We were lucky to catch up with Sarah Michaels recently and have shared our conversation below.
Sarah, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today We’d love to hear about the things you feel your parents did right and how those things have impacted your career and life.
My parents are a pair of amazing weirdos. My dad worked as a commercial illustrator for decades, and now creates art for himself in the form of painting, drawing, metalwork, clay – you name it, he does it. A constant creator. My mom is starting to consider retirement after working her entire life as a research scientist, a dean of a medical school, and a professor of gross anatomy (see: cadaver labs and dissections!). She has an obsession with botany, fossil hunting, and rock collecting. I consider myself a near perfect 50/50 split of them both. My dad has taught me that to spend a life simply creating is a life well-spent. My mom gifted me her incredible curiosity of the natural world, to be in awe of the way things work, much of which directly inspires my artwork.
Both of my parents have offered me incredible support and encouragement throughout my life. Although I always had a plethora of art supplies at my disposal, I appreciate that neither of my parents pushed me in any particular direction. I was frequently left to my own devices. I was encouraged to problem-solve, and I was forced to sit in boredom. I think that is something frequently lacking these days – boredom. How important it was for me to learn how to find ways in which to pass the time without constant stimulation. To me, those moments are when many of my best ideas are formulated!
My parents empowered me to make my own choices and sit in the consequences of those decisions. Early on, I was given permission to make mistakes and learn from them. I have rarely let fear hold me back when taking new risks in life, as I feel well-equipped for the potential outcomes.
Most importantly, my parents instilled in me the merit of living within my means and valuing the most basic elements of life. Something as simple as finding an artist’s eyelash in an old painting, an imprinted shell in a piece of shale, a tiny orchid in the Colorado mountains, the profound companionship of an animal, and the importance of a few close friends. I am deeply grateful for their guidance and believe that their influence has been instrumental in shaping me into the artist (and human) I am today.
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.
Although visual arts have always been a huge part of my life, I took a bit of an indirect path to get to where I am today. Of course, I believe that path was very much needed! I never took a formal art class until college, as I spent a lot of my childhood pursuing music – a creative pursuit that took priority over most things through much of my childhood. I studied fine art for a brief time as a college undergrad, but quickly realized I felt most excited and inspired by the sciences. I ended up graduating with a dual degree in Ecology & Evolutionary Biology and Sociology. I loved learning about plants and creatures and their systems. After college, I worked for a series of environmental and architecturally focused non-profits in Colorado and New York. I continued to pursue music as well but felt lacking in a craft that I considered to be solely my own. I started prioritizing my artwork more and began discovering my artistic style.
Throughout my twenties I started to identify more as an artist, frequently involving myself in group art shows and continuing to evolve my style while employed as a nanny. During my time working with children, I was allowed the opportunity to work for a highly regarded musical family in Iceland. I spent my first month in Reykjavk assisting the artistic director of a new music festival, my first formal foray into the art world. In a very unexpected, roundabout way, of course!
A few years after moving back to Colorado, I began working at a small branding agency in Denver as employee number one! It has been an amazing journey seeing this place grow and grow over the years. I have had the privilege of working with some incredible designers and creatives and have learned valuable skills that I have carried with me into my freelance practice.
I currently offer a multitude of services to my clients – everything from custom illustrations, to fine art commissions, to packaging and label design, to logo and identity design. I also sell my own, personal pieces. Some of my favorite commissions and works in which I am most proud involve working with musicians. This has involved designing album covers, custom fonts and album layouts, and merchandise design. There is almost nothing that feels more effortless to me than gleaning artistic inspiration from music, and I would work on these projects exclusively if given the chance!
Is there mission driving your creative journey?
Currently, my creative journey is in the midst of a big shift. I am in graduate school pursuing a master’s degree in clinical mental health counseling. After obtaining my licensure as a Licensed Professional Counselor, I would like to gain further credentialing and education around art therapy.
Doing work that feels impactful, in any way, has always been important to me, and working in the field of mental health has been a goal of mine for a long time. I also find that this fresh perspective has offered me some unexpected (but welcome!) artistic inspiration. Challenging myself to, in many ways, restructure my way of thinking and dive back into academia must have connected some new neural pathways! I’m excited to see how my worlds of science and art combine to create what feels like a perfect new direction.
I am especially interested in working with musicians and artists. I feel driven to support and empower those who dedicate their lives to creative expression. Many face unique obstacles, often encountering a myriad of emotional, psychological, and relational challenges as they navigate the complex and sometimes turbulent waters of their careers. From performance anxiety and self-doubt to the demands of the industry, to the immense internal (and external) pressures to constantly create. The responsibility of “owing” an intimate piece of themselves to the world.
I appreciate how the narrative around mental health is shifting, especially for artists. Musicians are canceling tours to take time to care for their health, and more openly discussing their limits and personal needs. It’s all very humanizing. I look forward to being a collaborator in the artistic journey of my future clients, helping them tap into their inner resources, and supporting them as they navigate the highs and lows of their creative endeavors.
What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?
For me, the most rewarding part about being an artist is that I have always had a purpose. Throughout challenging and uncertain periods of my life, there has always been this one certainty that has brought me comfort. As a painfully shy child, art provided me a powerful means of self-expression, allowing me to communicate in a way that made sense. The process of creating art has encouraged a lot of personal growth and self-discovery. I have learned a lot about my strengths and my limitations through my work, resulting in a self-awareness that has led to personal development and a deeper understanding of my own identity. Creating art and working on commissions has continuously challenged me, and overcoming these obstacles has been incredibly satisfying. Finally, being an artist has connected me with the weird and wonderful group of humans I feel privileged to call my friends and family. Overall, being an artist has proved to be a deeply fulfilling and enriching pursuit that will always remain a solid part of my identity.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://sarah-michaels.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/2dsarah/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahamichaels/