Today’s blog features Emma’s workspace as part of my Home/Work project. I visited Emma at her home in January to photograph her way of working from home as a children’s author and illustrator.
What type of business do you run?
I am a children’s author and illustrator. I am also a personal performance coach and trainer; supporting people to reach their goals more easily and be the person they want to be!
When did you start working from home full-time? April 2014
What made you decide to work from home rather than in premises off site? I work from home for a number of reasons, not least that I am far more productive when I work from home as there are fewer distractions than in a shared office/studio space. In addition, I have the benefit of not having to travel and it makes good financial sense. Due to the variety of the work I do, I need desk space as well as training, coaching and storage areas, so my home gives me the flexibility to suit my needs.
What do you like best about working from home? I love the flexibility it gives me – I can just pop into my office and do an hour’s work without having to leave the house. When creativity strikes, I am ready!
Are there any difficulties in working from home? I guess the door to the office never really shuts! The temptation to ‘just do another hour’ can sometimes be too great; however, I love my work, so it really isn’t a problem.
What is your favourite feature of your workspace? I love all of it – the way that it totally suits my needs and I can have my things around me. What I like most though, is that if I want to sit on the floor and draw, write or do my accounts then I can – there are no rules in my workspace!
To find out more about Emma’s work visit www.haroldhuxley.co.uk or connect with her on Twitter: https://twitter.com/emmaRmcnally or Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Harold-Huxley-1469990016565398/?fref=ts
Home/Work is my current project documenting people who work from home. ‘Home’ is a recurring theme in my work – I am fascinated by our interactions with objects and spaces, particularly our homes, and with the number of home workers on the increase I thought this would be fascinating to investigate.
According to the Office for National Statistics, “There were 4.2 million home workers in January-March 2014, or 13.9% of those in work. This was the highest rate of home working since comparable records began in 1998.” Visit www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/lmac/characteristics-of-home-workers/2014/sty-home-workers.html for further information on these statistics.
I am hoping to photograph the workspaces of lots of different people, working in a wide range of industries, but all of whom work from their home or within the grounds of their home. I am interested in how people create these workspaces and how the lines between home and work are defined or blurred. If you work from home and are interested in participating in the project please get in touch!