Creating Time for Creating Art (Ep. 524)

Tim Bogatz: Sarah Krajewski is joining me now. Sarah, how are you?

Sarah Krajewski: Hi, I’m doing excellent! I’m super psyched to be here with you, Tim.

Tim Bogatz: Well, I’m glad to hear that. It has been a long time, so first of all, welcome back! Since it has been a while, can you give everybody an introduction to who you are for any new listeners, and some updates for any longtime listeners—just how you’re doing, what you’re doing, what you’re up to these days?

Sarah Krajewski: Yes! So as you were asking me to introduce myself, I remembered a word from a TED talk I saw: “multipotentialite.” It’s a person with many interests and lots of things they like to do and keep themselves busy with. So, I’m Sarah Krajewski, and I’m a multipotentialite! I am an art educator. I taught at the elementary level for the last 14 years, and I currently teach at the Art Hub, which is my local art gallery and kids’ art space, where I do ceramic wheel throwing and adult classes. I am a woman of six jobs currently! I just got certified to teach yoga, do art commission classes, write lessons, and I work part-time for The Art of Education. I used to say I’m not good at being slow, but now I’m better at it—I just don’t like it as much.

Tim Bogatz: That’s fair! I feel like you just need to introduce yourself as a multipotentialite and Renaissance woman—doing so many different things. It’s a great description. I wanted to have you on to talk about making time to make art, because I’ve always admired how you make it a priority to create for yourself. I’ve always admired how you’re almost always working on your own art. So I want to ask you: why is that so important to you? What are the benefits you see when it comes to consistently creating?

Sarah Krajewski: Yeah, that’s a really great question. It feels obvious for us art educators—people in this creative field. We feel better when we’re doing something, when we’re making something, when our ideas have a place to go. It’s a way of moving through our thoughts and mental health—good, bad, negative, neutral. The process of making something is inherently therapeutic.

A year ago, I was definitely having a more intense bout of anxiety, and I found it really difficult to create, even though I knew it made me feel better. I remember a friend whose child was having a birthday party who asked me to make literally an 8.5×11 sheet of paper that said “so-and-so is three years old” and draw a horse on it—and that felt like climbing a mountain. But once I took the time and just pushed through it—did it scared, did it anxious—I realized, wow, this makes me feel better. It gives me that little endorphin rush, and it reminds me of what’s important to me and that my talents are part of my value set.

So I think a big thing is truly making the time, because it does help with my mental health. It makes me feel proud of myself, connected to the art world, and like I have something to share. That’s why I continue to create as much as I can, even though it never quite feels like enough. The barrier we’re trying to pull away is the expectation of how it has to be—just do it.

Tim Bogatz: Right. And I think those are all very valuable feelings—things we maybe don’t experience enough of as teachers. I want to go back to something you said about making time to create, because for a lot of teachers, that is the difficult part. What do you think are the biggest obstacles for teachers when it comes to finding time to make art, and how do we get past those obstacles? Do you have strategies or ideas that can help?

Sarah Krajewski: Yeah. When I hear you talk about time, I think something that always walks hand-in-hand with time is energy. I may have the time, but do I have the energy to actually create something? Especially when it comes to teaching—I know the feeling of it taking even the entire month of June or more to decompress your nervous system from the school year.

So it’s difficult to think, “Okay, I have the time, but I don’t have the energy or the motivation to create something.” It might feel simple, but I think reminding yourself that it can be manageable and small and easy—literally just a minute—really helps. I have a weekly calendar that I use to plan out my week, and I continued that into summer. Each week, there’s a little bullet journal area, and I’ll just draw what I call a “joy sketch.” It takes me probably 30 to 60 seconds—I draw something from the week that I want to remember. That way, when I flip through my notebook looking at what I’ve done or what’s on my to-do list, I can see, “Oh, you went and got ice cream with your nieces and nephews,” or “you made this fun meal.” I document those little moments with a quick doodle rather than in writing.

Taking down that barrier of needing to work on a big project or make a huge painting and just doing a 30-second sketch is a way for me to move my drawing hand and move through how I feel or what I’m thinking about. Those little joy sketches can be so helpful.

