Kimmy Bartle Koh

The trick answer is my filing cabinet. It holds different types of journals (dotted, lined, plain), snacks, scrunchies, stickers, sensory toys… It’s the Claudia Kishi of drawers. My very own Narnia, if you will. I need it, it’s there. I’ve organized it with all the drawer configurations I love from The Container Store. It takes me back to having a locker in school. Whenever my eyes burn from too much coding, I fish in there for a treat. The second drawer has my collection of beads. I sometimes take a friendship-bracelet-making break. Or grab the little bottle of bubbles I kept from my wedding.

I usually listen to oddly specific Spotify playlists (POV: you’re at a middle school dance in 2015) or themed Pomodoro ASMR to get into the zone. My favorite is the Ravenclaw Common Room one. From there, I’ll fall down the rabbit hole of research, save visuals and thoughts on are.na, and start drawing up ideas on Figma. The process of it all takes me where I need to go.

I rise with the sun. It hits my face pretty early, around 6-7 am, to have ample time to lean into the day, stretch, and do self-care before diving into work. I take a sip of the water bottle I leave beside my bed while I peek at my astrology transits or catch up on the book I probably fell asleep reading. Then, I grab breakfast and do my skincare routine. SPF is important because I work next to an east-facing window, i.e., bright sun in the am.

When it's cold out, I take turns between my desk and the oh-so-comfy couch. When it’s hot out, it’s a dance between my desk and working by the pool. If my husband’s WFH that day, we’ll have lunch together. If not, I'll call one of my friends abroad for some lowkey digital co-working and catching up (XOXO, Chisme Girl).

WFH means you must take extra steps to separate yourself from your work, so I try to mark the transition. I’ll change my clothes into something more comfy, take a bath, or spend time with my partner, who also happens to be a designer. Since we met in art school, we have held each other accountable for keeping a work-life balance for ages. Our secret code for “That’s enough, take a break!” is “Do you want to get some boba?” There is nothing like a taro milk tea (with almond milk and extra boba) to lure me away from the screen.