Hello dear reader!
Welcome to another issue of this newsletter. This week I want to share how I actually make time for photography and creative work while working full-time as a software developer.
Two weeks ago, at the end of January, Amsterdam woke up covered in snow. Snow here is rare. When it falls, it usually melts in a couple of hours. This time the snow stayed.
The problem: Thursday. A work day. Debugging code, meetings, software problems. But the city was transformed and temporary.
I took a 30-minute break that morning. Combined it with a supermarket trip for lunch, camera in hand. Phone in pocket, checking if anything urgent came up at work. Just enough time to capture some scenes before getting back to the day job.
This wasn’t the first time I’ve navigated the collision between work and photography. Won’t be the last.
The 5pm Boundary: Making Time for Photography After Work
I’m not a morning person. I’ve tried to be. It doesn’t work. So my photography happens after work.
I try to close work at 5pm. After that, it’s about creativity. Photos, side projects, this newsletter, new ideas. If the weather is good, my wife and I take a walk, camera along. Even mundane trips: walking to the movies, running errands. The camera comes with me.
Here’s the thing: after a day of coding and meetings, I can feel low on energy. But switching from code-for-work to photography or code-for-myself feels refreshing. The difference? This work is for me primarily. The motivation is different. The ownership is different.
How do I decide what creative work to do each evening? If there’s a deadline, I work on that. Otherwise, I follow what feels right, what has energy. Weekends, I prioritize camera time. Some days, like today, I write.
Even when I don’t have the camera, I use those moments to notice what’s around me. Having time to think is important. It’s where ideas for this newsletter come from.
Always Ready
I carry my camera with me almost everywhere. It sits on my desk, ready to go. Weekends, walks after work. The camera is there. A way to be ready if I encounter something worth capturing.
Here’s what I’ve learned: being a photographer and creative after 9-to-5 isn’t about finding big blocks of time. It’s about being ready. Ready with the camera when you have 30 minutes. Ready with your eye when you don’t have the camera at all. Ready to act when snow covers the city on a Thursday morning.
That snow day proved the point. The moment was rare and temporary. My day job was waiting, but so was Amsterdam transformed. Thirty minutes was enough.
Why Keep Both?
You may wonder why I maintain both. The day job and the creative work. I could be a full-time developer who used to photograph. Or I could have quit to pursue photography and Tyn Studio full-time.
Amsterdam is expensive. The day job provides stability while I build something sustainable. The goal isn’t to maintain this balance forever. It’s to grow Tyn Studio into a business that can support itself. And us.
Just Start
If you’re stuck in your 9-to-5 and feel like you have no time or energy for creative work, here’s what I’d say: just start. Pick something small and commit to it.
I started this newsletter committing to write twice per week. It was ambitious. Too ambitious. Now it’s once per week, and that works. Adjust as needed, but start.
You like taking photos? Go out and shoot. You like writing? Start writing and send it to your friends. You like coding? Code something for yourself. Identify something that can be automated and build it.
The important thing is to start. Then show up to keep the momentum going.
I’m curious: If you’re balancing a day job with creative work, what does that look like for you? What’s your equivalent of the 5pm boundary? Hit reply—I read every response.
That’s it for today! If you enjoyed this issue, share it with a friend! Know someone trying to keep photography (or any creative practice) alive while working full-time? Send it their way, they might find this useful.
Luis