And be compassionate to yourself about energy, too. If you don’t have the energy to sketch, maybe your creative endeavor for the day is just sitting and observing something. That’s creative—sitting and looking at the rustling of the trees, and maybe thinking, “That would be cool to sketch,” or “What does that make me feel?” You could write a little haiku in your head. It doesn’t have to be a full, complete piece. Small, little, tiny, small!

Tim Bogatz: Yeah, that’s something that has helped me, too—going on a walk with no expectations, just being out in nature, getting inspired, observing, taking it all in. That can serve as great inspiration later on. And even if you still don’t have the energy or full inspiration to create, those types of activities give you small steps toward that goal—a little bit of a refresh. Brick by brick, you’re building that back up, and those are really worthwhile things.

I wanted to ask, though—for people who do have the energy and want to go beyond the joy sketches or little daily doodles and make art a little more consistently—do you have tips or tricks for building a routine or starting a habit of consistently creating?

Sarah Krajewski: Yeah! One technique is making things visible. Without it feeling cluttered and messy, just seeing the projects you’re working on—picking one or two that are within your eyeline—can be helpful. That way, instead of reaching for your phone, you can reach for a “couch craft.” At the end of the night, when you’re in the wind-down part of your day and don’t have a lot of mental capacity for to-do lists, grabbing something creative is helpful. It doesn’t take a lot to think about what to do, especially if the sketch has already started and you’re just painting, stitching, or doing something already in the works. It’s more of a calm, flow state—not the part where you need to think of new ideas; you can just make.

I think having something easy to grab, especially not an electronic device—although I will say I’ve been sketching on my iPad a lot more recently. That is obviously an electronic device, but I limit the apps on my iPad so it’s more of an art-making tool rather than an everything tool.

Tim Bogatz: It’s an art-making tool and not an everything tool.

Sarah Krajewski: Right! So trying to make it: this is for drawing, this is mostly what you’ll do here. That can be helpful too. I also love having accountability buddies—people who are going to keep you accountable. I’m lucky enough to be working on a joint art show with one of my very good friends that’s happening in September. We haven’t done a show together before. I’m very familiar with art shows—I’ve put up art shows for thousands of children—but when was the last time I put up some of my own art in a show? I’m really excited about it. Working together takes the pressure off needing to think of everything yourself and helps with accountability. I realized that in this more autonomous stage of my life, I actually need to practice that. Having another person check in—asking how certain projects are coming along—is really helpful.

If you can find an art buddy where you say, “Hey, have you sketched anything this week?” and create a safe space to share and communicate with each other, that’s a really nice way to build a habit—because then it’s not just on you. You get to continue that community with someone else, and it makes it easier to check in and feel like you’re getting things accomplished.

Tim Bogatz: Yeah, that’s really cool. And if I can give a quick shout out for the Art of Ed online community—they have an art gallery there, and people are always talking and showing what they’re making. If you’re listening to this and thinking, “I don’t have an accountability buddy,” that would be a great spot to find one.

I also wanted to shift gears and talk about what’s happening at the Art Ed NOW Conference, which is about a month away. You’re doing a couple of really cool things. Friday night, we have the kickoff games and art making—you’re going to be doing the art making with Jen Lieben, doing intuitive line paintings. And then you also have an After Pass presentation about drawing characters and emotions. It’s super fun—I really appreciate the presentation you put together. Plus, your cat makes an appearance, which made me very happy! What should people be excited about when it comes to creating art with you—either live on Friday night or later on using your After Pass video?

Sarah Krajewski: Well, if you haven’t been to anything for Art Ed NOW, the conference itself is just so much fun. It’s filled with energy, with people who love to make and who want to learn. The opening party is kind of where it’s at—dare I say, one of the best parts. I really enjoy being part of that evening because it’s fun to see the games and all the fun things that you and Amanda put together, and to see everyone getting excited about learning and creating and being together. I’m really excited to be part of that, and Jen and I always just have a great time chatting and creating together. Those live art-making sessions are super casual and really fun. You can use whatever materials you want. We go into detail, but for the most part, it’s really just a time to be together, check in on each other, and hang out in a fun way.

