Please feel free to use the chat function throughout to ask questions and raise issues.

...Because this is a a CONSTANT topic of conversation (verbal & written), in my professional & artistic life!

Take a few minutes to write down your thoughts on why you joined us today, and we'll share some in a moment.

Thank you for taking the time to write. If you would like to share thoughts, please choose ‘everyone’ in the chat box.

The level of burnout is so intense and many of my colleagues see it as the ONLY way, and I’ve been going through many things to seek another way, and it’s working, but the overall culture still prevails. But I think we can change it.

I am interested in a life of alignment, where all the spaces I hold in nourish each other.

...Because participating in this conversation IS self-care!

From the Wheeler Opera House here - we have crazy schedule and a small team, always looking for new resources & tools on this topic

Because as non-profit and arts professionals, many of us are expected to take low pay for long hours because it's our passion.

I love how you talk about integration, because often we’re asked to compartmentalize, and by integrating we all move forward in a more congruent, authentic way

As a longtime professional in the arts, have never masterered a good work/life balance myself. I now have two very talented young leaders on my staff and want to be intentional about addressing this important need for all of us.

Why am I here? Because it’s tax day and apparently the day where I really need to start reevaluating my work/life balance. LOL. Thank you for your encouragement, ladies.

I want to work in a space and place that cares about people as much as it cares about 'the art'.

Curious to know if there is any data available for salaries in the non-profit arts? Long hours and low pay seems to be norm in our field.

as the leader of a very small organization, i find myself filling in ALL of the gaps, often at my own expense. i want to change that, but struggle with how to protect myself and meet the expectations i and my institution, funders, etc. set.

Burnout is real. Frustration with lack of work life balance. It's a field wide issue. Wondering if it’s a larger issue as well?

As an HR professional in the arts, I'd like to learn more about how I can support my organization's culture to foster a greater commitment to employee wellness

What does work/life balance mean for everyone specifically? I feel like it's a stand-in for a lot of specifics....

I’d love to hear models/modes of working that have helped people with young children (mine are 10months and 4 years). I’m still in the fog. Working from home today and can hear crying in beyond the door. Resisting urge to go to them.

What type of resources and programs are out there already addressing this?

Not only are there long hours and low pay, but there are recurrent periods of work (tech weeks, for example) where the expected number of hours in a day, for a week or more, are practically unconscionable. How do we balance these periods of intensity with the rest of the year?

Because I think younger generations are going to demand better!

1) life alignment / self care

2) resources & tools

3) culture overhaul

4) specificity of language

best practices? ideas? examples of solutions?

A great coach/consultant who works with artists and orgs on this topic is Dana Fonteneau of The Wholehearted Musician https://www.danafonteneau.com

Here is the link I mentioned: https://www.theatreartlife.com/technical/performing-arts-overworked-staff/?fbclid=IwAR0hVu6sMszOdI1fvCz9hUrLUHlTrPLcYZ77DtpdTISCNAtMMR_mZoV0kvs

I’m an artist & co-founder of a nonprofit

What are organizations doing that works?

I work for a university presenter. We’re a very small team so open communication about our needs is paramount.

Ryhna, could you share any of the platforms that are working? I definitely agree that the transparency of communication and process helps the working dynamic

Hi there, I am a Mom, Wife, Artist, Entrepreneur & Manager of Operations/Special Projects for Urban Bush Women

Some platforms that are serving us are: basecamp and highrise

Thanks Ryhna!

We’ve found when we collaborate with local artists during a residency, that helps bridge a different relationship and connection while on tour

And even leads to more future potential work within that community/relationship building/deepening

I think it might be interesting if we started shifting the narrative by thinking about how many people we hire and the lives we improve in a macro sense as a part of the show and the art we create. Perhaps by making that a data point, we can bring it into the conversation with our funders as something to strive for as a part of the project.

Alana - TOTALLY - and to that end, one of the one of the challenges we’re facing at Forklift Danceworks is that we’re already very busy, but we’ve been expanding, and as we expand we’re trying to balance taking on more responsibilities with diffusing existing responsibilities across new staff members. How have folks dealt with it at your organizations?

Yes Alana

Re: going forward - this may be a silly suggestion, but could we make a big Google doc and list out some of the questions asked in this conversation and then have folks write in responses?

Could this be a regular conversation with people who are working within this topic as a coach to offer strategies and change the conversation?

Yeah, Jake, we can do something like that!

hey, Jake- we started one !

Yes, google doc!

Are all orgs evaluating shared values?

I would love to see more models of life/work integration both individuals and organizations

Yes great point

Is the doc where some strategies / models are already shared?

I agree with the last spoken comment, this can be difficult converastion iof your org culture does not support work/life integration, so in some ways work/life integretation and culture overhaul of connected.

Thank you all for this gathering :)

Thank you!

Thank you all!

Thank you for this great conversation!

Thank you for joining!

Thank you Everyone!

Thank you!

Thank you everyone for joining and thank you APAP for providing the platform!

Thanks everyone, very excited to continue the conversation