We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Sara Barrett. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Sara below.

Sara, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Can you open up about a risk you’ve taken – what it was like taking that risk, why you took the risk and how it turned out?

One big risk that stands out in my mind was submitting a collage I made to a local juried art show. Since having our daughter about 9 years prior, my artwork had taken a back seat to everything else. In my mind, I was in no position to do something “frivolous” for myself. I had a full time “real” job as a newspaper reporter, a husband with a full time job, and a daughter. My husband, who has always been my biggest supporter in anything I’ve done, really encouraged me to submit work to the juried show. I was elated when I found out my work had been accepted. That show inspired me and gave me the confidence to try other shows and events with my work. I’ve since had work published in several national magazines, online and in many local and regional shows and galleries.

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.

I consider myself a full-time creative thinker regardless of what I’m doing at any given moment in the day. I love looking at all parts of life as a potential source of inspiration for my artwork. I initially became involved in graphic design in high school in the 90’s because the kids taking the class seemed so cool and mysterious. My second year of graphics arts class led me to an internship at a local graphics company, which led to a graphics job at a label company and eventually to work as a graphic designer and reporter for a newspaper. Those opportunities allowed me to create 40 hours a week for a paycheck. But about 7 years ago I accepted an opportunity with a financial firm and my creativity in that role was limited. I quickly searched for other opportunities to create outside of my “day” job, and eventually focused on digital and paper collage as my medium. I truly love creating a world within my work where the viewer can escape their daily life and explore, ask questions and draw their own conclusions and opinions of what they’re seeing. I feel what sets my work apart from most collage art I’ve seen is that I try to tell a story with my work. My images could be a page in a story book. They are not mismatched images put together randomly on a page as I think a lot of collage can appear to be.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

The most rewarding part of being an artist is connecting with complete strangers through my work and realizing we are not so different from one another after all. I’ve also had several people tell me they could never create anything, they are not the creative type, etc. But I really think we are all artists in our own way. You may be an artist who arranges plants by your kitchen window just so. Or you may be an artist who doodles on Post-Its when on the phone at your day job. Or you notice the way a piece of lint contrasts against the color of your shirt in a pleasing way. Life is full of art really everywhere you look. Sometimes, pieces of mulch are shaped like birds or a metal sign has a beautiful shade of rust on the edge. Art is everywhere if you open your eyes to it.

Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

I think my goal with my artwork is to learn about myself while helping others look in a mirror or perhaps see the world from a perspective other than their own. I wish everyone in the world made art. I think people would be so much happier and less stressed.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @freelance.muse
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FreelanceMuze

Image Credits
Sara Barrett