Work Hard and Play Hard

Trained as a commercial artist, Zahabiya Gabajiwala, Founder and Principal Artist at ZA Works, believes in the powerful impact of a well-designed space and contributes her skills to narrating the story better. Her knack for all things creative and her talent for expressing emotions and stories through art is what makes ZA Works. Along with channelling her creative juices on canvases of all sizes and textures, she seeks creative inspiration through her love for travel and teaching, where she continues to evolve. In an exclusive interview with Corporate Citizen, she talks about her work philosophy and how she maintains a work-life balance

Corporate Citizen: How do you set out your priorities to keep your work and personal life balanced?

Zahabiya Gabajiwala: I am a time-oriented person who has everything prioritised as per the schedule. However, maintaining a good work-life balance doesn’t necessarily mean giving equal time to both work-life and personal life daily. Instead, it means prioritising personal life more on some days and work-life on the other, according to the requirement. For example, if my body needs rest on some days, I will prioritise that and have a good day’s sleep. To sum up, scheduling is always a good practice, but you should be flexible enough to reschedule your tasks because life is unpredictable in so many exciting ways.

CC: While on the move, what helps you the most in maintaining calm and peace?

I love grooving to the music while on the move or when I am painting; this helps me keep calm, even if I have five projects lined up for the day. I think experience also makes you a calm person. Initially, I approached my projects with a do-or-die mindset but now I can predict mishaps and deal with them better due to the composure that I have gained over the years.

CC: What keeps you fit and healthy?

I meditate and work out every day. It helps me focus, keeps my mind active, and maintains a healthy lifestyle. I don’t overeat when it comes to food but I also don’t curb my cravings because that brings a lot of imbalance in the mind and body.

CC: How do you like to rejuvenate and recharge and de-stress?

Zahabiya Gabajiwala

Art is therapy for me, and I am sure this must be true for many artists. I feel like I am on a vacation when I am painting. That means every site I work at becomes my relaxation therapy. However, the stakes are high while working on a commissioned project, the business aspect comes in and this is why I paint as a hobby. I paint whatever I want, just for fun.

I like to go out for rejuvenating massages or pack my bags to explore various cities; if going out is not possible, I go for a staycation in and around my city. I like to break the monotony to experience something different, like spending a day in a beautiful sea-facing room. Taking a break helps to refresh the mind, like nothing else. I watch documentaries and movies on Netflix in my free time to help me stay creative. For example, I love watching cooking shows and automobile shows where they modify cars. Learning from other professions has opened up further avenues in the art for me.

CC: Five tips that work to maintain a work-life balance.

• Schedule and time-slot your tasks - This is essential for maintaining a better work-life balance. A schedule time-bounds your work throughout the day and ensures that you don’t spend too much time on a particular task.
• Set achievable goals and prioritise - If you’ve got too much to do, no amount of time management can help. Figure out if you need to manage your time better or if you’ve just got too much on your plate, then schedule your tasks accordingly.
• Unplug - The information overload and ease of accessibility can make us feel obligated to respond and react to everything that pops up on our devices. Instead, we need to sit back, relax and be in the moment. I can assure you this will cut down your stress levels drastically.
• Don’t overdo it - You are only a human, don’t beat yourself up for not doing more. Don’t try to achieve everything in one day. Instead, take it one step at a time.
• Work hard, play harder - All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. Take out time for things that make you happy, without feeling guilty-paint, bake, read books, travel, or spend time with your loved ones, whatever makes you cherish your life.

CC: Do you play any game which helps you in your work?

At ZA Works, we play a game, and it is called ‘Something New’. We’ve chosen five topics, and everyone needs to respond with something new that they’ve discovered in that particular subject matter; the topics are: movies, Instagram artists, general knowledge, new art techniques, and jokes. This exercise offers a fun learning experience to my team and me while helping us communicate and understand each other better.

CC: What is the secret of your success?

Accept everything that comes your way. Things might not go as planned at times but we need to adapt. As a kid, I would see my Dad constantly put in hard work to grow his business from a small toy shop to an empire of toys and games. I learned to be resilient from him. If I couldn’t paint for long hours, I would build my strength. If I couldn’t paint a particular style, I collaborated with other artists and gave them exposure. If I didn’t know how to handle my finances, I would go back to basics and learn. If I felt hesitant while talking to clients, I would practice in front of the mirror and then speak to them. There is nothing we can’t do. With the growing technologies and books available to us, we will never be short on anything.

CC: What is your philosophy of work?

My philosophy is to work hard and play hard-work when you are happy and play when you are happier. I work very intuitively and don’t follow a weekend-weekday working schedule. I can’t force ideas and creative work so I design and ideate in my own time.

CC: What message you would like to give to youngsters on time management?

High achievers are not born productive. Instead, they’ve learned and practised the skills needed to get more done in less time. Productivity is not a talent. It’s a learned skill that every individual will need to develop. I would advise everyone to learn the art of doing clever work, rather than just hard work.

CC: What dreams remain to be fulfilled?

We are empowering more designers and artists, especially those who are talented and don’t have the means to practice this profession.

CC: Where do we see you 10 years from now?

I want ZA Works to be an established international design studio ten years from now. We want to work with more designers around the world, empower and collaborate with more and more artists, and be recognised internationally.