Many artists struggle to balance their professional work and personal artistic endeavors.
The demands of the corporate world can be overwhelming, making it difficult to find time to create art for one’s own enjoyment. This may result in feelings of annoyance and creative block. It is essential for artists to devote time to their personal art, even if it means declining certain opportunities. Otherwise, they risk creative stagnation and burnout.
Evan Parsons, a professional photographer based in Los Angeles, is one of the fortunate few who has found a way to combine his true calling with his day job. He works for a high-profile production company in Hollywood, photographing cool and famous people for the world to see. But in the middle of all that, he’s also working on personal photography projects that could put him and his art in front of the spotlight.
But despite all this, he admits to still experiencing a gap between his passion and profession at times:
“Work-life balance is never easy. My professional position is a two-edged sword. It’s wonderful because almost everything I do can be considered “creative.” However, using my creative brain all day can leave me feeling creatively drained at the end of the day, making it difficult to transition to my own personal work.”
It’s no secret that many artists have day jobs. In fact, a recent study found that nearly 60% of artists have some form of full-time or part-time employment outside of their art practice.
While having a day job can provide some much-needed stability, it can also be a source of stress and anxiety. Achieving a healthy work-life balance is essential for artists who want to maintain their sanity and their art practice.
Evan shares how he handles the stress that comes with pursuing a dream and making a living:
“The most important thing is to not beat yourself up about it and to be content with allowing yourself to rest so that when inspiration strikes, you can seize it without being hindered by negativity. If I’m simply too tired to think of anything, I don’t force it. “Do I need a break?” I ask myself, and if so, I take it. You can’t force creativity.”
He also mentions that he looks to his creative inspirations to pull him out of the inevitable artistic ruts:
“If I’m having a hard time being creative, I apply some basic principles from Julia Cameron’s book “The Artist’s Way,” which basically consists of journaling every day, even if the only thing you can think of to write about is utter nonsense. It clears the mind of all the garbage and allows all of the good stuff to eventually come through.”
At the end of the day, Evan says he appreciates the opportunity of being able to sustain a professional career while pursuing his true passion:
“The best part about my job is that I am able to be creative full-time. Few people can say they are paid to make art, but I can, and I am grateful for that. There is a distinction between my personal and professional work, but in either case, I am constantly creating, which is truly a gift.”
“I find that each of those aspects kind of reinforces the other – my personal work constantly improves my professional work, and my professional work constantly improves my personal work. Some of my favorite and most popular “personal work” photos were actually taken while on set at my professional job.”
About Evan Parsons
Evan Parsons is a photographer for LA’s top advertising production company, Park Pictures. In addition to working in movies and commercials photographing actors, artists, athletes, and celebrities, his most notable projects to date include working with international brands like Delta Airlines, Apple, Google, and Uber for their promotional campaigns.
As for his personal art, Evan has garnered a sizable following on Instagram, and his works have appeared in numerous local and international publications and art galleries. His style
has been compared to William Eggleston, Stephen Shore, Alec Soth, and Mary Ellen Mark, among others. He is currently working on a photo book project that he hopes to release in 2023.
For more information on Evan Parsons, visit his official website and follow him on Instagram.
evan@parkpictures.com
