Working from home – loneliness is not the only challenge and it isn’t going to solve all your problems

When I started my sewing business I knew I wanted to work from home, at least in the early days. Rent for a studio was an expense I didn't want to worry about until I knew this crazy idea of mine had legs to stand on.

I also looked forward to zero commute (actually, Dylan Hey's post the other day about the average daily commute inspired this article) – just stumbling out of bed straight into the sewing room, no traffic jams, no delayed trains, no hours lost each day getting to and from work.

 

I was sure to reach a new level of productivity and creativity – peace and quiet rather than a noisy office, no more time wasted in useless meetings, nobody telling me what to do, when and how to do it, being able to work when inspiration strikes, being in control of my schedule.

I knew I was going to love having the dogs around all day.

As it turned out, I do love having the dogs with me all day. But working from home came with its own set of challenges:

– It's hard to disconnect, especially when you live and work in a small space and find yourself looking at a half finished dress while watching a movie on TV.

– It's super easy not to get any work done – there is always a load of washing or some dirty dishes that try to convince you that they're super urgent right now, there is nobody stopping you from surfing the net or doing anything else you'd better do after work.

– It takes time (and some serious boundary setting) for friends and family to understand that just because you're at home doesn't mean you're up for a chat or coffee whenever they feel like it. And no, there is no “housework fairy” magically leaving everything spotless by the time your work is done.

– If you work on custom orders you're only partly in control of your schedule – there are, in my case, dancers' performance dates, travel plans and work schedules to take into account. Working only when inspiration strikes is a rare luxury (mind you, in most cases inspiration comes to visit once you start working).

At various points since starting my sewing business in 2004 I rented studio spaces, always close to home and always with the option to bring the dog. The experience of creativity/productivity/distractions was pretty much the same – it changes moment to moment.