Welcome back to part 2 on our journey to “carve-out” the mysterious and jaw-dropping hobbies of 1A, so put your hands together and witness work that will leave an “imprint!”
This month we’re featuring another hidden talent by our very own 1A student Hannah Jaglarz, as she walks us through her print-making art, and how she turned a hobby into something more.
“My hobby is art, more specifically printmaking. I started this summer over quarantine. In my high school art class, we were supposed to do printmaking but Covid-19 happened, and I didn’t end up getting the chance to try. I was bored over the summer and I decided to try! Instantly I was fascinated and decide to continue.”
While Covid has many downsides, there are some benefits as well! The time in solitary allows many people to follow their passions and explore new ones! Did you know, Isaac Newton developed his Laws of Motion while being quarantined during the Black Plague?!
But like most groundbreaking theorists, we’re always left waiting for inspiration to strike. However, Hanna doesn’t wait for the inspiration to come to her. She goes after it! Here is Hannah’s strategy for how she embraces these moments of uncertainty and dives into that first cut.
“Of course I feel unmotivated sometimes. It’s part of any hobby, especially artistic ones. To overcome this feeling, I try to surround myself with things that inspire me and take a break. It’s easy to burn out if you try to force motivation. By taking time to find inspiration when the motivation strikes me later, I can have a fresh start again.”
Fortunately, she’s been able to find time in her days as a student to keep up with her lovely print-making talent. Print-making time = break time for Hanna! Perhaps we should all allow the linoleum block to alleviate our troubles. The linoleum block tells all, so leave an imprint of yourself!
“Time is not really an issue so far. I try to make time for my art as a way to relax and to take a break from school. It’s a way to remind myself to not overwork myself. It doesn’t always work but it does help me a lot.”
It’s important for an artist to surround yourself with things that inspire you and with the things you love! Hannah often draws on nature and life for the themes of her artwork. So her desired location to create would be in a forest. Let’s bask in the glory of the landscape that surrounds us.
“I make all my prints at my desk. I wish I could work in a luscious forest! It would be wonderful to be able to be closer to nature. I love nature and a lot of my art is inspired by nature. So naturally, I would feel inspired outside.”
Hannah shares her endeavors into the public world through Instagram where you can find her creative concoctions! Although sometimes stressful, she uses it to encourage herself to continue her creative process!
“I post most of my work on Instagram ( @thefrogprints_ ) I really enjoy meeting other artists through the platform and having some accountability to continue making stamps. For me, it serves as a reminder of the art I love. This does have downsides as it can lead to pressure to continue working even when busy or uninspired.”
Living a double life, Hanna likes to dedicate time to engage with other artists throughout Instagram. While she enjoys sharing her work with the world, Hannah appreciates a more intimate group of followers who’ve got her back and support her. It’s better to have a few close friends who you can trust than a sea of strangers; and that is evident in Hannah’s followers.
“It’s kind of difficult to figure out who my target audience is. I guess it’s probably anyone who likes art, people like me. I try not to focus on building my following too much, but I try to post consistently and engage with the art community that is present on Instagram.”
As long as you’ve got your print-making tools by your side, you can find your confidence from there. Because when you’re happy with your progress or work, you find success. In Hanna’s case, an Esty store is the way to go, but nothing beats the pride you feel from a beautiful completed piece!
“I hope to be maybe selling my prints one day, maybe on Etsy. Really though, I see myself improving and being more confident in my art. [For anyone looking to get their hands into printmaking] I would tell them to just start! Carving prints and stamps seems a bit intimidating, but it is really fun and pretty easy.”
If something inspires you or catches your eye, why not give it a go? There’s nothing stopping you.
Follow Hanna on Instagram @thefrogprints.
LL x PP, signing off.
Next time you feel inspired to start something new, do it! And then come tell us, we’ll write an article all about your journey!
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