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

Sage, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Let’s jump back to the first dollar you earned as a creative? What can you share with us about how it happened?

The first time I sold a piece of art was actually at a self-curated art show of mine called “July Jubille” in 2015 at this venue called Art Lab in Fort Collins, Colorado. A couple of tourists from NYC came in to check out some art, and one of them pointed out a piece that was a totem-pole red devil robot that I doodled during a class that I was ordered to do for a traffic violation. He said he really liked that one, and paid me the money for it right there even ($100). He said he couldn’t take it with him on the plane and asked me to ship it. I did, and included a couple of free prints in there.

Hence, my first piece of art ever sold.

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 started my art career by doodling cartoon characters in my notebook during elementary school, instead of paying attention. As much as that was probably counterproductive, I think it helped to develop my earliest drawing style and also get me used to the act of repetition in an artistic sense. At age 10, I was writing and drawing crude comic books. Some of my titles included “The Funny Bettys”, “Mr. Weirdo & Mrs. Loser”, and “The Helperman Farm”.

I suppose I didn’t start off as an artist, but as a cartoonist. At the age of about 12 I began to write often. I decided to write “episodes” of a sketch-style cartoon TV series that I formatted as a tribute to Adult Swim series “Robot Chicken” and other sketch comedies like “Saturday Night Live”. As of now, about 3 seasons and 2 movies of this television series have been written. Hopefully I can produce it into a full-scale series in the future.

I started my “art career” as you could call it in early 2015, when I submitted some works for consideration at an art gallery in Fort Collins, Colorado. I was in two shows, one based on abstract themes, and the other was a small works show, with art not exceeding 100 square inches. I booked a mixed-use space/venue called Art Lab in the summer for my own solo exhibition lasting two weeks. I had an opening reception with my own live music sets performed by myself and some local Fort Collins musicians that came through. A lot of the events and happenings in my first few years of art shows were spontaneous, and I decided that in order to complete my goals and fulfill my dreams, that I need to take every opportunity to showcase my art in a public setting. Live Painting, which is the act of creating art in a live music setting while a band is performing, seemed to be the best and easiest way to accomplish getting “gigs” as a working artist. Since summer 2015, I’ve live painted or exhibited art in some fashion over 200 times, at least. I stopped counting. Time flies when you’re having fun.

When I do art, I intend each piece to be unique, and have a story to tell, without necessarily having a solid concept or blueprint. It depends on the energy I feel, the vibes of the day, the music I’m listening to in that moment, etc. It is similar to a jam band, in how they improvise and jam out with songs, but keep it within a set structure. I prefer to go with the flow and see how I feel as I make a piece, rather than keep to a strict plan, while still maintaining a foundation of how it might look in my mind.

How can we best help foster a strong, supportive environment for artists and creatives?

I feel like there should be more job opportunities for people who have the ability to create art, or at least have design skills. Graphic design and art are two things in society that have real-world applications, and are used in most media. There is art on your cereal box, there is art on the t-shirt you are wearing, there is art on the wall in the hotel, etc. While people sometimes forget that art is essential part of a leisurely society and free-minded existence, one can hope that artists and other creative types can help to rebel against the current status-quo and create a more supportive environment and economy for artists, further removing negative stigmas that some people might have about artists. Despite what you may think or have been told, artists are not lazy people They actually work very hard at fine-tuning their craft. They just do things differently than some, and that is okay.

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

Whenever I am doing live painting or vending art somewhere and sell a piece. That is a great feeling. I definitely am appreciative of every customer of my work I’ve ever had. However, I do art because I love to do it, not necessarily for the money (one would hope they could make some money with art though).

I love making cool new friends and connections doing art at music events, festivals, and happenings. These encounters can be a stepping stone to new avenues of art or my art career in general. I also enjoy talking to interesting folks about the complexities of life, in order to make a more personal connection with the customer. I think if the person enjoys you, they will enjoy the art even more, and vice versa.

Contact Info:

• Website: http://www.sagehelperman.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sagehelperman/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sagehelperman
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/helpermantube

Image Credits
All images taken by myself with an iPhone camera. Photo of myself live painting was photographed by Glenn Little II of IGLIVISION.