We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Sarah Langston a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Sarah, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. I’m sure there have been days where the challenges of being an artist or creative force you to think about what it would be like to just have a regular job. When’s the last time you felt that way? Did you have any insights from the experience?

I think when you become a creative, a lot of that Is because it is what drives you as a person. Creating be it drawing writing or so forth is a huge part of who I am. Creating something start to finish, having that physical proof that I have made something not only I enjoy, but others can too. That’s something huge. Art is a venture of the self, but there’s a lot others gain by looking at it. I think finding that you’ve started to make that impact or started to make that project you truly feel you connect to is what drives me as an artist. I want to keep making those stories. I would like to preface this by saying yes, there are ways to have a salary and that consistent check with an art job. I for one, am not there yet. So in the terms of wondering what it’s like to have a normal job, I suppose I do. I work my 9-5 while I balance my life as a creative. And its in these moments where it shows just how much it means to me to have that time to express creativity. I find that more and more, this sort of double life of corporate and artistic is very common. Unfortunately artists are in a battle for stability against rising odds of inflation and the battle against AI generated images.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

My name is Sarah Langston and I’m an artist from Burton, Michigan. I moved out to New Jersey/New York to attend the School of Visual Arts in 2019 and just graduated with a Bachelors in Fine Arts. Honestly, I’ve always been drawing. I think most artists will tell you that. Junior year, I had no plans for life. There was no specific thing I was good at past drawing and I wasn’t sure where my life would go. Off the cuff, my teachers said, “I could see you working for cartoons.” so I decided sure, I’ll do that. Sounds fun. At first, my goal was to be a storyboard artist. I enrolled in the Comics major because I thought it would be like bootcamp for storyboarding. Instead, I found myself falling in love with actually creating comics/graphic novels.

Currently I’m working on two different pitch bibles to be able to hand to publishers.
I’m working with a small press called Clawfoot Press to create pieces for their works and learn editing hands on.

My main goal is to be able to work for a press as well as be published. I love all aspects of book making, I want my stories to be told, but being able to help create others work is extremely rewarding in the same regard.
I table at events to sell products I’ve created such as comic samples, prints, stickers, comics, charms, etc. I do also manage freelance work as well.

I’m proud of my work’s constant progress. There’s something exciting about looking at old work and saying it doesn’t hold up anymore. It means you’re advancing, changing, and learning. I’m a strong believer that you should be able to look at an old sketchbook and appreciate what’s there, love what you created, but be able to say you’ve advanced. As I move away from making my first full length comic, I’ve been doing a lot of that. Making notes on what could’ve changed, what I’m excited to work on, and what’s the next project.

Onwards and upwards.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

Creating

I think it boils down to making something that other people can enjoy, that also express a part of myself. Making something, say a graphic novel in this example, that you understand and you love and you now get to share that love and passion with others who will feel the same, I struggle to think of something more rewarding. I always want my hands to be busy with a new project. I want to engage in a world that engages back. Art makes me happy. drawing silly little guys or helping bind finish work or editing, it’s all rewarding work. Happy artist, happy life.

Looking back, are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?

Networking is EVERYTHING.

Might not sound like much in terms of advice for the creative journey, but really who you know is who you work with. If you’re making connections with other artists, they look out for you. Make friends, keep friends. It’s important. This interview is a solid example of that. Without having been a long time friend of Andrew Tripp, an illustrator back in Michigan, I struggle to think how I would have had the opportunity to talk to CanvasRebel here today. The very same with the small press I’m working with currently. It all started that I complimented a strangers shirt who happened to be a graphic designer. We talked about how to “break into the industry”, he says he knows a guy, and now I am making bits and bobs for Clawfoot Press.

My heart goes out to the introverted artist. Many artists started out right where you are, but my friend if I can give you one spark of true good advice. You’re going to want to talk to the people around you. It gets easier, and more often than not you make a fantastic network of friends who will think of you when an opportunity arises, or you can reach out to for advice on different subjects they may have more experience in than you. Get out there, talk to people. It’s the advantage you’re looking for.

Contact Info:

• Website: srlangston99.wixsite.com/cafe-cadet
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cafe.cadet/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarah-langston-b0aaa925a/

Image Credits
Sarah Langston