356: Thou shall be available to your clients at all times, but on your terms

Commentary As you sit outside the restaurant, with your meal cooling and your date turning to a frigid ice maiden, you listen to your client telling you how they just are not sure about this orange and maybe it needs a little more red, no, yellow, no, the orange is fine—you come to the realization that the line between work and the rest of your life has forever blurred, to your detriment. There is little purpose in pretending that a creative vocation means straight 9–5 shifts at the office. We are a service industry, requiring access to top decision makers, which means being available virtually at all times. Just accept this aspect and move on. But now, get your life back. Being accessible doesn’t always mean being accessible immediately. Decide wha....JF