We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Sage Chimo a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Sage thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. What’s been the most meaningful project you’ve worked on?

In 2019 I moved to Greensboro North Carolina in my van. I would call this place home for the next 9 months, working at a small climbing gym and exploring the local crags. During my time at The Ultimate Climbing Gym I painted 5 different murals and even made a collage out of magazines to lay across the front desk. I painted the murals to represent the local climbing areas of Moore’s Wall, Pilot Mountain, and Sauratown – adding inspirational quotes from professional climbers, and incorporating the business’s logo. I even made a couple of murals in the gymnastics part of the gym, representing parkour in the city

Sage, 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 first started creating when I was 10 years old. Art class was always my favorite, and unlike the other subjects I was learning in elementary school, art seemed to come to me naturally. In the 14 years since I first picked up a drawing pencil and sketchbook, I’ve deepened my passion for creating and even found a way to financially support my many other hobbies doing so. From painting murals to film and photography, I managed to follow several passions at the same time while traveling the country, living for 4 years full time in a GMC Safari van.

In North Carolina I worked at a small climbing gym, painting 5 murals for the building and exploring the areas local crags. My hometown in the Bitterroot Valley led me to reconnect with several people from my early school years and not only attend their weddings, but document the celebration in the form of videos and photos.

My van, although too small to stand up in, provided me with plenty of living space to carry the basic necessities like food, water, clothes, climbing gear, camera gear, canvases, paint brushes, sketchbooks, various items of jewelry making supplies, and dozens of pencils. Over the years I’ve spent traveling through Montana, Colorado Utah, Arizona, Oregon, California, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Nevada I hike and climb everywhere I can, and I create some sort of art most days at my campsite.

I’ve made a number of friends throughout the years and climbing areas, and upon learning about my artistic passions like jewelry making and painting, my friends will commission me for all kinds of projects. Embroidering Blundstone boots, using a wood-burner on Kinco gloves, special painting requests, photos, custom earring orders, and all sorts of personalized murals are just a few of the many projects that I did for people that I met all over the United States.

What can society do to ensure an environment that’s helpful to artists and creatives?

In my experience, Etsy and Farmers Markets are two places that the general public can get goods that will directly support the artist and their creative passions.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

I really love the looks on my friend’s faces when I surprise them with a painting or piece of jewelry. Often times for birthdays or other special events, I’ll create something particular and one of a kind for someone in my life, and for me, that is worth far more than any commision I am asked to do.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.sagechimomedia.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sage.chimo/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVPCz2sPB-YXILMGs0hVrkQ