Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Sydney Ulrich. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Sydney, 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?

The biggest risk I have taken in my creative career so far has been the addition of an art major to my university studies. During quarantine, I was taking online courses at North Dakota State University studying strategic communications. I had decided to pursuit graphic design as my minor, so I also had a couple online art classes. I really took to the assignments and fell in love with the process of creating. One of my professors noticed and pointed out my talent. It was wild to have someone recognize what I was thinking, that I was a creative. Instead of graduating and getting a starter position in the communications field, I ended up taking a huge risk and continuing my education by studying art. Since taking that risk, I have blossomed as a creative and have fallen in love with multiple mediums of work that I may not have explored on my own.

Another risk I have taken reguarding my art is trusting myself and the process I find myself in. When you let go of perfection as an artist, the art takes over and really comes to life. It is refreshing to express myself in this way.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I am Sydney aka @SYDSCOOLART, a 23 year old artist from Fargo, ND. I love grooviness, my dog Mia, creating and photographing. Right now I’m studying fine arts with an emphasis in graphic design and photography at North Dakota State University. I am one semester away from completing my second degree, my first is in strategic communications.

I found myself in the creative industry at a young age. My junior and senior years of high school, I was the editor of my yearbook. I often photographed my friends when we were hanging out and sometimes we would plan a shoot downtown just for fun. Eventually, some of my friends ended up venturing into the music industry and asked me to photograph their concerts. I also help create promotional content for them using my artistic and strategic communication abilities. This allowed me to enter the network of concert photography for local musicians and opened many doors for further opportunities.

I started learning Adobe for yearbook in high school, my knowledge and love for the programs grew as I got older as did my skill. I started selling my creative services to individuals in the community around me. I work with clients on logo creation, poster design, photography, videography, and pretty much anything else we dream up! I love allowing the art to take charge, I go with the flow. My mentality is that everything works out if you trust the process. I think that has really proven to be true in a lot of my work. Sure there are imperfections in some of my things, but that is what makes them unique and cool!

I am most proud of my growth in photography over the past year. Reflecting on some of my first concert images, I have really gained an understanding for how the camera works as well as the importance of a solid edit. I have been able to learn from my mom (a professional photographer), other local photographers, and my professors. I have began gaining recognition and have had the opportunity to work with new clients.

Overall, my goal as a creative is to effectively communicate my client’s message in a visually pleasing way. I do this by working with my client, asking them for feedback, and by being transparent in my work. I love meeting new people and will always do my best to work with them!

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.

I often hear people asking me what I plan on doing with my art and communications background in the future. My answer to this is simply to make cool art for the rest of my life. Individuals sometimes question how I will be able to do that and why I don’t just get a stable 9-5 job and make art on the side. I think it is important for my creative journey to work on meaningful work and not simply work for a paycheck. I truly believe in myself as a creative individual and know I will succeed if I work hard enough, trust the process, and continue to network with other creatives.

Something about the creative journey is that it is different for everyone. One person may pop off on TikTok for a cool motion graphic or photoshoot BTS, while another may get to work in the industry with professionals based on a referral from someone they mutually know. In the end, it doesn’t matter how you get to your destination or how long it takes, what matters is that you enjoyed yourself and had fun creating along the way.

The creative journey is often an unclear path, those who choose to navigate it are taking a major risk and trusting in themselves. Be your biggest fan, never doubt yourself, and remember everything will work out.

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

The most rewarding aspect of being a creative individuals is when your work evokes emotions in others. I love working with a client on a logo, sending them the final result, and hearing how much they love it. When someone tells me that I nailed their concept, I am stoked. My goal as an artist is to communicate my clients message in a creative and cool way!

I’m working on a music video right now for one of my musician friends, Konyak, it is in the beginning stages but when I showed my him what I have so far, he was pumped. We met up and collaborated a couple times, he has the vision and I have the understanding and expertise to get the video to that level. Even though the video is not finished, seeing Konyak react positively to direction I am going is very rewarding. It only makes the end product sweeter!

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @sydscoolart
• Other: email : [email protected]

Image Credits
Image credits to myself, Sydney Ulrich