Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month
Sarah Racker Shares Her Secrets To Living With Intention
May is Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage (AAPI) Month, and we’re so excited to be celebrating it all month long. Throughout May, watch the B3 Magazine and barre3 Instagram for stories highlighting members of our global barre3 community who identify as AAPI.
Meet Sarah Racker. Sarah is endlessly curious—an interdisciplinary artist, Sarah is a talented writer, a passionate reader, and as the Digital Visual Designer she plays a crucial role in creating the designs that make barre3 not just a great workout, but a beautiful experience as well.
Dive into our interview below to discover Sarah’s inspiring approach to living with intention, balancing creative mediums, and the exciting project she has in the works.
B3 MAGAZINE: You just joined the barre3 Home Office team in March! Because of COVID, you started the role fully-remote. How’s that been going?
Sarah: I was a little anxious about it at first, but everyone’s been extremely welcoming and friendly which is totally in-line with my experience having taken barre3 classes. The studio atmosphere has always been exactly that: an incredibly encouraging and supportive community.
Working remotely has been an adjustment. There isn’t that physical cue of being in a new space, and it’s been interesting adapting myself mentally to the fact that I’m in a new role while continuing to work from home at my desk in my bedroom.
B3 MAGAZINE: Creating mental separation between your work and your life is so important. What strategies do you have that help you create that for yourself?
Sarah: I’ve been trying different things. At first, it was a lot of moving around the house to different spots to try and find where I was the most productive. But what’s really been key is properly setting up my desk, my monitor, and finding a solid chair. Last year, when all of this started and I only thought it was going to last a couple months, I didn’t put a lot of thought into my workspace set-up, but that’s been so important in helping me feel my best while working from home.
B3 MAGAZINE: You’ve had a years-long barre3 practice. How did you get introduced to the workout?
Sarah: I took my first barre3 studio class about three years ago. I had been trying different workouts around Portland through Class Pass, but then it turned out that I was really only using it for barre3. Pretty quickly, I decided that barre3 was the workout I loved doing the most.
Once quarantine started, I turned to the online membership and have been using it ever since. It’s so great to have the opportunity to move while we’ve been at home. I do a mix of barre3 and running, and that balance has been helping me stay sane.
B3 MAGAZINE: Reflecting on COVID more broadly, how has the whole experience of the last year-plus impacted you?
Sarah: As with most people, I’ve experienced so many ups and downs throughout the past year. It’s been important for me to carve out a new routine and to make sure that I’m being intentional about how I use my time. I also try to maintain a good balance between work, exercise, and finding creative ways to socialize. It’s been a long learning process, but we’ve also been in quarantine for a long time, so I’ve given myself a lot of grace.
Our family Christmas reunion over Zoom for 2020
B3 MAGAZINE: What are some lessons or takeaways from this time that you’d like to bring with you into the future?
Sarah: Weaving intentionality throughout my day and being mindful about how I spend my time is so important. The days can feel like they blend together, so it’s important that I find meaningful moments and identify specific things throughout the day that encourage me to think a little more creatively with what I’m able to do. It’s finding those things that spark joy that can make a big difference.
A family photo of our last trip together before quarantine to Disney World
B3 MAGAZINE: You create amazing designs that add so much to the experience of barre3! What does your creative practice look like outside of the work you do at barre3?
Sarah: I try to diversify my interests, and while I love focusing my creative energy on design, I try to also give my attention and time to other projects and mediums. Diving into other creative pursuits helps supplement and energize my other work, and finding balance among a well-rounded group of interests feels really supportive for me.
Writing is my primary medium that I try to build at least an hour of into each day. Over the past couple of years, I’ve dove more deeply and consistently into creative writing. I’m 330 pages into a book I’m working on, and with all this time spent at home, that’s a project that I’ve been able to focus on more. It’s been a long process, but I ultimately want it to be a finished book.
B3 MAGAZINE: We’d love to hear more about your book! What are you writing about?
Sarah: The book is inspired by my grandparents’ stories. A few years ago, I was talking to my dad about his father and how he immigrated to America. I was fascinated—my grandfather grew up in Germany during World War I and left just before Hitler was elected Chancellor. Speaking with my dad, I started learning all these things about how he got out of Germany, moved to America for a job opportunity, and started a new life for himself.
A wedding photo of my parents that includes all four of my grandparents
My grandfather on my mother’s side came to Hawaii, which at the time was Hawaii Territory, from Okinawa, Japan when he was only a kid after being abandoned there by his parents. Uncovering this dichotomy is a big part of why I became interested in my grandparents’ diverging stories of how they came to the U.S.
I’ve had conversations with my mom as well, and I’ve realized that each of my grandparents was born in a different country, even on different continents, but they all came together, and here I am as a result of that. They came to this country for different reasons, at different times, and under different circumstances, and there’s so much that happened during these people’s lives that led me to where I am today.
My grandfather’s manifest entry from his immigration to the United States in 1938 via Quebec on the S.S. Alaunia
B3 MAGAZINE: We’ve loved getting to celebrate Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month this May. Throughout the month, you’ve shared amazing resources for memoirs, historical fiction, non-fiction, and more. How would you describe your relationship to reading?
Sarah: Giving book recommendations is my love language! I’ve always loved reading, and I find that reading about other people’s experiences is one of the most eye-opening ways to learn more about the world. It’s not the same as traveling, but it’s an easy way to access diverse stories and to learn about different cultures, countries, and people. I’ve always thought of reading as a gateway to more information, and that can, at the very least, spark interest and curiosity.
Thank you Sarah! Join us in celebrating Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month all throughout May and beyond. Follow along on Instagram and tune in right here on the B3 Magazine for in-depth interviews, features, and more. And if you’d like to start your barre3 journey, sign up and get your first month of barre3 online for $1, or find your local studio.
Vintage photo of my parents
May is Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage (AAPI) Month, and we’re so excited to be celebrating it all month long. Throughout May, watch the B3 Magazine and barre3 Instagram for stories highlighting members of our global barre3 community who identify as AAPI.
Meet Sarah Racker. Sarah is endlessly curious—an interdisciplinary artist, Sarah is a talented writer, a passionate reader, and as the Digital Visual Designer she plays a crucial role in creating the designs that make barre3 not just a great workout, but a beautiful experience as well.
Dive into our interview below to discover Sarah’s inspiring approach to living with intention, balancing creative mediums, and the exciting project she has in the works.
B3 MAGAZINE: You just joined the barre3 Home Office team in March! Because of COVID, you started the role fully-remote. How’s that been going?
Sarah: I was a little anxious about it at first, but everyone’s been extremely welcoming and friendly which is totally in-line with my experience having taken barre3 classes. The studio atmosphere has always been exactly that: an incredibly encouraging and supportive community.
Working remotely has been an adjustment. There isn’t that physical cue of being in a new space, and it’s been interesting adapting myself mentally to the fact that I’m in a new role while continuing to work from home at my desk in my bedroom.
B3 MAGAZINE: Creating mental separation between your work and your life is so important. What strategies do you have that help you create that for yourself?
Sarah: I’ve been trying different things. At first, it was a lot of moving around the house to different spots to try and find where I was the most productive. But what’s really been key is properly setting up my desk, my monitor, and finding a solid chair. Last year, when all of this started and I only thought it was going to last a couple months, I didn’t put a lot of thought into my workspace set-up, but that’s been so important in helping me feel my best while working from home.
B3 MAGAZINE: You’ve had a years-long barre3 practice. How did you get introduced to the workout?
Sarah: I took my first barre3 studio class about three years ago. I had been trying different workouts around Portland through Class Pass, but then it turned out that I was really only using it for barre3. Pretty quickly, I decided that barre3 was the workout I loved doing the most.
Once quarantine started, I turned to the online membership and have been using it ever since. It’s so great to have the opportunity to move while we’ve been at home. I do a mix of barre3 and running, and that balance has been helping me stay sane.
B3 MAGAZINE: Reflecting on COVID more broadly, how has the whole experience of the last year-plus impacted you?
Sarah: As with most people, I’ve experienced so many ups and downs throughout the past year. It’s been important for me to carve out a new routine and to make sure that I’m being intentional about how I use my time. I also try to maintain a good balance between work, exercise, and finding creative ways to socialize. It’s been a long learning process, but we’ve also been in quarantine for a long time, so I’ve given myself a lot of grace.
Our family Christmas reunion over Zoom for 2020
B3 MAGAZINE: What are some lessons or takeaways from this time that you’d like to bring with you into the future?
Sarah: Weaving intentionality throughout my day and being mindful about how I spend my time is so important. The days can feel like they blend together, so it’s important that I find meaningful moments and identify specific things throughout the day that encourage me to think a little more creatively with what I’m able to do. It’s finding those things that spark joy that can make a big difference.
A family photo of our last trip together before quarantine to Disney World
B3 MAGAZINE: You create amazing designs that add so much to the experience of barre3! What does your creative practice look like outside of the work you do at barre3?
Sarah: I try to diversify my interests, and while I love focusing my creative energy on design, I try to also give my attention and time to other projects and mediums. Diving into other creative pursuits helps supplement and energize my other work, and finding balance among a well-rounded group of interests feels really supportive for me.
Writing is my primary medium that I try to build at least an hour of into each day. Over the past couple of years, I’ve dove more deeply and consistently into creative writing. I’m 330 pages into a book I’m working on, and with all this time spent at home, that’s a project that I’ve been able to focus on more. It’s been a long process, but I ultimately want it to be a finished book.
B3 MAGAZINE: We’d love to hear more about your book! What are you writing about?
Sarah: The book is inspired by my grandparents’ stories. A few years ago, I was talking to my dad about his father and how he immigrated to America. I was fascinated—my grandfather grew up in Germany during World War I and left just before Hitler was elected Chancellor. Speaking with my dad, I started learning all these things about how he got out of Germany, moved to America for a job opportunity, and started a new life for himself.
A wedding photo of my parents that includes all four of my grandparents
My grandfather on my mother’s side came to Hawaii, which at the time was Hawaii Territory, from Okinawa, Japan when he was only a kid after being abandoned there by his parents. Uncovering this dichotomy is a big part of why I became interested in my grandparents’ diverging stories of how they came to the U.S.
I’ve had conversations with my mom as well, and I’ve realized that each of my grandparents was born in a different country, even on different continents, but they all came together, and here I am as a result of that. They came to this country for different reasons, at different times, and under different circumstances, and there’s so much that happened during these people’s lives that led me to where I am today.
My grandfather’s manifest entry from his immigration to the United States in 1938 via Quebec on the S.S. Alaunia
B3 MAGAZINE: We’ve loved getting to celebrate Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month this May. Throughout the month, you’ve shared amazing resources for memoirs, historical fiction, non-fiction, and more. How would you describe your relationship to reading?
Sarah: Giving book recommendations is my love language! I’ve always loved reading, and I find that reading about other people’s experiences is one of the most eye-opening ways to learn more about the world. It’s not the same as traveling, but it’s an easy way to access diverse stories and to learn about different cultures, countries, and people. I’ve always thought of reading as a gateway to more information, and that can, at the very least, spark interest and curiosity.
Thank you Sarah! Join us in celebrating Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month all throughout May and beyond. Follow along on Instagram and tune in right here on the B3 Magazine for in-depth interviews, features, and more. And if you’d like to start your barre3 journey, sign up and get your first month of barre3 online for $1, or find your local studio.
Vintage photo of my parents
