one and it arrived in such an enormous box that it had trouble fitting through the door. These types of everyday work-from-home situations have been an endless source of ideas and inspiration. I try to create one new drawing every day. I’ve enjoyed drawing these, and hope you’ll like them too!
If you've missed my previous posts that are in a similar vein, you may find them here: I, II, III, IV, V, VI, VII, VIII, IX, X.
More info: Instagram
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Yeahhh..but the trut is still out there...or perhaps in the river.
Load More Replies...This is the direct opposite for me. So many distractions at home. When I work from home, I may not get much work done, but the house is immaculate, dinner is in the slow cooker, and a few walls might be repainted.
Working from home as a designer on a wage that is actually livable is like my life dream. What happened 2 me during covid was a living nightmare hat couldve easily ended up as a murder-suicide where I killed my roommates/sub tenants then myself cuz of the situation the covid eviction ban put me in as a low income, mentally ill, laid off tenant with evil roomies who threatened me w/violence, refused 2 pay rent/utilitties for 14 months and said they wouldn't leave unless I dragged their dead bodies out. I spent 6k on a lawyer and 10 mnths later they voluntarily agreed 2 vacate if I didnt go after them 4 the 8 grand they owed me after rental assistance gave our landlord 14k. Id already had 2 flee the house and move in with my mom in her 55 + community where I spent months suicidal and full of rage (I'm diagnosed bipolar 2 wit anxiety, ADD, Depression etc) and my dr wanted me in a psych hospital. I'm now so traumatized wit PTSD I'm applying 4 Disability.
for me it shrank even more that working from office well into 2020. Hasn't recovered yet. Maybe you lock yourself in a basement or have strict rules on internet time, but i personally, would rather load the diswasher or clothes washer than work. Oh and the dog seeing me at home thinks it's our time and it must include play time. Took her almost a year to adapt that me at home still means no games
While remote work is more convenient (and safe), the line between life and work becomes increasingly blurred. I’ve created this series of charts and drawings illustrating this concept.
At times, working from your house all the time feels very lonely, like you are trapped on an uninhabited island just staring at the screen all day until your eyes pop out. I miss human interaction the most. I found that creating a list of things that I miss about working at the office and drawing it has been very therapeutic.
Another thing that freaks me out about Zoom calls is seeing yourself in a little video all the time, it’s just weird. Also, I am not sure why working from home makes you so tired. Somehow drawing pictures of people being tired makes me less tired.
Yes we should have a meeting about the most effective charts and graphs
Load More Replies...Actually, for me this is the reality in traditional office work. But fortunately, this is not the case working from home for me. Meetings are shorter and more focused now than when i was in a traditional office
Meetings that should never happen...the hour meeting that should be 45 minutes.
So when WFH you don’t take meetings, eat lunch, get side tracked by things happening at home, take phone calls etc? I find the opposite, WFH is less productive and easier to get side tracked.
Daughter is a new mother working from home. We babysit but she joins us for lunch and the time commuting is spent with baby in morning
Load More Replies...Now this hit home, I left an industry because of the amount of meetings, I was unable to be efficient at tasks.
At least he knows what his schedule is each week. For 10 yrs I had a job where we didnt find out our schedule til the dnay b4 the wk started and all 7 days were viable options as well as holidays. Try dating when u cant EVER make plans or see people at night or on weekends cuz ur either working or have 2 get up early or are working till either 11pm or 3 am and wont know until you actually leave! Welcome to the service industry where I once asked 4 a day off 4 my fathers wedding 6 months in advance and got a "maybe". They act like ur presence is more important than a surgeon but then will fire u on a whim 4 having ur cell phone in ur pocket. Not 4 it going off or 4 u using it, just 4 it being in a pocket. And they wonder y ppl left the service industry. I did. Rt b4 covid. My body couldnt take it anymore esp my back and wrists & my patience 4 rude country club members and customers was at a zero.
