17 questions for... Marta Krajenta, owner of Flow Art House

For me, work life balance is... compatibility of what I do professionally with my private life. This is perfectly reflected in Flow Art House - my own business, which was created out of passion for art and beauty, which I developed over a dozen years working in the fashion, PR and marketing industries, conducting projects for premium brands in cooperation with representatives of culture and artists.

Today I am fulfilling my dream and combining the talent that I took care of in my private life and the skills and knowledge gained from all my professional experiences. This is a balance for me.

My most important daily health habit is... getting enough sleep. When I wake up in the morning after a good night's sleep, I feel grateful. For the first time in a long time, I can afford to wake up without an alarm clock and I definitely consider it a luxury. Another habit is shopping and preparing meals for the whole day. I take great care of and respond to my body's needs.

I don't do sports, but... I'm a very active person. Activity is present intuitively in my life. I ride a bike every day, practice Kundalini yoga and breathing meditation, and during the pandemic I discovered that I love dancing intuitively and started practicing "5 rhythms". Once in a while I go to group classes, but more often I dance in my living room, for 45 minutes, non-stop, moving from rhythm to rhythm. He doesn't treat it as a sport, but rather as a natural part of everyday life. I do everything for my body that makes it flexible.

I devote myself to physical activity every week... as much as I need. I don't have a regular schedule with classes. Sometimes I practice yoga several times a week, and sometimes I just like to lie down and do nothing. I've been walking a lot lately, and I spend my mornings on a blanket in a nearby park. I listen to the body's needs.

What motivates me to exercise is that... I like to feel light, have a flexible, healthy body, feel the creative flow of energy, calm thoughts and inner power.

For me, meditation is... pleasure, a natural need, mindfulness, silence and listening to yourself. I have time like this every day. Composing art, creating a coherent narrative through a carefully selected set of art objects, is meditation for me. I like walking barefoot in the park in the morning, taking tea breaks, cooking, and lying in the sun. I love to dream…

My diet is based on... delicate and light dishes. I have delicate intestines and sensitive, vascular skin, so I avoid spicy foods. What I'm looking for is flavor. When shopping every day, I think about what I want and cook for myself every day. I learn herbs and test different compositions to season my meals. I also find flavor in drinks - I flavor water, brew herbs, and love coffee according to... 5 transformations.

I end the day by... slowing down and calming down. I turn off the light, light candles, take a bath with aromatic oils and listen to mantras. I read, journal, and write in a "gratitude" journal before bed. I also like 432Hz music for sleep.

I spend… at least 8 hours sleeping. I love the feeling of sleep and whenever I can, I take naps on an acupressure mat.

The thing I do only for myself is… reading books. I like fiction, developmental books and art albums. I look at a lot of art, and even plan trips and activities following the exhibitions and creative places I want to see.

My little sins are… sweets. Every day.

Happiness for me is... moments of delight when my eyes water, I feel softness in my lower abdomen and time stops... Harmony, a feeling of peace and maintaining softness in the body. Health. Family. Reciprocated love. Friends. Surrounding yourself with beauty. A house filled with art. Fulfilling your professional dream. Fresh compositions in a vase. Uninhibited travel.

For me, luxury is... work in line with my soul's mission. The ability to be yourself, both in your private and professional areas, and actually not separate these areas. The ability to ask yourself first: what do I want, what do I need and what do I want? As a first question, instead of: can I afford it?

My small, everyday steps in taking care of the planet are... privately, it's riding a bike, sorting waste and drinking tap water. In running my business, I also operate in the ecological trend. I introduce many art objects made of natural materials for promotion and sale in the gallery: sculptures made of grass, recycled wood, paintings made of recycled canvases.

The advice I would give myself if I was 20 again is... take it easy and be yourself. When meditating, I often think back to that twenty-year-old Marta and bring her joy and fun. I regret spending so much time worrying and striving for perfection in everything. Today I am more free, I don't worry about not being able to do something, instead I look for a way to do it. I no longer treat external opinions as assessments, but more often than not, I read them as information that says more about that person than about me. When I feel jealousy, I think about what moves me so much and decipher the information hidden in it.

The books I recommend are... lately I have been studying female energy and I often return to the works of Marion Woodman and Clarissa Pinkola Estés, and male energy - I have just finished reading the books "Iron John" and "In the Shadow of Saturn. On healing men's wounds. I am rearranging my image of masculinity and femininity in order to have harmonious access to these qualities.

For me, Flow Art House is... a dream come true and striving to make art accessible to everyone. I have an office set up in the gallery that works when I'm needed. The space in which I organize exhibitions is arranged in the foyer, adjacent to the Kinogram cinema, and is available every day from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Exhibitions and objects are described, including their prices, so that everyone can come and see their elements. I am glad that the gallery is an artistic point on the city map and you can experience art without obligation and at no cost.

My mission in running Flow Art House is... to open people to art and break the spell that you don't have to be a millionaire to have art. I built this business out of passion, which I brought to every brand I worked for before. I spend a lot of time talking to guests about art and promoting a given artist, but what is important to me is the philosophy, energy, mission and vision of the artist and the object.

Art is a financial investment, but it also involves an emotional investment.