We had the good fortune of connecting with Jelena Kostic and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Jelena, have there been any changes in how you think about work-life balance?
I think of myself as a full time nurse and full time artist, (I am so lucky to have two passions I can dedicate my life to) but how that looks from the outside definitely ebbs and flows! I have struggled in the past with comparing how my artistic venture and my small business looks compared to the artists around me, both locally and on social media. Ultimately where I am at right now is making peace with how my heart and mind need the space to leap into creativity and creating naturally, it can’t be forced. That’s why I’ll never move to “full time artist” and leave nursing, because the pressure of art being my sole “work” would render me unable to create freely. I recognize this is a very privileged place to be in, and I am so grateful that both my careers have the flexibility and room to be whatever I want from them in any particular day/week/month. This really allows me to create balance in my life when it comes to other areas like my family, self care and hobbies!

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I don’t have a niche. For years, this is what kept me from selling my art, what kept me from viewing myself as a “real” artist. I’m constantly trying new mediums and incorporating multiple mediums and styles to create unique works of art. That may look chaotic to some people (I’ve even been rejected from art markets for it) but honestly that chaos and natural movement from one kind of art to another and back is really what defines me! What held me back for so long is now a huge piece of how I see myself as an artist. It’s been a really uphill battle gaining confidence and love for myself and how my creativity lives in me. Right now I’m in an art making lull because I’m finishing a backyard art studio /she shed- I see this as the next huge step in my journey. I’m trying to not put limitations on how I think that’ll shape me as an artist because honestly, my niche-less chaos is probably the most beautiful thing and I think it’ll naturally take me down the “right” road. 2023 was a really rough and confusing year for me in many ways and I am very patiently hopeful that 2024 and this new Art Studio chapter holds some wonderful things in store.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
This is kind of a funny question to me because I’m not really a planner, I’m more of a wake up and play it by ear person. I also don’t consider myself very exciting? Like my hobbies and where I’d want to go probably don’t seem fun to most people. I’d drag them to Topsail / Surf City to go shark tooth hunting because my heart just lives in the sand looking for toothies, and I’d probably bop around locally take them to my favorite eating spots- Saltbox Seafood Joint, Al’s Burger, Mr. Tokyo….. and then my version of exciting things to see is go to lumber stores and thrift stores and rummage through things I view as potential art supplies! The Scrap Exchange, Rescue Wood Rehab….cant forget to stop by all my favorite dog foster friends and show off all the dogs in the rescue I foster with! I think of my left as boring in the best way- art, dogs, and just going with the flow.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I absolutely have to shout out Sarah Rosa Glickman. Not only did she pop my name out there to be interviewed but I credit the beginning of my “career” / starting selling my art and gaining confidence to her! When we first met I was a creative by hobby and teetering in confidence to put my art out in the world and sell it. She encouraged me to dip my toe in, and watching her journey as an artist really inspired me to just leap into it and not look back. I will always be so grateful for how she supported me and watered the little seedling of baby artist jelena enough for me to sprout 🙂

Website: www.scrapsofjel.com

Instagram: @scrapsofjel

Facebook: Scraps of Jel

Image Credits
Jelena Kostic Thomas Hughes Photography (Tommy Wagner)

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