Laundry? I'm a nudist Dishes? Use paper and tin foil and wood, burn for heat. Cleaning? Married.
My creative process is pretty simple. I start with writing down ideas. Sometimes ideas come randomly, sometimes I get inspired by reading the news. My usual process is thinking about my day and finding something interesting about it. Some days I have a lot of ideas and some days I don't. It's pretty unpredictable.
I think because the drawings are inspired by daily life, it's more like a commentary on what's happening right now. Every drawing is a thought, and once I put it on paper it becomes my favorite for a moment. After that, I move on to the next thought, the next drawing. I draw very fast and sloppy, it takes any time from 5 to 30 min to finish each illustration, but coming up with concepts may take longer.
It's funny how you want to sleep when your working but you lay down and want to finish your work
As a parent working from home completing work assignments is nearly impossible. I don't know how anyone gets things done with toddlers running around. I spent a majority of my day organizing, planning, teaching, cleaning just to scrunch my actual work into a 2-3 hours window after my kids go to bed. Then instead of sleeping I lay wide awake in bed contemplating how I could have done things differently. I know it's just 8 more months until my youngest starts pre-k, but that's months worth of lost profits and lost sleep. 😥💔
And you think moving your office to the room next to your bedroom will solve this? If so you are kidding yourself.
When i worked 60 hours i started dreaming about the work. Click copy paste click
20 months into WFH, I am waking up regularly around 2-3am and cannot stop thinking about work.
Don't turn on your camera. I've been working with disparate teams for over 10 years, always on voice calls, suddenly video calls are important for the team. BS. Put tape over your camera and tell them its broke. It doesn't help anyone to see your face.
Load More Replies...No better way to build self esteem then rocking sweatpants and a robe 7 days a week.
Until you rock that look while going out in public and end up as a 'people of Walmart' meme.
Load More Replies...CreativeBlok is actually my Instagram handle. I think the best way to deal with the block is to keep on going. Usually, we are our own toughest critics… but the key is not to let it stop you. Once you are unblocked you have to continue drawing, and if you struggle just move on to the next concept. I find Tibor Calman very inspiring. I also get inspired by Ze Frank, Larry David, and Matt Groening... and of course Gary Larson.
I wish bosses would realize this too, now when it has been proved for a LONG time. Being introvert and non-coffee-drinker I also hate the whole "socialize during coffee breaks" thing. WFH lets me focus all my energy to the work because I don't have to force myself into being social.
Your last sentence says it all. Why devote all your energy to the work?
Load More Replies...You guys must not have kids because I need out of this effing place. Let me come back into the office please!!
One of my employees literally refuses to take her PTO because she loves the break from being mom to 4 kids lol
Load More Replies...Seems like it sometimes. I asked my boss if her and I could trade off days where we appear to be "out of office" and just work from home so we can get some actual work done. I mean, they seem to handle things when I'm on vacation, but if I'm there in the office it's like I am the only person that can save them from their "emergencies" or answer an email.
Man... feeling needed and important at work must be such a drag lol
Load More Replies...Technically incorrect. If one could say...prove these poor opinions with data that would be nice. People came here to vent about how little they can get done in a day, lol.
My working from home is the same as in the office maybe even lesser than the office 💪🏼😎😁
You are hilarious, Irina. Just found your work today and of course looked at all 11 pages... thanks for the pick-me-up!!!!
Yes! When I first started freelancing, it was so exhausting. I would turn off my time tracker if I took any short breaks. In the office, bathroom breaks were paid for, lol.
I'm glad we don't have to do video meetings and there's a mute button. "Morons. I'm surrounded by morons." is all anyone would hear.
Of course there is also that guy who was caught jerking off during a web meeting 😂
I think the way to be original is to draw about your own experiences... Each person has a unique point of view, we all see the world differently. I enjoy the process of daily drawing and creative routine. My goal is to continue drawing, having fun, and sharing joy with others.
