We were lucky to catch up with Sarah Merz recently and have shared our conversation below.
Sarah, appreciate you joining us today. Can you recount a story of an unexpected problem you’ve faced along the way?
I think one of the most difficult aspects of selling my art has been learning not to get swept up in the currents of market dynamics. Line Street Studio initially got its start in the local San Diego farmers markets, beginning as an alternate filling in for other established vendors with scheduling conflicts. Especially in those first couple of days in the booth, those market dynamics were hard to ignore. They were on full display in feedback received, works that were closely examined but ultimately left on the shelf, and purchases that were made. It was humbling to learn that those pieces that took the most time to create or that I was most proud of weren’t necessarily the biggest sellers. At first, I resisted that reality and approached it like a problem to be solved. “What should be selling isn’t; how do I fix that?” I blame my background in social psychology for the types of questions that led to the regular rearranging of my displays, trying to highlight the pieces I thought deserved the most attention. “I will make some prints larger than others. I will use a different type of flashy card stock. If I make those changes, then people will notice what they are supposed to notice.” For far too long, I was getting in my own way, trying to repair something that wasn’t actually broken instead of appreciating what was drawing people to a particular work. It’s always challenging to find the balance between satisfying the market and staying true to one’s craft. What I’m learning is that my balance is easier to achieve when I harness the positive feedback and aim only to gently guide it in directions that I find to be most interesting. In terms of metrics to support that I may be moving towards this balance, I’m proud to report that my same day table top and display re-shufflings are becoming fewer and farther between!
Sarah, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
I started painting when I was young, I’d say about 9 or 10. Although I continued to paint through most of my teen and early adult years, painting really became a critical creative outlet for me later in life, especially when I began to travel and explore. I think of painting as my way of journaling and re-experiencing places I have been and moments I’ve had. It also encourages me to be more present in the mysteries of the world around me with heightened focus and appreciation. I find myself dialed into the fine lines of flower petals and the color gradients in their stems or the flecks of orange and gold from a sunset striking tree branches and the shadows they leave behind. I like to think that painting has made me more aware of the tiny, beautiful details that I may have been overlooking and was probably taking for granted.
I don’t think I’m unique in wanting my art to be a source of connection, but that is ultimately what I am hoping to achieve. To keep myself on track, I actually named my company, Line Street Studio, after an unassuming road that connects a small, high desert town to the Sierra Nevada Mountain range. Like this road, I want to connect people to their own lived experiences in nature, whether that be intentionally waking up early to watch an ocean sunrise or inadvertently stumbling upon a valley of wildflowers on a hike. I also want my art to serve as an opportunity for meaningful human connection for loved ones. In this age of emails, social media posting, and instant messaging, it probably didn’t make much business sense to expand from paintings and prints into a greeting card line. However, I know how special it feels to send and receive greeting cards and I’m hoping folks see how connected they can make loved ones feel. It makes my day when I hear someone say that one of my cards reminds them of relatives or friends and that they can’t wait to send it to them. Helping to facilitate these types of connections with both nature and loved ones is the most rewarding part of my work.
Any resources you can share with us that might be helpful to other creatives?
I wish I had started talking to other artists and creatives earlier. For the better part of my life, painting was my personal activity between school and work. The thought of making it more than that was extremely intimidating. I didn’t know or expect to receive the secret password to enter that exclusive club. It really wasn’t until I started frequenting local farmers markets and casually chatting with local artists and vendors all over San Diego that it began seeming remotely possible. I’m generally introverted, especially when I’m aware that I’m trying something new; however, the artists and vendors in the local San Diego farmers market scene were surprisingly approachable, curious, and encouraging. I found myself striking up casual conversations with all sorts of artists and vendors ranging from sculptors to jewelry designers to candle makers to carpenters to hot sauce wizards. What I learned is that most of us are intimidated to put ourselves out there for public scrutiny, we all encounter creative blocks that need tackling, and we are all constantly pushing forward through headwinds. Whether they were collaborative, instructive, or commiserative, these conversations have helped me to find the self-confidence and the courage to pursue my art professionally. I’ve also gained a lot of practical guidance from these informal discussions, including referrals to their own suppliers and service providers and painful lessons learned the hard way. I certainly appreciate all of the artists and vendors who have been willing to share their experiences and lessons learned, both the successes and horror stories, and will continue to make myself available to pay that forward.
What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?
What I’ve found most rewarding about this whole endeavor has been seeing my art facilitate connections. By connection, I mean something as simple as connecting people with happy memories at a lake or beach, or even their experiences while on a hike or vacation. I feel like I have broken even just with the stories I’ve heard involving perfect beach days, vacation catastrophes, and wedding day mishaps taking place in small mountain towns. But I feel like I’m coming out on top when a painting of a favorite flower can inspire the random sending of kind words or the honoring of loved ones that are no longer with us. If my works are helping folks to relive and stay connected to memories of special times and think of loved ones, then I’m prepared to call Line Street Studio a success.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.linestreetstudio.com
- Instagram: @linestreetstudio
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61559529107055
Image Credits
Dennis Masuda