There’s a scene in Seinfeld where Kramer, dressed in a suit and tie, makes himself breakfast in Jerry’s kitchen. The kettle whistles. He scrapes scrambled eggs onto his plate.

That’s when Jerry appears half asleep and confused.

This scene is funny because it’s unexpected. Kramer doesn’t work traditional office jobs. The source of his income is unclear. He’s a hustler, a bohemian, an artist (author of a coffee table book AND Christmas card photographer), an underwear model, a bagel shop worker, a horse-drawn carriage driver… Corporate boy isn’t what we’d expect from him.

This week, for the first time in a very long time, I’ve joined Kramer’s TCB club. I’ve been getting up early and slipping into pants that fasten, hopping on the subway, sitting a desk, taking lunch breaks… I’ve been taking care of business of something other than my home and family. I’m no longer a stay-at-home mom. It’s a huge change. I must be kind to myself during this time. I’m lucky to have my community looking out for me, starting with my husband, who’s been a fantastic support while I navigate this new reality.

Kramer says structure was missing in his life. It wasn’t missing in mine, despite what some people may think of stay-at-home parenting (i.e. “she’s lucky she doesn’t work, she can do what she wants all day,” every SAHP knows this isn’t true). BUT this new reality will require additional organization and planning to keep my family life running with two full-time working parents. And it will require ADDITIONAL EFFORT to ensure I keep working on my art.

Not gonna lie, I worry what working full time will mean for my writing. I understand I can’t do everything or have everything and I can’t be everything to everyone at the same time. But my writing practice is sacred and I hope I can find a way, in time and softness, to keep this commitment to myself. I don’t want to live a life without writing. And I won’t. I just have to figure out how to make it work.

Artists with full time jobs: what is your routine? How do you maintain your creative practice? Please share your wisdom and experience with me!

Obsession of the week

At the end of my first day of work, on Monday evening, I had the worst tension headache. So what did I do? I watched four episodes of Gilmore Girls back-to-back while my husband reheated my neck pad every fifteen minutes (what an angel). My plan to celebrate the end of my first work week: four episodes of Gilmore Girls back-to-back. Thank you in advance to my family for their understanding.

You can view the Jerry and Kramer kitchen scene here: