?When I turned 40, I started panicking because I hadn’t produced anything creatively for 10 years. After giving birth to my first child, I chose to be a stay at home Mom while I pursued my passion for filmmaking. A year after my second child was born, I secured a job as a film teacher. For 10 years during my high school teaching days, I didn?t have space mentally, spiritually, or emotionally outside of that. When you spend the whole day with students, you give so much of yourself to teaching. So, when I came home, I gave what little I had left for my own creativity,? said Thato Mwosa, Professor, Author, Artist, and Filmmaker.
Most of us are desperate to make more time for ourselves. But unless you work and live in conducive settings, all of the boundary-setting in the world, won?t be enough. Yes, self-advocacy is crucial. But it?s tricky for women and harder still for women of color to have our limits honored.
So, you might need to restructure. Which is why women led in the great resignation, and start businesses at higher rates. You may not need to overhaul your job or career, but it?s okay to choose the conditions you need for wellness and growth.
Reassess Your Needs
Thato said, ?I started to get a little antsy when I realized, I had this dream of becoming a filmmaker, but I was teaching film and not making my own. So, I wanted to invest in myself"
She went back to school for her master?s degree in creative writing and realized she had to remix her schedule. ?I needed more space because it felt impossible with a full-time job. And I was willing to take a huge pay cut to pursue these creative projects. So, I went part-time at work, which really helped, but it was still not enough"
Experiment With ?Found? Time
We?re socialized to fill every calendar block with activity. But creativity, whether it?s for your career, or mental health, needs room to grow. During her shift to part-time, the pandemic hit and education, was among the most affected fields. Thato said, ?Lockdown was a horrible and scary time for the world. But for me personally, because I suddenly had unlimited time to create, it was almost like heaven. I was the most creative during that period. I needed that stillness to listen to myself and do things I had wanted to do"
And Use it on Your Priorities
Thato said, ?The long pause cleared my mind and allowed for creativity. So, I wrote the book, created the game,?and finished the film. I really needed that unlimited time where the world stood still"
Although the pandemic pause was an extreme, there?s beauty in learning to repurpose found time, for yourself. Imagine thinking about your own needs the next time a meeting ends early, or soccer?s rained out. Although finished projects require more energy and focus, you can be intentional about what you want to achieve. Even if you?re not in a creative field.
Determine How Much Work Flexibility You Really Have
Almost every job can have some type of flexibility. Whether it?s the hours, expectations, or benefits, but not every employer provides it. What?s possible, depends a lot on your industry and line of work. As corporations force more people back into offices, we hear about the rules that don?t make any sense, like mandating office-time when everyone lives in different cities.
But most (61%) people can?t work remotely. And many roles like, teaching kids or operating on patients, have rigid schedules. So, if your work/life isn’t working, and you have the psychological safety to do so, renegotiate. But not every organization is family friendly. So, if you have a difficult manager or work culture, pushing back can be career limiting. But advocating with colleagues can be more effective and less risky.
And Consider Restructuring Your Career
Thato was considering another shift to part-time, when a new career option, changed everything. She said, ?In 2023, I transitioned from high school teaching to acadamia. The teaching schedule is vastly different and I realized I can teach full time and have time to write! It?s what I had been missing all along. Colleges encourage their professors to publish. So, for me that means writing and producing screenplays. Which allows me freedom to pursue my screenwriting and filmmaking as I teach. And now, as a tenure track professor I?m being encouraged to do what I love doing!?
To Prioritize Self-Care
Thato said, ?As a high school teacher, I would wake up super early in the morning and then have no energy to even think about taking care of my body. Now, I meditate and usually run with the dog in the morning and come back energized. I value the self-care and space for creativity. So, I want to make sure that I don’t overwhelm myself again"
There are life and work circumstances that will edge out time for your health. But if it?s persistent and structural, reassess your options for support at work and at home.
And Protect Your Peace
Thato said, ?There will always be new demands in my work. But I have to constantly figure out how to say ?no? and conserve my energy. Otherwise, I?ll go back into the cycle of doing everything for everyone. It is important, especially for creatives and even for non-creatives, to maintain boundaries and carve space for yourself. And make sure that what you do in that space, whether it’s yoga, running, writing, or poetry, satisfies your soul" Amen!
How often do you make time for your health or growth? If it doesn?t feel possible within the confines of your career, remember you are valuable. As are your skills, and with time, you can use them in different ways. Burning out, or worse, isn’t good for you, your career or your family.
Many thanks to the talented Thato Mwosa!
Check out Thato’s amazing children’s book, 14 African Women Who Made History, the Ballerina art series, and Sawa Trivia card game. Follow her great adventure on her website, LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube.
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About Thato:
Thato R. Mwosa is an award-winning illustrator, screenwriter, playwright, and filmmaker. Her films have been broadcast nationally and internationally. Her first feature film, Memoirs of a Black Girl, premiered at the 2021 Boston Globe?s Black History Month Film Festival and it won Best Feature Film award at the 2021 Hamilton Black Film Festival and the 2021 the Roxbury International Film Festival (RIFF). Additionally, Thato won Best Feature Director at the 2021 Hamilton Film Festival. She has been featured on NPR and the Boston Globe.
Thato was a finalist for the 2019 Mass Cultural Art Fellowship in the Dramatic Writing category. Thato’s latest script, A Blue Dawn, is a quarter-finalist for The Academy Nicholl Fellowship and a semi-finalist for the 2021 Writer Lab NY"
Thato’s artwork has been featured at the Wortiz Gallery, Dudley Cafe and The Amory. She was twice selected as the artist of the month for the Milton Public Library’s Wortiz Gallery. ?Thato launched an African trivia card game SAWA Trivia in 2020 which is being used by several universities and high schools. In the summer of 2021 she released her first book, 14 African Women Who Made History.
Thato has taught film and screenwriting classes at Boston University, Harvard University and Lesley University. She is an Assistant Professor at Emerson College.
