We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Sara LaVerne. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Sara below.
Alright, Sara thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us 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?
I’ve never been a stranger to risk-taking. Not in a reckless, dangerous sense, but in a sense of having the courage to leave the safety of the shores in order to experience the depth of the oceans. You could say that my biggest goal in life is to experience as much of life as possible, and you just can’t play it safe to achieve that. The first big jump I made when I was younger was moving abroad at the age of 20. I grew up in Montana, in the United States, and had always dreamed of seeing the world, but traveling like that had always felt out of reach. At the time, I didn’t really have a solid direction figured out for my life. I had dropped out of college after attempting a study path that I believed would appease my family after being talked out of following my passion, and was working as a customer service rep in a call center for a utility company. I worked on personal art projects in my free time, and offered donation-based photography services on the weekends. I spent time with my friends, and was content, but unfulfilled.
When the opportunity arose for me to leave it all behind, I took it without hesitation.
I lived in Italy for three years, which wildly expanded my vision of possibilities and overall outlook on life. I learned Italian, integrated local culture into my daily practices, and continued to spend more time exploring the things that I loved, like art and photography. Living on a continent that held more history that my homeland only deepened my ambitions to see more of the world, learn about different cultures, and have new and unique experiences.
Just by being present in this country I had always dreamed of visiting, I started being presented with opportunities I had only ever dreamed of getting. I was able to sell my art internationally, while being surrounded and inspired by the art of so many who had come before me. I was able to photograph places that I had previously not even known existed, and each stamp in my passport added fuel the fire. Eventually, I got my start in modeling while there, which again, was something I had only ever fantasized about, never having really believed I’d realistically be able to accomplish it. Before I knew it, I was working runway shows and editorial shoots into my schedule regularly, in disbelief the entire time. I traveled up and down Italy to work with designers and photographers, something I never would have believed I’d be doing.
Th experiences that I had which made up my time in Europe became the precursors to the goals I would pursue upon returning to the United States. In 2020, I took another risk and moved to New York City. This is where I decided to jump into the deep end of becoming a fully independent freelance artist. Although my primary focus during this time was on creating and selling my paintings and other crafts, I continued modeling as well, and by networking and making an effort to go out of my comfort zone, I was able to make it onto my first magazine cover. I also had two of my paintings selected to be shown in a group exhibit at the Living Gallery in Brooklyn, the first time my art had made it into a gallery.
Fast forward to now, 31, living in Florida since 2022, I’ve completed a tattoo apprenticeship, have tattooed hundreds of people from all over the United States, continued traveling, continued modeling and even made it onto my second magazine cover, and have shown and sold my art locally, nationally, and internationally. Lots of small risks were taken throughout all this time- but none of them would have ever happened in exactly the way they did had I not followed my heart and made the initial decision to leave everything I knew behind, and not look back.
Sara, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
My name is Sara LaVerne, and I am, in all senses of the word, an artist. Personally I have never been the type of person to be able to pick a lane and stick with it, I’m always experimenting, trying new things, and changing and evolving as fluidly as my heart desires. I have always had an absolute love for art and performance, and have never wanted to limit myself to a single creative path or deny myself the opportunity to expand. Over the years I have offered different things from handmade crafts to graphic design services, and some of those things didn’t end up sticking long term, but as time has gone on and I’ve gained clarity from experience, I’ve narrowed down the services I offer to align with my passion and creative abilities. The main service I currently offer to the public is tattooing, finally, after having gotten asked for years if I would ever consider it by those who knew I loved to draw and paint. I have been given much purpose in life by being granted the opportunity to evolve from making art on paper, to making it on the living, breathing canvas that is human skin. Tattooing has allowed me to connect with others via my art in the most direct way possible.
I still do photography, although that has taken a bit of a backseat at the moment while I continue to focus my time on painting, when I’m not tattooing. I’ve taken up block printing, which has given me another avenue of making handmade art that I can share with those who want something a little less permanent. I also make music, which I pay out of pocket to host on streaming services, and while my live performances are few and far in-between thus far, making music has been one of my favorite creative outlets that I wish I had started much, much earlier. Teaching myself music production has been challenging yet rewarding. I haven’t much of an audience for it yet, but I’m still developing my sound, and just as with any artistic expression, it’s more for myself than for anyone else, anyone else discovering and enjoying it is just a bonus.
My goal in the tattoo service I provide is not only to make art that my clients love and will be happy to wear forever, but also to provide the best experience that I can manage for them before, during, and after the sessions. This means taking into account anything that could affect their comfort, which their trust in me depends on. I strive to provide a clean, professional experience, while also connecting with my clients on a personal basis which leaves us feeling like friends at the end of it. After all a tattoo isn’t just a transaction, it’s a transformation. One that should never be taken lightly by the provider. Being chosen out of all of the artists available is an honor, never to be taken for granted.
The biggest compliments my clients can give me is to come back for more work, or to spread the word and recommend my services to others. The thing I would want potential future clients to know is that I am always up for the challenge of expanding my scope of work. That, and just because you don’t see something in my portfolio, doesn’t mean I can’t do it! It just means I haven’t gotten the chance to yet. If I am ever presented with something I truly don’t feel is within my range of skills, I’ll never push myself to do it if I don’t believe I can produce the desired results. Honesty is my best policy, and just one of the ways I build stronger relationships with my clients and community. Aside from my work ethic, professional conduct, and ability to connect 1-on-1 with those who sit in my tattoo chair, I’m most proud of the growth and evolution of my artwork, especially considering I was never formally trained, only self-taught. My art spans multiple styles and techniques, and transcends genre. From abstract acrylic paintings to surrealist scenes in oil paintings, I have consistently been committed to improving the way I bring to life the things that cannot be expressed with words alone.
Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?
One of the biggest, if not the biggest obstacle I have ever experienced so far in my life, was being in an abusive relationship. In my mid-twenties, I found myself in the midst something that I didn’t even know how to put into words, because I had never experienced it before. Without going into too much detail, I found myself in a relationship with somebody who didn’t love me the way they claimed to. Before I could even start to realize what was happening to me, I had been isolated from my friends and my job, all while living thousands of miles away from any family. I had nobody to turn to about the abuse I was experiencing, and was effectively trapped, and didn’t know it, until it was too late. I had nobody, no money, and nowhere to go. After many failed attempts at leaving, one night I finally had the chance to pack my tiny car with my cat, some clothes, and little else of my belongings, and escape for good. At least I thought. While I was finally physically away from the person who had come close to taking my life, they began stalking and harassing me, blowing up my phone, email, and social media accounts with threats, daily, for the next two years. To put it plainly, this person continued to make my life hell, even after I thought I had finally gotten away from them.
From the time I left that relationship, it was an uphill battle for me. Every day I was faced with issues that ranged from threats to myself and my family, to my friends being harassed, people I had worked with in years past being spammed with hateful messages about me, and even me having to take down my public websites, because they were being used to send me hate. Having to do this made it harder for me to sell my art online, and I began to get worn down with anxiety and depression caused by the hateful messages I was receiving, sometimes up to 100 in a day. This continued for two years straight, and ended up being the reason I left NYC. I felt unsafe living alone, but there was nothing I or anyone could do, until I finally faced them in court and fought for a restraining order. I was granted an order of protection, and for the first time in years, felt a sigh of relief, though the damage was done, and I was left with real, long-lasting effects of PTSD symptoms from the abuse that I had endured.
Despite all of this, I continued to pursue my artistic journey, starting my tattoo apprenticeship around the same time I started my legal battle. When I had first left the relationship, I had made a promise to myself that I was never again going to let something like that happen to me, and when everything was said and done, I promised myself even harder that I would do everything in my power to never let anyone get in the way between me and my aspirations. Though I faced many hardships that stemmed from the nightmare of the whole experience, I never let them stop me. I learned from it all to put myself first in my life, always, and to never compromise on this. To move at my own pace, and never let anyone else dictate anything about how I live my life. I would never have been able to live happily knowing that I had given up on myself for the sake of someone else. I live freely and happily now knowing that I never, ever will.
Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can provide some insight – you never know who might benefit from the enlightenment.
There may be many aspects of a creative/artist’s life that others may struggle to understand, and I think one of the biggest may be the fluidity that one must possess as a consequence of the commitment to following your heart and passions. This may result in the decision to pivot frequently, and even start over as many times as you feel you need or want to. Anytime I’ve ever been asked, “Where do you see yourself in 5 years?” my answer was usually something akin to, “Wherever the wind takes me.” I have always stayed extremely open-minded to the possibilities that life may have to offer, and have always known myself well enough to understand and accept that a conventional lifestyle was just not in the cards for me. I chase freedom more than I chase stability, and that can probably be a scary concept to some, but what feels like safety for most, can feel like a cage to me. I want to be unchained in my journey of discovering myself within the journey of discovering the world around me, and to deny what I feel inside is torture to my soul. To be an artist, for me, is not just to hold a title, nor is it a choice. It is an innate truth, one that demands to be expressed. There is no other option.
Contact Info:
- Website: http://www.saralaverne.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sara_the_alchemist/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/p/Aura-Alchemy-Tattoo-61578306830762/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcndc8nroxiXOdQwvzfZeTA
- Other: https://open.spotify.com/artist/43JusWSi8S5fscZ3mXxYS5?si=CNWNIt5aQtyfg3ipYQMEwQ
http://instagram.com/aura.alchemy.tattoos/
https://www.instagram.com/localastrogirl/
Image Credits
Fallon Andrea
Terrell Lopez
Amanda Cooney
Tina Louise
Austan Tyra
Laie Holloway
Clint Hitt
Darian Matthews