#WFH Diaries: Evgenia Arabkina of Serviceplan Russia

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues its chaotic gallop through space/time, we’re checking in with creative industry folks worldwide. Here’s an update from Evgenia Arabkina, executive creative director at Serviceplan in Russia.

Give us a one-sentence bio of yourself.

Executive creative director of Serviceplan Russia, and passionate female balancing work and life.

Where are you living right now, and who’s with you?

I’m staying with my family in the busy district of Moscow, not far away from the famous Moscow State University.

What’s your work situation like at the moment?

Working online. I have a feeling that my colleagues got mixed up with my family. Almost 24 hours a day.

Describe your socializing strategy.

I don’t need socializing anymore. I’ve been looking for me-time and a bit of loneliness since the start of this situation.

How are you dealing with childcare?

Both kids learned to keep quiet when I have calls … but sometimes my daughter participates when I don’t see her behind me.

What are you reading?

Telegram channels related to music or creativity.

What are you watching?

Cartoons! It is what you end up watching when staying home with kids.

What are you listening to?

Cowboy Junkies, Pink, Kirill Richter, and many others my voice assistant recommends to me.

How are you staying fit?

I’m laying fit.

Have you taken up a hobby?

No time for hobbies anymore. But I started exploring the kids’ hobbies.

Any tips for getting necessities?

Online delivery is very good in Russia.

An awkward moment since all this started.

Daily status calls with a sleepy team and their switched-on cameras.

The best work email you got since all this started.

The call for “crazy-tivity” from our worldwide executive creative director, Jason Romeyko.

An aha! moment since all this started.

I think I’m still waiting for it.

What’s your theory on how this is going to play out?

I think we should thank the situation—it shows which brands and people really have values and which do not. It helps us to learn very quickly how to work at a distance, which was just a discussion for years. It slows consumerism, the problem of the modern century. I do believe it helps humanity, but in a very cruel way.

See the full #WFH Diaries series here.