I always tell people there are two types of workers. Those that day they do alot and those that do alot, if your sitting there listening to someone go on about all the stuff they do and you didn't ask them to iterate, then there's a good chance that person does very little.
There,s 2 types of people....those who do the (good) deeds n the ones who take the glory...be in the first group, they got less competitions there...Indira Ghandy
I ALWAYS TRY TO CATCH THE TROUT BUT NEVER BEEN A GOOD FISHERMAN..
Load More Replies...Don't you love when the alarm goes off you sleep for 5 more minutes then wake up to find you've slept for 8 years.
or you roll into office 2 hours late because you missed your 5 minute snooze button. I swear they don't make alarms like they used to.
Load More Replies...Frantically clicking to close a web page you just landed on because it started playing a video that of course started with something like "Heeeyyy m u t h a fukaaas."
I just hide an AirPod under my hair and/or hood and watch YouTube.
Way out of proportion. Also, these are not mutually exclusive states, so the pie chart doesn't make sense.
Once he first entered, he was never the same ever again. Just like every other person who enters a cube for the very first time.
I will look for another job if I am forced back into the office.
Load More Replies...I was just in a Microsoft Teams meeting where I was able to mute people. I wish I could do that in real life. Most people nowadays have no respect when it comes to playing their own devices too loud. In my head I'm screaming "Get off my lawn varmint!"
This is one of the things I just don't understand about my current employer trying to get us to go into the office more. For years, most of us have been on teams that have members in multiple locations. We were having all our meetings via teleconference before the pandemic. Whether I'm in the office or at home, doesn't matter. I'm still not seeing most of my team in person and never have.
That because without people to micromanage, most middle management positions have nothing to do and justify their wages
Load More Replies...I have this issue. Even when I'm on-site, all my coworkers are 750 miles away, so I'm still teleworking.
We do all internal team meetings via Zoom. We don't even check whether by chance everybody is on-site.
Made me think of this one https://youtube.com/shorts/IP3UY8LB34E?feature=share
This is why I don't want to go back to the office. I don't ever want to feel that way again.
You are right. It is not healthy! I feel more confident in myself now not having to be so fake all the time. I have realized I am kind, I am not nice! 😊
Load More Replies...Seems like your coffee habit might be the problem. Try eating more fruit and grains in the morning.
Do u know what the sorcer said to the cup on top of it? Hoh, my friend,u have such a Hot bun...
Cringe at best. All I could think of was the office space gate keeper... Looks like somebody has a case of the Mondays. To be honest, one of the worst parts of Monday is hearing everybody complain that it's Monday.
Do not miss any of this, totally 100% happy about WFH. Never want to return to office. Everrrrrr.
Same here. I can't imagine going back to working from office all the time and the moment my company decides to force us to go back I'll resign :|
Load More Replies...I literally miss none of these things and I still look forward to weekends.
I do like being able to see my coworkers, but I don't need to see them every day. Almost all the people I work with want to mix WFH and in-office work. They want to go in one or two days and work from home the rest of the time. But if they had to choose 100% in-office or 100% from-home, they'd pick from-home overwhelmingly. Though we are in an area with horrible traffic, so that commute isn't so much a time to reset as it is a second part-time job that costs you money and contributes to climate change. Just cutting down on that greatly improves our work-life balance.
I don't miss any of this either. I get more done at home. I'm happy I don't have to drive to the office in snow. I have less anxiety. I love it.
Wow. This one seems like a plant. "Time to reset during the commute" screw off....
Agreed. My morning commute is fine but driving home through the traffic is more of a stressful chore than an opportunity for a reset. Usually I'm ready to crash for a nap as soon as I walk in the front door
Load More Replies...The commute is sooo important. I recently moved and only work 10 minutes away. I literally leave a half hour early just so that I get my morning commute. Coffee, radio, Sun hitting my face, all a great way to start the day. I imagine shuffling out of the bathroom six feet down the hallway to work would be terrible.
