Meet Heather Lancaster | Founder of Marketing Agency & Photography Studio: Creative Heat, LLC

We had the good fortune of connecting with Heather Lancaster and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Heather, have there been any changes in how you think about work-life balance?
I’m going to start off by noting how the term ‘work-life balance’ was named as if our lives were meant to be separated into only two categories, work and life.

It’s funny, isn’t it? Because true balance actually encompasses all aspects of life (of health and well-being), including work, but with multiple categories requiring our attention and accountability to maintain it. Work should never have received an equal share to Life. Work is a part of Life.

My professional career started with my submission to this original concept, 8 hours for them; 8 hours for me, working for the most ‘corporate America’ company one can. Over the course of 8 years, my desire for entrepreneurship increased exponentially as I transitioned from company to company, discovering this society-constructed concept of ‘work-life balance’ was never meant to serve me, but only others.

There is a great number of people who unfortunately sacrifice a majority of their time and health in order to be held accountable by others who benefit from the work they do, without then receiving the proper investment in return and care for their overall well-being.

This was the wake-up call that helped me realize balance meant ‘Work’ did not deserve an equal share to ‘Life.’ I realized that work was meant to provide us with personal fulfillment and abundance from the contribution of our skills and talents that serve the sustainability of our communities and society as a whole. This can be done effectively and efficiently without taking an entire half of our balance, or day.

On an airplane, we’re told to make sure to put on our own oxygen masks first (even over our own children). This way, we’re able to properly assist those around us after having secured our own health first. This metaphor is 100% in alignment with how we should maintain balance in all aspects of our lives.

As both a creative and a strategist, it’s critical for me to make sure I’m in a good state of mind in order to deliver the best for my clients. Today, I’ve delivered some of my top-notch work yet by equally sharing my time in all categories of health. My work brings me joy because I truly show up to serve others, only after making sure I’m in a balanced state of being first.

I encourage the perspective of balance being created within the equal attention directed towards 6 categories: the renowned five categories of health and then work as the sixth (feel free to add more). It’s not the norm so it seems selfish, unproductive, and a recipe for disaster … but I’ve personally experienced it to be successful in serving myself and others the most effective to date.

Let’s redefine what balance means as it applies to our work, shall we?

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I enjoy developing branded portfolios of images that tell a story and illustrate the vision one has for their business.

I derive a lot of my creativity from my outdoor lifestyle and passion for environmental conservation. Spending time in nature and in exploration has helped me define my perspective of how I can best contribute my work towards the highest good; serving both humanity and our planet.

When I’m invited to express myself creatively as a photographer and digital creator, I enjoy speaking to diverse audiences within different industries. It definitely keeps me on my toes and challenges me to apply myself from various points of view, all while remaining authentic to where I source my creativity from.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I would plan an eventful time of mostly hiking and picnicking, spending as much time outside as possible hopefully soaking up the warm sun. We would find the best ‘hole-in-the-wall’ local restaurant, catch a live folk/bluegrass concert, and go treasure hunting at a few local thrift stores.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I’m grateful to God, my family, friends, community, and all those on my career path who have supported me in taking this leap of faith and staying true to myself. Thank you for teaching me what I have to offer and finding my place/purpose.

Website: https://thecreativeheat.com/

Instagram: @creativeheat

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-creative-heat

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thecreativeheat

Image Credits
@creativeheat