The daily life of a mother and photographer with back pain

Being a mother is quite busy.
Before the kids wake up, I do the laundry and work as a photographer, and once they wake up, I focus all my energy on getting the kids ready, while also being mindful of my work.

After dropping the kids off, I have no time to catch my breath as I have to do laundry, clean, take care of my dog, and tidy up...the only time I can finally take a breather is when my work day as a photographer starts (9:30am).

I used to work in the living room, but when I'm there I find myself getting distracted by a lot of things.
I forgot to clean that place, I wanted to wash that, when was that expiration date? It's hard to get away from being a mom. And working in the living room makes my back pain worse because I have to change where I sit depending on my mood.

So I decided to set a start time for work and create a work space.
I set a start time for work in order to create a balance. When that time comes, I will work as a photographer no matter what. On the other hand, I will not work outside of that time (although I have decided not to, I often end up doing so). I take a lunch break and relax during that time, then work again in the afternoon. I finish work when my children come home.

The reason I created a work space was to create a sense of balance, as mentioned above, and also to improve efficiency by collecting all my work tools in one place, and to create a place that is just for me, although I wouldn't call it my own castle. The last reason is the biggest.
By creating my own castle, I can switch off from work and motherhood. In my castle, I can drink what I like, play my favorite music, work surrounded by my favorite greenery, and surrounded by my favorite photo books.

I think the important thing in building your own castle is to "gather what you like". By gathering what you like, you will want to be there and your work will progress. And being surrounded by things you like makes you feel great. As the things I like, I chose the Waveon electric height adjustable desk , Balance Synergy , and Balance Active Board .

In addition to the quality of the materials and the quality of the construction, I think it's great that you can freely control your posture. By "freely," I mean in a position that's comfortable for you, at a time that suits you, and in a way that suits you. By not determining the position of the load on my body, my posture has improved and I no longer have to go to the chiropractor.

My children sometimes come to look at my castle, which is filled with all the things I like, with great interest. When I was little, I also loved going to my father's workroom.

I was a little surprised to see a photo of me and my brother under the desk mat of the desk where a large amount of documents were piled up, and I felt a little embarrassed because it felt like a proof of love. I was very happy and I still can't forget that and the photo. That's right, I'll decorate my castle with photos of my children. I think I'll join the group of things I like.

Profile/Etsuko Aibu

Participated in the 2019 CURBON photo exhibition THE STORY / 2019 photo exhibition still held / Lecturer at workshops and talk shows sponsored by Canon / Shooting catalogues with the Canon eoskissx10i