I have a dedicated spot I work from and I don't use it for anything else. Don't work from your couch or dining table, people.
It’s not ignorance, Martha; some of us just don’t have a library wing with a private study.
Load More Replies...The office was distraction after distraction. I have more tech support from home and I have my pets and daughter who I haven't spent this much time with since she was 9! I love it.
Funny that you said the office has many distractions and then go on to name the distractions you have at home lol the only main difference being distractions in the office are usually work related. Your employer doesn't pay you to snuggle with your cat on the clock 😬
Load More Replies...Feeling Lonely- you shouldn't if your company is doing it right. Fear of Missing Out- Don't be a slacker and instead try to stay 2 steps ahead so you don't No Tech Support- That's BS. Just because you don't physically see them does not mean there is none. Get in tough with your leadership team No Work Life Boundaries- That sounds like a you problem. Don't work in a public space. Never Leaving The Office- you should be on breaks and lunches. Try getting up and stretching and walking around. Zoom Fatigue- Try Adobe Connect. Much more interactive and less boring. Bad Posture- get a brace for your monitors and attach it to your desk and elevate them to eye level Constant Snacking- focus on work not snacks Distractions- Be in a controlled environment behind a secured door. Kinda easy. Single moms have it harder but there's resources out there to help with that. Constant Deliveries- Then stop ordering stuff....again this would sound like a you problem. The You being not the creator.
A bit judgy. Not everyone can choose the meeting software. Some people get deliveries to avoid going to the store. You have to have supplies and eat. Not everyone has a dedicated office to shut the door. Not everyone has a great tech support team. I've worked in places where a savvy coworker was often our tech support.
Load More Replies...I work in the office of a chocolate factory, so I snack a lot less at home!
A lot of this I actually already had to deal with at the office. I would rather be home with the kitties 🐈⬛
I don't depend on my coworkers for companionship or entertainment. I canceled those subscriptions to my coworkers issues a long time ago.
Even easier than setting up a desk is continuing to get dressed for work and wearing a name badge. Then you can work anywhere and when you change out of your work clothes and take off your name badge you are no longer "at work". I've remoted in from the backyard, the couch, the park, etc. You need variety for mental health and you need the separation of work/life for sanity. Heck, grab a cup of coffee and go park outside a public library and use that wifi for an hour or two! You can watch people walk by and be "out" while still being isolated. There are many ways to keep that life separated that doesn't involve having a separate room dedicated for your home office.
I don't understand this one this is a lack of balance and it's not about the home office it's about that you are f animal and you need desipline to live life like a normal person. I got more free time when am at home office it's great. I don't imagine back to this.f place.
In Holland we do things diffrent. We work to live and not the other way around. I just do a third of the work in comparing with the rest of my colleagues and still I'm nr 1 every year and I'm more on Netflix and other private stuff than actual work. That's called smart working💪🏼😎😁
More like 6 day left until I have to go back to school
Load More Replies...Christmas break is even I don't have to help my 9yo with homework. Has NOTHING to do with work. Lol
More like right now its Christmas 2021 morning it is 4;45 am in Oregon coast right now and cold
For me, it's not changing the world, its playing games, watching movies, mom duty lol.
I don't daydream about going back either. I feel that I could live very well if a zombie apocalypse were to occur.
Load More Replies...Don’t really want to be back in the office per se but I miss getting out of the house more.
This is interesting to read, considering only 25%-30% of the workforce can actually work from home...all that stuff in your home is made by people that get sh#$ done; in the office, plant, etc. Efficiently, without distraction. If you were less productive in the office, you are just as unproductive at home....just different distractions....naps, developing a side gig, taking care of the kids stuck at home.
The only negative I can say so far about wfh is that ppl will become a lot more mean toward others, at work we’re forced to have manners that betray some ppl’s true ugly nature and without that practice watch out world
The same psychology is what ruined the internet.
