2020-04-01 Real Simple

I’ve been doing

calligraphy since

middle school.

Calligraphy is a very

mindful act—you can’t

think about anything

else when you’ve got

the pen in your hand.

The formation of

every single letter

requires me to be in

the moment, and

it’s strengthened

my mindset when I

meet with my clients.

To understand their

wants, needs, and

personalities, I have

to be 100 percent

focused on them

and in tune with

their vision.

Painting and collage

give my brain some-

thing to do with all

the anxious energy

from my high-stakes

job. A lot of my work

life isn’t very concrete,

but going from start

to finish on a painting

creates a tangible

outcome. I keep some

of my favorite pieces

in my office—just

looking at them is a

real mood enhancer.

The colors help me

feel calm and focused,

and the paintings are

physical reminders

that I made something

beautiful out of a

bunch of disparate

pieces.

For the past 10

years, I’ve been

the leader of a Girl

Scouts troop.

I’ve learned to give

them flexibility to

problem-solve on

their own. Recently we

were participating in a

skills challenge where

the girls had to work

together and brain-

storm. I refocused

them when necessary

but let them figure

out much of it without

micromanaging.

This has shown me

the importance of

empowering the team

at my day job to com-

plete tasks using their

unique work styles.

It makes them hap-

pier, which leads to

better performance

and teamwork.

During my first

Class 5 white water

rafting trip, I was

completely convinced

I couldn’t do it. But

I did—and it taught

me I could do any-

thing in work or life by

breaking it down into

smaller parts. If you

look at any compli-

cated river, there are

so many intimidating

complexities, like

shallow rocks or rap-

ids to navigate around.

But when you break it

down, you can strate-

gize each piece, ride to

a stopping point, and

assess how to move

forward. This applies

to work projects—

from launching a

product to managing

a team.

I collect matchbooks

from restaurants

and hotels. I love that

many establishments

go the extra mile to

make these small

pieces of real estate

as interesting as pos-

sible. It helps me see

how even the tiniest

details, like color,

embossing, size,

shape, and wording,

all play together to set

the mood. In life, we

often look at the big-

ger picture, but it’s

nice to be reminded

to make the mundane

extra special too.

I make TV segments,

books, even the hang

tags on my products

as meaningful as I can.

Making It Work

How does your

hobby make you better

at your job?

By Caylin Harris

JESSICA HYLAND,

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

OF THE IOWA

BIOTECHNOLOGY

ASSOCIATION IN

DES MOINES, IOWA

MARY FOX, GENERAL

MANAGER AT BIC

NORTH AMERICA IN

SHELTON, CONNECTICUT

DANNY SEO, HOME

AND LIFESTYLE EXPERT

IN BUCKS COUNTY,

PENNSYLVANIA, AND

HOST OF NATURALLY,

DANNY SEO

AISHA CABRER,

SENIOR ANALYST AT

THE U.S. GOVERNMENT

ACCOUNTABILITY

OFFICE IN LOS ANGELES

ELAINE GRIFFIN,

INTERIOR DESIGNER

ON ST. SIMONS ISLAND,

GEORGIA

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