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I am a designer based in San Francisco and have been working from home, or more specifically from my couch since the pandemic started. I started daily drawing and posting these on Instagram to help cope with stress and blow off some steam. In these drawings, I explore blessings, challenges, and absurdities we have to deal with while working from home.

In fact, I was sitting on the couch so much in the past two years it completely broke down. For convenience, I ordered a new one and it arrived in such an enormous box that it had trouble fitting through the door. These types of everyday work-from-home situations have been an endless source of ideas and inspiration. I try to create one new drawing every day. I’ve enjoyed drawing these, and hope you’ll like them too!

If you've missed my previous posts that are in a similar vein, you may find them here: IIIIIIIVVVIVIIVIIIIXX.

More info: Instagram

While remote work is more convenient (and safe), the line between life and work becomes increasingly blurred. I’ve created this series of charts and drawings illustrating this concept.

At times, working from your house all the time feels very lonely, like you are trapped on an uninhabited island just staring at the screen all day until your eyes pop out. I miss human interaction the most. I found that creating a list of things that I miss about working at the office and drawing it has been very therapeutic.

Another thing that freaks me out about Zoom calls is seeing yourself in a little video all the time, it’s just weird. Also, I am not sure why working from home makes you so tired. Somehow drawing pictures of people being tired makes me less tired.

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    My creative process is pretty simple. I start with writing down ideas. Sometimes ideas come randomly, sometimes I get inspired by reading the news. My usual process is thinking about my day and finding something interesting about it. Some days I have a lot of ideas and some days I don't. It's pretty unpredictable.

    I think because the drawings are inspired by daily life, it's more like a commentary on what's happening right now. Every drawing is a thought, and once I put it on paper it becomes my favorite for a moment. After that, I move on to the next thought, the next drawing. I draw very fast and sloppy, it takes any time from 5 to 30 min to finish each illustration, but coming up with concepts may take longer. 

    #4

    Day And Night

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    Abigail Suarez
    Community Member
    2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    It's funny how you want to sleep when your working but you lay down and want to finish your work

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    CreativeBlok is actually my Instagram handle. I think the best way to deal with the block is to keep on going. Usually, we are our own toughest critics… but the key is not to let it stop you. Once you are unblocked you have to continue drawing, and if you struggle just move on to the next concept. I find Tibor Calman very inspiring. I also get inspired by Ze Frank, Larry David, and Matt Groening... and of course Gary Larson.

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    #7

    On A Video Call

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    ima cat
    Community Member
    2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I don't have enough energy to suppress all of my anger :P

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    I think the way to be original is to draw about your own experiences... Each person has a unique point of view, we all see the world differently. I enjoy the process of daily drawing and creative routine. My goal is to continue drawing, having fun, and sharing joy with others.

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    #9

    Sleep

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    Orlando Pitcher
    Community Member
    2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Don't you love when the alarm goes off you sleep for 5 more minutes then wake up to find you've slept for 8 years.

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    #10

    On A Video Call

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    Tami
    Community Member
    2 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Frantically clicking to close a web page you just landed on because it started playing a video that of course started with something like "Heeeyyy m u t h a fukaaas."

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    #11

    This Was An Office Worker

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    Corgo Man
    Community Member
    2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Once he got there, he was never seen again alive, just like every other person who entered

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    #13

    Returning To Office

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    Honu
    Community Member
    2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    This is one of the things I just don't understand about my current employer trying to get us to go into the office more. For years, most of us have been on teams that have members in multiple locations. We were having all our meetings via teleconference before the pandemic. Whether I'm in the office or at home, doesn't matter. I'm still not seeing most of my team in person and never have.

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    #15

    Work Day

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    Filiwegeian
    Community Member
    2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    This is why I don't want to go back to the office. I don't ever want to feel that way again.

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    #17

    Things I Miss About The Office

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    ZAPanda
    Community Member
    2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Do not miss any of this, totally 100% happy about WFH. Never want to return to office. Everrrrrr.

    Marta Kęska
    Community Member
    2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Same here. I can't imagine going back to working from office all the time and the moment my company decides to force us to go back I'll resign :|

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    Martha Meyer
    Community Member
    2 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I literally miss none of these things and I still look forward to weekends.

    Honu
    Community Member
    2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I do like being able to see my coworkers, but I don't need to see them every day. Almost all the people I work with want to mix WFH and in-office work. They want to go in one or two days and work from home the rest of the time. But if they had to choose 100% in-office or 100% from-home, they'd pick from-home overwhelmingly. Though we are in an area with horrible traffic, so that commute isn't so much a time to reset as it is a second part-time job that costs you money and contributes to climate change. Just cutting down on that greatly improves our work-life balance.

    Raven Luna
    Community Member
    2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I don't miss any of this either. I get more done at home. I'm happy I don't have to drive to the office in snow. I have less anxiety. I love it.

    J_A_B _
    Community Member
    2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Everybody complaining about needing a commute to reset should know they can drive to the local coffee shop or a park to reset. Your commute to or from the office down the hall can be 2 hours if you want it to be.

    Mikey Kliss
    Community Member
    2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Wow. This one seems like a plant. "Time to reset during the commute" screw off....

    BWC
    Community Member
    2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Agreed. My morning commute is fine but driving home through the traffic is more of a stressful chore than an opportunity for a reset. Usually I'm ready to crash for a nap as soon as I walk in the front door

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    Adam Pilelis
    Community Member
    2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    The commute is sooo important. I recently moved and only work 10 minutes away. I literally leave a half hour early just so that I get my morning commute. Coffee, radio, Sun hitting my face, all a great way to start the day. I imagine shuffling out of the bathroom six feet down the hallway to work would be terrible.

    Nicole A
    Community Member
    2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    FREE coffee AND snacks!? We never even got crappy 'this pot has never been washed' coffee for free.

    Kimberley Broyles
    Community Member
    2 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    When he started working at home March 2020, my husband started taking our dog for a ride in the car everyday after work to get out of the house and decompress. He got a different job that is 100% work from home and it's so cute to see the dog start bugging him for their ride toward the end of his work day. 😍🥰

    BWC
    Community Member
    2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Every building that I have worked in had terrible radio reception so I stream stations via their websites.

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    idraax poission
    Community Member
    2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I need a physical transition between my home space and my work space, so I do miss the commute a bit.

    Pat Bond
    Community Member
    2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Yes, I miss most of hese things too, bizarrely it's the time to reset during the commute I miss most.

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    #18

    Annoying Things About Wfh

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    Martha Meyer
    Community Member
    2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I have a dedicated spot I work from and I don't use it for anything else. Don't work from your couch or dining table, people.

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    #30

    Working And Relaxing

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    Allahi
    Community Member
    2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    The moral of the story, first 20 years are going to school, the next 30 years are working and then RIP.

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