The After Pass presentation was really fun to put together—I got into some character drawings and different things with emotions. It was a really fun project. And yes, “Fuzz Aldrin” is his full official name. Fuzz makes an appearance, and he can’t help himself! So if you want to see a giant orange cat, you could watch.

And just to piggyback on what you said earlier about the Art of Ed community—I’m also doing another Art Club meet with Jen Lieben coming up as well. Being part of that Art of Ed community is really wonderful because it helps connect you, especially in the summer when you might have a little more time and energy—remember, those two go hand in hand. It’s a place to connect with people, make something, join a Zoom, or give yourself an excuse to grab a sketchbook and sit outside on your patio and make something. Really a great place to check out.

Tim Bogatz: That’s awesome. Thank you for all the kind words about the conference—I’m so excited to have you back, and we’re going to have a blast. Before I let you go, I have two more questions. I want to give everybody listening a little bit of inspiration or direction on where they can go to get inspired to create. Are there any particular tools, places, spaces, or groups that help you feel inspired or help you make art? What are the things that make you want to make?

Sarah Krajewski: That’s an amazing question! There are many places that come to mind. First, a place like this—The Art of Education, the Art of Ed Community. Those places that are set up to help you be successful are always a great fallback. When you can’t figure out what you want to make or how to connect with people, you have a place to go. Patreon groups, sketch groups I’ll occasionally drop into—even what we call “coexisting craft nights,” where you have a friend over. We don’t have to talk—we can, but we don’t have to—just bring something you’re working on. Bring an iPad, a sketchbook, some coloring. Do something creative for yourself around each other. That’s a really nice way to feel like you’re still part of a community and still making, without any performance or extra energy you might not have.

Recently, the things that have been making me want to make—especially with it being summer—I’ve been trying to capture imagery from outside. I volunteer at our huge local botanical garden here in Madison. It’s so beautiful. I went this morning and volunteered for three hours—we just weed and plant things, and it’s wonderful. I snapped a couple pictures of the poppies. I appreciate realistic drawing, but I like funky colors and a little more abstraction, so I’ll usually snag a few images and go back through my camera roll to find things that might inspire a joy sketch or something. Those personal experiences of what’s happening around you are always a great place to start. They help you solidify those memories and give you a visual journal of your life—and that’s a really powerful place to use art to help you remember.

Tim Bogatz: Oh, I love that, and I hope that gets wheels turning for people who are listening—just thinking about what places are around me, what opportunities are here. My last question: what is your best advice for our teachers who are listening and still saying, “I don’t have the time, I don’t have the energy to create”?

Sarah Krajewski: I think the important thing is maybe reframing your concept of creating. Does creating literally mean holding a drawing tool in your hand and making a sketch? Maybe, but maybe some days it means thinking. It could be observing and making a list in your head of ideas you might want to explore at some point. Maybe it’s envisioning—sometimes I’ll look out at my back garden and just think, “This could go here, maybe that could go there.” That’s creating. It’s just creating in your brain. Some days you don’t have the energy or the physical will to do a whole painting.

Tim Bogatz: Yeah, or to make it official—just think about things.

Sarah Krajewski: Totally! So I would say, reframe your expectation of what creating might actually be—and be, as always, understanding and kind to yourself. Some days you’re just not going to have it, and that’s okay. Trust that it will come back. It’s pretty human to beat yourself up for the days you can’t be productive or aren’t doing the things you think you should be doing. But this is the ebb and flow of the human experience. It’s going to fluctuate. Some days you wake up with all the energy in the world, and then the next three days you need to recover from that—and that’s just how it goes. Trust yourself to know what your body is telling you, and listen to it. Be flexible about what creating looks like so you can follow the ebb and flow of your experience.

Tim Bogatz: Yeah, absolutely. Just reframing things, giving yourself some grace and understanding—some days it’s going to be wonderful and you can take advantage of that, and other days, maybe not so much, but that’s okay too. That is some wonderful advice. Sarah, thank you for sharing all of your experiences and your wisdom here. It was a really, really enjoyable conversation, and I appreciate you coming on.

Sarah Krajewski: Thanks, everyone!