Like most people, you probably have a long list of trips you can’t find the time to go on. Whether it’s work, school, or other responsibilities holding you back, online RMCAD alum and former student ambassador, Sarah Pauly is here to tell you it’s possible. Even as a full-time student in RMCAD’s Illustrative Design program, Pauly managed a full-time job and traveled to Arizona, Missouri, Washington, Texas, and Alabama.
However, it wasn’t always been easy for Pauly to juggle school, work, art, and travel, as the flexibility of the online program can sometimes be a double-edged sword. She shared that the hardest part has been managing her time, saying: “If you don’t have a lot of experience and skill with managing your time, then it can be a challenge!” Pauly shares how she struck the balance of traveling while studying online.
Why Flexibility Matters for Modern Students
Pauly resides in Shiloh, Illinois, but with family scattered all around the country, it’s hard to stay in touch. Luckily, RMCAD’s flexible learning style maked it easy for her to visit her loved ones. Whether it was her sister’s wedding, Thanksgiving, or a family reunion during her first week at RMCAD, studying online meant she was there for those important moments. Pauly said, “It’s been really sweet to see my family and be intentional with that time.”
The Challenges of Balancing Education and Travel
It wasn’t always been easy for Pauly to manage her busy schedule. For the first few months of college, it was difficult to balance her time. Procrastinating, Pauly was consistently doing a week’s worth of classwork the weekend before it was due. Time management for online learning is an important skill that few virtual students have off the bat. Throughout her freshman year, Pauly slowly found a time management style that fit both her academic and travel schedules.
She learned she could frontload her school work to travel: “If I procrastinated during the week, then I just had to sit and do school for two days.” Over time, she learned how to make her schedule work. Studying remotely as a creative, Pauly realized she could just as easily frontload her asynchronous schedule. By completing her work earlier in the week, she gave herself time to edit, refine, and improve her assignments.
Getting the Most Out of School While Traveling
Once she built a routine, Pauly opened up about how it was important to be present with her coursework. Capitalizing on her education didn’t just mean completing assignments and checking boxes. To grow as an artist, she wanted to be intentional, saying, “If you’re not intentional, you can get to the end of a class and ask yourself. ‘Did I actually learn anything, or did I just complete the assignments?’”
Staying Connected and Motivated
One of the most common misconceptions about online education for artists is that they can’t make the same interpersonal connections with their classmates as their on-ground counterparts. Pauly can attest that it isn’t easy, but it was important to her artistic development. She shared that building those connections with other artists and meeting her classmates “was intentional for me.” She got involved with the American Institute of Graphic Arts (AIGA), a national organization with a student chapter at RMCAD. By being proactive about reaching out to other members of the RMCAD community, she began making close friends at school.
The club was among the first places she collaborated with other artists outside of class. “That’s where I met students and got to know their names, other than just from discussion posts. It has been awesome to be part of that artist community!” That type of collaboration empowered Pauly when she needed guidance. Pauly is most grateful for the community’s “feedback and encouragement. Hearing people share their experiences is why I became a student ambassador. I wanted to serve and make an impact in that same capacity.”
Traveling Artist Balances Work and Study
Work, school, and travel can all be a lot to juggle. However, with responsibility comes self-discovery. Pauly shared that one of her favorite things about college has been serving as a student ambassador. She credits her role as an ambassador with keeping her connected to the campus community, “as an online student, it’s up to you to make that decision of how involved you want to be with other students.”
Along with her role as a student ambassador and full-time student, Pauly also held down multiple other jobs while in college. At times, working made studying art and design online difficult, not to mention traveling. Nonetheless, it helped her balance her time to become the best version of herself. “At one point, I was working 40 hours a week and a full-time student, not including my work as an ambassador. But being an online student, I had the flexibility to do that.”
