We recently connected with Sarah Powers and have shared our conversation below.

Sarah, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. The first dollar you earn is always exciting – it’s like the start of a new chapter and so we’d love to hear about the first time you sold or generated revenue from your creative work?

I had always really enjoyed face painting – it fascinated me. It was always my first stop at the state fair or similar event. One year, I mentioned to the artist who painted me that I’d love to try it out sometime, and she gave me the card for the booth owner.
The following spring, I contacted them, without really expecting anything. I got invited to show up at her place to come along for an annual event at a local country club for the 4th of July.
One thing led to another, and before I knew it I was crammed in the car with 4 other people all dressed up in crazy clothes, face paint on, headed to the event. I knew none of these people – they would become my first face painting family.
The event was crazy! I helped set up tables and stations – we were there to paint the crowd, it was an hourly gig.
There was a pile of books with photos that the kids could choose from. Kids would bring you the book and you would use the photo as the example for your painting – all photos were from previous events, taken on cell phones… not always the best example, and certainly not a step by step.
I was to “paint a few designs”, “just see what you can do”…. I ended up in a chair, speed painting dozens with the little kit provided to me. Having had ample experience with watercolors, I had no problem adapting to what is essentially a water-based makeup product. I kept up with the others, and my quality at least matched theirs.
It was exhilarating.
I get bored easily, so even when I paint with watercolors or do some other bit of art, it’s usually something I can finish in a few hours at most. This new form of art is art on demand, on a moving canvas, in a loud, chaotic environment… and I loved it.
At the end of the event, the lead artist/business owner paid me the full hourly wage that she paid all the other artists and asked that I join them for their booth at the State Fair. I was thrilled and agreed! It was my first paid “gig” as any kind of artist.

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 grew up in the Pacific Northwest. My parents were both in careers that served our communities, and I also spent time in my first jobs in customer service / community service. My roots in the Willamette Valley run deep.

I basically have 3 different modes: Work, Travel, and Art

Somewhere in my young adult days I made the decision to become a veterinarian. I got a job at a clinic to “get some experience” while trying to get through school. That was in 2008 ish I think.
After about 3 years of college and working in a vet clinic, I understood that I did NOT want to be a veterinarian, but that I absolutely love vet medicine and being a support staff member. Currently I am part of the management team and I do a little bit of everything for doctors, staff, clients, and patients. It can be pure chaos at times, but the job is never boring!

Shortly before the pandemic, I embraced “the Van Life” and I have lived full time in my van since 2020. I split my time between a few different “home bases” – flying south for the winter. I am currently working on seeing all 50 states (on 26/50 currently) and all 63 national parks (on 38/63).

Travel and Art have been my escape from vet med when needed. I have found that these three “facets” of my personal life tend to contrast with each other for an overall richer experience. In other words, it’s good to have hobbies that are different from your “normal”.

I have always been artistic. My earliest aspiration I remember having was to be a Disney Animator! I loved watching them bring a whole story to life. I participated in art, music and theater all through high school. I really leaned into theater for a hot second, but that fizzled when I finished community college.
I sort of fell into face painting out of nowhere, but became instantly hooked. Not only for the art itself, but its place in community celebrations.

I cherish community traditions – annual seasonal celebrations bring people together in a magical way that I sincerely enjoy playing a part in.
If you ask me whether I love painting at a birthday party or the Oregon State Fair more – the answer will be the fair, every time. I might be painting the same butterfly either way. I am certainly paid more per hour at a birthday party than I make per hour at the fair…. but the fair will always win.
Face painting satisfies on so many levels for me… I get to do art, I get to travel, I get to work hard to accomplish goals, I get to make money, I get to make so many great friends that become family. But also I get to be a part of community traditions and memories… and that, to me, is one of the most appealing things about being a face painter.

How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?

Who didn’t have to do some pivoting during and after the pandemic?
Many artists struggled during Covid – with no fairs and festivals, no big gatherings or travel, work ground to a screeching halt. Several artists I know moved on to other jobs and have not returned to art or are only coming back very slowly.

My regular job, on the other hand…. exploded. That’s probably the best word for it. The pandemic has forever changed the entire veterinary industry on many levels. I was lucky that the pandemic did not take away from my income as it did for so many – instead it shook up my perspective and had me reconsider my goals.

During that time I stepped away from art and really leaned in to my other work. I also leaned in to the part of me that likes to travel. Lots of travel was slowed or reduced during covid, but as a solo traveler in a van I was able to accomplish a lot.

I’m just now starting to really explore how far I want to go with face painting.
Up until the pandemic, it was a “hobby”.
Then, it was quiet, quarantined with the rest of the world.
And now? It’s evolving into more of a business, and I’m letting it. It’s a tightrope walk between two worlds for me sometimes but I don’t want to quit either one.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

In the grand scheme of things, this is really very inconsequential but it still tickles me a little bit:
As I mentioned earlier, I was pretty heavily involved in art classes all through school. In my classes outside of art, I did ok – mostly B’s. A fair amount of A’s and maybe a handful of C’s.

The one and only F I have ever received in any class or assignment was one of my senior art classes!

A portion of our grade was attendance, and the rest were the individual projects we turned in. That semester I turned in every project with top marks *except* the final one. I hated it. I hated the media, I hated the concept I just thought it was a waste of my time. Plus I had a lot of other work to complete. So, given that I had an excellent grade and perfect attendance, I continued to show up for class and use the time studying quietly. I figured the lost project would ding me down to a B or maybe a C but I was ok with that.

Well…. the instructor (who was beloved by many in the community so perhaps had a bit of a fat head) was appalled. I mean, he was offended at the audacity I had to think for myself and choose not to do his project. I did not tell him the project was dumb, I only explained the other part where I should still get a decent grade based off my other work and attendance.

He rewarded this “insolence” by failing me.

Every time I think about the money I make in a year from being a professional artist, I laugh and laugh at that memory.

Sometimes being creative means choosing to take on projects that have meaning to YOU. Long before the finished project, a decision is made to express something… or not. That decision is mine and mine alone. I don’t know if realizing this early on is a story about “resilience” or not. But I do know that the work we pick and choose to do can matter more than how the finished project turns out. That’s because art is a process, and artists chance and grow as they create!

Don’t let someone tell you to create in a certain way – that just isn’t what art should be.

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