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

Sarah, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. We’d love to hear about the best boss, mentor, or leader you’ve ever worked with.

One of my art teachers from my early years, Denine, from Mermaid Art Studios, was one of the best mentors I’ve ever had to this day. I may have not realized it at the time, but looking back now, I was a pretty shy kid and had trouble taking risks. Denine truly encouraged me to try out new things and experiment with different materials. Nothing was ever too crazy, and any ideas I had, she always took the time to brainstorm with me. I remember I used to create these wild sculptures that used old glass Coca Cola bottles and I also made these lamp shades made out of film negatives. I don’t think I would have been able to take the risks I take today if it wasn’t for that sense of experimentation that Denine fostered within me when I was younger.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your background and context?

I grew up painting, drawing, and creating as early as I can remember. It was when I was accepted to Cornell University for college that I decided to take ‘a more practical approach’ and pursued architecture. Then, while living in New York City after graduating, I switched careers and went into product design. It was during the pandemic that I had the time and space to revisit my art (specifically abstract painting with mixed media), while also working in tech. I love how my education and career in design often influences how I create within my art practice, and vice versa. I’m grateful for every step I’ve taken as I believe my 2 worlds of art and design are continually informing and speaking to one another.

My artwork tends to celebrate the joys of the creative process itself. It’s this sense of freedom defines my practice; I look at it as a time to unwind, to reflect, to play. Sometimes I plan my work before diving in, but typically, I start painting simply when I feel excited about the idea of creating something. Then I let the markings, colors, and thoughts guide the rest. When it comes to my materials, I enjoy going beyond traditional painting, using repurposed items like old skateboards, frames, and trays. I’ve always been inspired by mixed media artists, such as Robert Rauschenberg, so mixing acrylic paint, oil pastel, tape, and paper is a joy. Even found objects are incorporated when it feels right.

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

Perfectionism. I’ll start by saying, my current manager at Apple summed it up in an extremely helpful antidote for me, and it’s a motto I’m still internalizing to this day: “Fail Faster.”

I think it’s the ‘perfect’ way to combat perfectionism, and it’s a motto I’m applying in both my world of design and my world of art. Have an idea? Try it. And if it fails, then you’re simply closer to the answer you’re looking for.

I think I was always scared to take risks, since I was scared of failing, and was worried about how all of that might be perceived externally. But, I think to really succeed, you have to fail and continue to fail, in order to figure out what’s not working.

Are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?

As much as I enjoyed and learned about design through studying architecture, I also wish I had known about product design a bit sooner. It wasn’t until I was already a Cornell alum and living in NYC that I understood and learned about what User Experience even was and that it was an option I could pursue as a career! I had to teach myself a ton of things and take various leaps and risks, which was valuable in its own way, but I sometimes think about how different things would look had I known about that option sooner.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.sarahjschwartz.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sarahjaclynschwartz/reels/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahjschwartz/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/sarahjschwartz
• Other: https://www.threads.net/@sarahjaclynschwartz

Image Credits
Michael Harley Photography