Sarah from Greta's sister on being a mother, being self-employed and how she manages both

Sarah makes and sells beautiful products under the name Greta's Sister , which she illustrates herself in her Berlin studio.

She has had her own label, Greta's Sister, since 2014, and has been a mother to a little girl for a year now. She gave us a little of her precious time to talk about her work, her little daughter, and how she combines the two.

You tell stories with your illustrations. Who or what inspires you?

My greatest source of inspiration is travel. When I'm on the road, ideas start flowing. My work also helps me get through times when I'm not able to travel. ;) I also love drawing to music or Harry Potter audiobooks.

What does drawing mean to you? And what do your illustrations tell us about you?

Expressing myself creatively is everything to me. It's my hobby, but above all, it's my job. Besides the many administrative tasks that come with my label Gretas Schwester, it's always an oasis of relaxation for me when I pick up my brush. This is perhaps also the reason why my illustrations are generally positive, and why I don't allow myself to be carried away by sad or gloomy illustrations, even in stressful times or when I'm in a bad mood.

Did that change with the birth of your daughter?

On the contrary! Drawing has become even more important. As soon as she's asleep, I sit down at the table and try to make the most of the time I have with myself and my illustrations. I can unwind over a cup of tea and a sheet of watercolor paper.

When did you start working again? Or have you always worked?

I gave myself two weeks after the birth, but even that didn't really work. I have trouble keeping my feet still, and I can't sleep during the day at all. So I was pretty quickly back in front of the laptop, only in bed with lots of snacks and Anuk sleeping on or next to me. When I think back to the early days with her, it was pretty easy back then. Anuk is 1 now and doesn't want to lie next to me while I work anymore ;) Now we spend almost all of her waking hours outside.

Self-employment and being a mother – how do they fit together?

Super good and super bad. The advantage is that I'm my own boss; I don't have to answer to anyone about when, where, or how much I work. We can spend days as a family during the week, and when Anuk is away with her grandparents on the weekend, I sit down at my desk.

The biggest disadvantage is that there are virtually no breaks. I didn't take parental leave because I didn't dare close my online shop. I often put myself under pressure when emails aren't answered or orders remain unprocessed for more than two days.

How do you manage your family and work life? Do you have support?

Anuk's dad and I both come from Berlin, which means we have family around us who are happy to take our daughter off our hands for an afternoon. I also have some great friends I met at postnatal yoga classes who are all self-employed themselves, and we often take turns supervising the playground. Otherwise, it's often back to my desk in the evenings once Anuk is in bed. But I've gotten used to it and enjoy the peace and quiet of the evening for work. My husband travels a lot for work and is sometimes away for five days in a row. But he stays at home for a while afterwards and takes over Anuk's care almost completely.

What does a typical day look like for you? 

When I'm alone with Anuk, we usually get up at 7:30 a.m. I make tea and porridge for both of us. Then we get ready and go out, do some shopping, or have a hot chocolate with spontaneous appointments. Back at home, Anuk has her lunch and then takes a two-hour nap. While I'm doing this, I sit down at my laptop or paint box for the first time that day and work. In the afternoon, we go to the playground and meet friends. After dinner, Anuk goes to bed around 7:00 p.m., is read Henriette Bimmelbahn to her, and then falls asleep. Afterwards, I cook something to eat for myself, and ideally that also makes lunch for the next day, and then I work for a few more hours.

How do you create time out for yourself and your relationship? 

At the moment, it's still far too little, as our daughter doesn't have a daycare spot yet. I think once she has regular day care for a few hours, we'll go out for breakfast together more often or simply treat ourselves to a morning at home.

Until then, sometimes the grandmas look after the children in the evenings and we go out to eat, or we go to the cinema or have a drink with friends separately.

What has been your biggest challenge so far?

Balancing work and being a mom. The guilt can completely wear you down.

And what is the best lesson you have learned since the birth of your daughter?

That love is infinite. Even on days when it's truly unbearable. Every small step in her development, no matter how hard-earned, makes me incredibly proud, and I'm glad I can be there for her so much. If I had to choose between my job and my daughter, I would, of course, always choose Anuk. Nevertheless, I believe that my job makes me happy and that it allows me to be a better mom to Anuk, and maybe one day she'll even be proud of what I've built. I think that would be wonderful.

Thank you, dear Sarah, for this wonderful interview. We're already looking forward to your next illustrations!

Here you can find Sarah’s Instagram and of course her online shop !