Load More Replies...Same, still at #1. Even changed work because old work wanted 100% work at office.
Load More Replies...The moral of the story, first 20 years are going to school, the next 30 years are working and then RIP.
Slightly optimistic, we can't possibly all retire at 55.
Load More Replies...I'm a fan of a hybrid approach. 3 days wfh, 2 days in office. Gives me 3 days to actually get stuff done, and then two days to explain what it was that got done to people who will just stare at me blankly.
That's how my highschool does it, it's very nice to be able to see my friends and also get days to do all my school work.
Load More Replies...I propose letting people decide where they can work the most efficient and not forcing people back because some colleagues and bosses see office as a replacement for social life.
Replacement for social life? What about those of us who have moved away from where they grew up chasing a career? Where do you meet friends when you're in your thirties? You just go to a bar and start drinking with strangers? Most adults meet their friends at work 🤷♂️
Load More Replies...No. I don't want a return to office just because some people use the office to socialize because no one wants to hang out with them if they literally aren't being forced to by a corporation. Just let me continue working from home in peace please.
Just build a cabin in the woods already lol doesn't sound like anyone would care judging by your attitude about socializing.
Load More Replies...I have been working remotely before the pandemic 19. So, I enjoyed it not dealing with the commute, office politics, the wardrobe, and that routine. I now work for a fully remote company...we have meetings...they are okay. I see the need to meet bc we are fully remote.
Fully remote work probably will not be a reality for most of us but there is no reason why we can't have a hybrid work environment in the corporate world.
First time I agreed with a post. I enjoyed the "me time" when I was working from home but realized I was the only one doing my share in my team so I spent most times rallying coworkers and staff members to complete tasks. I also had to showcase work at home whereas the office, I could wonder around. Hybrid is the best honestly!
Loved this trip with a creative mind. Much appreciated. For the great unwashed, however, the experience has been a bit different. Time to get up, put your big girl panties on, and pick whichever is more productive. If lounging in your PJs is an option, go for it. Your work presented here is great, if only for a quite limited audience. Now please present another set for the rest of us.
I'm a fan of a hybrid approach. 3 days wfh, 2 days in office. Gives me 3 days to actually get stuff done, and then two days to explain what it was that got done to people who will just stare at me blankly.
That's how my highschool does it, it's very nice to be able to see my friends and also get days to do all my school work.
Load More Replies...I propose letting people decide where they can work the most efficient and not forcing people back because some colleagues and bosses see office as a replacement for social life.
Replacement for social life? What about those of us who have moved away from where they grew up chasing a career? Where do you meet friends when you're in your thirties? You just go to a bar and start drinking with strangers? Most adults meet their friends at work 🤷♂️
Load More Replies...No. I don't want a return to office just because some people use the office to socialize because no one wants to hang out with them if they literally aren't being forced to by a corporation. Just let me continue working from home in peace please.
Just build a cabin in the woods already lol doesn't sound like anyone would care judging by your attitude about socializing.
Load More Replies...I have been working remotely before the pandemic 19. So, I enjoyed it not dealing with the commute, office politics, the wardrobe, and that routine. I now work for a fully remote company...we have meetings...they are okay. I see the need to meet bc we are fully remote.
Fully remote work probably will not be a reality for most of us but there is no reason why we can't have a hybrid work environment in the corporate world.
First time I agreed with a post. I enjoyed the "me time" when I was working from home but realized I was the only one doing my share in my team so I spent most times rallying coworkers and staff members to complete tasks. I also had to showcase work at home whereas the office, I could wonder around. Hybrid is the best honestly!
Loved this trip with a creative mind. Much appreciated. For the great unwashed, however, the experience has been a bit different. Time to get up, put your big girl panties on, and pick whichever is more productive. If lounging in your PJs is an option, go for it. Your work presented here is great, if only for a quite limited audience. Now please present another set for the rest of us.