Tips for Success: Combining Online Study and Travel
Some of Pauly’s favorite sources of inspiration are simple pleasures like nature, instrumental music, and even silence. One of her favorite pieces of advice for combining education and travel is letting the mind rest. Work, school, art, and travel all take a lot of energy. “I have found boredom to be one of the best things in creating, because when you’re bored, ideas have to come to you and not the other way around.”
Know Your Due Dates
“On Monday morning, I look at what is due for the week and make a checklist.” Pauly shared how this tactic helps her to work ahead of her deadlines and build a more effective workflow as a student. The time she saves has allowed her to travel more confidently without fear of missing any classwork. As an online student, she has come to appreciate the motivation that comes along with academic deadlines. Balancing travel and education is just one piece of the puzzle. Pauly is always looking to improve her work as an artist, too.
Like many art students, Pauly confessed that she didn’t always make the time for her personal projects. One trick she learned was to give herself due dates. Even still, motivation can be hard for self-imposed deadlines. That’s why Pauly loves giving illustrations and paintings as birthday presents. “If a piece is for me, I always say I’ll do it tomorrow. But if it’s a birthday present, I’m going to get it done.” These self-imposed deadlines can provide a greater sense of urgency to a piece that she might otherwise put off.
Assembling Your Studio
When completing school work at home, Pauly had multiple spaces in her house to help her be an effective student and artist. Her trick was to keep her office space separate from her studio space. That way, for less creative projects such as essays, discussion posts, and Zoom calls, she had an environment conducive to clerical tasks. On the other hand, Pauly’s home studio space can be more spontaneous, chaotic, and creative. Her studio was equipped with “my art desk, my easel, and an antique printer cabinet where I keep all of my big 24”x12” drawings.” Additionally, Pauly found her muse in nature; her studio has a big window, “because light is really important to me when I create.”
When learning art and design while traveling, Pauly used a kit of art supplies she has spent years curating. Her travel kit was confined by the size of suitcases, carry-ons, and tray tables. Accordingly, Pauly became ruthlessly efficient when packing her art supplies. Her aunt, who is also a painter, gifted her a collection of supplies. “I have a travel-size watercolor kit, graphite pencils, a notebook, and a water brush so I can paint without a cup of water.” That way, whether she was on a road trip or flying internationally, she could always hone her craft.
Breaking Up the Creative Process
When Pauly exhausted every option and still couldn’t create the work she was envisioning, she wasn’t afraid to step away and take a break. By making space for her other hobbies, Pauly finds that those activities breathe new life into her work. In particular, she found inspiration outdoors, saying, “Especially in the springtime, I like gardening. That breaks things up and helps with my creative process.” For Pauly, gardening allowed her to curate something beautiful, unlike anything she could draw or paint. Having multiple outlets for creativity helped Pauly think critically about her art without exiting the flow state.
In addition to how nature can engage artists creatively, Pauly shared that she likes “gardening because it’s another space where I can create.” Having a physical space she can go for inspiration helps chop up her schedule and keep her artistically inspired. Even when traveling, she sought out natural spaces to sketch and doodle in, such as the Birmingham Botanical Gardens in Alabama. Pauly would sit in the free gardens whenever visiting her sister. She loved how she could see the gardens “correlate to my art. It’s been a big influence.”
For many artists, traveling is about relaxation. Creative degrees for traveling students are no different. In Sarah Pauly’s experience, she does her best work when traveling because it gives her more than she puts into it. For her, art isn’t about deadlines, it’s about communicating your growth through beauty. “When you’re rushing through life, you don’t ever have time to catch up. Rest and stillness, that’s my process.”
Looking to Travel While in School?
Are you passionate about earning an art degree from anywhere in the world and looking to find an online degree that fits your schedule? Rocky Mountain College of Art + Design is one of the best online art schools and offers 10 BFA programs fully online. Programs range from Illustrative Design to Art Education, RMCAD has something for everyone! Learn more today, and request the info you need to find out whether RMCAD is the community for you.
Many of the quotes in this story have been edited for brevity and clarity by the author, but are meant to retain the significance and purpose of the original speaker.
