Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Agnes Pierscieniak. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Agnes, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. It’s always helpful to hear about times when someone’s had to take a risk – how did they think through the decision, why did they take the risk, and what ended up happening. We’d love to hear about a risk you’ve taken.
I have heard “Jump and the bridge will appear” but I am the kind of person who slowly walks into the shallow end of the pool and would typically not dive into the deep end fearlessly. Yet, that is what I did with my Creative Business. It was the start of Covid, and I had just heard my Creative Director contract was not renewed for the following year. I had nothing to loose. No health insurance to quit. This was the time to see if I could make a living with teaching art workshops. I had to jump and hope there was a bridge.
I started slowly, nevertheless. I taught my first workshop in August 2020. I used my phone and laptop, set up a table in my parent’s garage, and got on zoom to teach 6 Google employees how to make botanical prints. They had called me to teach a virtual class and it worked! I realized we could ship the kits rather than have them buy supplies. I had wanted to grow Crave from backyard parties and get together to focusing on corporate events. This was my chance. I put together a brochure, updated my website to say “virtual events” and somehow that was the start of over 3500 participants learning art virtually all around the globe. A true “pinch me” moment was when I was teaching a 7:0am workshop with Google Zurich and I could see the Zurich cityscape in the background. Another time I joined a group of artists virtually in Ghana. How cool is that?
Agnes, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
I started Crave Workshops and began hosting workshops in January 2017. Our mission is to build a welcoming community where each person is inspired to explore and learn. Our custom experiences focus on teaching creativity to people with diverse backgrounds. We curate the art forms to be accessible and fun for all genders, all ages and all skill levels. We specialize in virtual and hybrid workplace events, working with global and local companies. We design custom experiences that help connect and inspire employees. Our unique programs focus on enhancing happiness and community during these challenging times. Using a variety of mediums, we spark innovation, self-confidence and growth.
We offer creativity to diverse teams looking to get together and do something unique. We ship the kits to the participants and then get on a live Zoom/Google Meet together to make art. We are a woman owned, artist owned business. We partner with other small businesses around the world—from Missouri to Madrid— to source the best quality and most unique materials for our supply kits.
Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?
I believe that making things by hand is an essential part of life. Everyone should get the opportunity to make something. My mission is to design the experience to make that successful. I believe that life is about the journey not the destination and I try to teach process focused art that is fun and accessible for all.
I try to teach art forms that are accessible and don’t have correct answers. Things that are “not perfect.”
Process that have a bit of magic in them, and maybe a surprise ending. If I know what the ending will be, that means I have done it too many times before. I guess I am pretty fearless when it comes to art.
Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?
I think architecture school really taught me that life is about iterations. It is a process. The only way to get better is to do something over and over. The first model is a study model. The first year we learned how to cut and glue. So, I never expect to do something well on the first try. I think we put so much pressure on ourselves to do things right rather than think of them like software or tech. The first iPhone was good but version 14 is better. Same as our art and our business. By teaching over 200 events, I got better at teaching. I don’t let fear or not being 100% ready stop me from trying. I think we (especially women) are our own harshest critics and unless we are 1000% prepared, we don’t feel prepared. I do my best at a given time and hope that next time I will be a little bit better.
Contact Info:
- Website: craveworkshops.com
- Instagram: @craveworkshops
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/craveworkshops/
- Other: Also my art: https://www.agnesartshop.com
Image Credits
Utkan Kocaturk Christine Renee