Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Sarah Greene Reed. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Sarah, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. When did you first know you wanted to pursue a creative/artistic path professionally?
I’ve always made things. My mom had a story about waking up one morning when I was 5 to find me creating a little house out of a shoebox, paper, and tape. That tracks – everything has creative possibility to me. I’m from a family of very driven people, it seems like everyone found a distinct career path early on. My sister knew at age 8 that she wanted to be a cellist. My mother and father were writers (often together) and Mom was also a pianist. So, with that modeling I knew to be on the lookout for “my thing” pretty early. Being a bit of a contrarian, I definitely didn’t want to follow in the family path of music and writing. However, I had no idea what I *did* want to do. I think that my mother, in particular, recognized my need for individuality and really encouraged it. She was constantly signing me up for classes at the local art museum or getting me magazine subscriptions based on whatever interest I had at the time: architecture, fashion, music. So, I guess I always knew I would do something creative.
My path turned serious when I went to the North Carolina School of the Arts, an arts boarding school, for Visual Art studies at the age of 16. NCSA was an incredible haven of artists, musicians, dancers, and actors. After a taste of this idealistic artist’s life there was no way I was turning back to anything “normal”. So, I just kept going, attending Parsons School of Design in New York, the Rhode Island School of Design in Providence, SPEOS Photography School in Paris, and then back to New York for a grad program at Sotheby’s Institute of Art (which is affiliated with the infamous auction house). After that firm arts education I found that creative opportunities just started to flow my way. I’ve worked in a wide variety of mediums and creative outlets over the years: photography, painting, digital art, illustration, fashion, arts management, graphic design, interior design, weddings, you name it… Basically, If someone needs something creative done I can usually figure out how to do it. Now, unlike my family members who are laser focused and play the long game, I have always hopped around jobs and projects like crazy! I used to be critical of myself for this but now I realize that it just might be my superpower. I come into a project hot and enthusiastic! I make things happen! And then, once the job is successful, I like to move on. One of the joys of middle age is understanding what makes you tick and really leaning into that. Another advantage is not caring so much what other people think, which can really help the creative process.
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As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your background for context?
As I mentioned I like to shift my focus periodically. This past year was spent making large scale paintings, commissioned hand drawn illustrations, and upcycled Derby hats: a seemingly random but creatively satisfying combination which can be seen on my artist website, www.sarahgreenereed.com. I have recently returned to my love of interior design and have several projects in the works for private clients. My favorite thing to do – like literally my favorite – is to go into a space that’s not working and figure out how to make it beautiful, functional, and cool without breaking the bank. I love a good vintage find and spend a lot of time camped out on Facebook Marketplace ready to pounce on a cool brutalist credenza or interesting industrial lamp. My husband complains that I have a chair addiction. I will concede that we never seem to run out of seating!
I’ve used my love of interior design for my favorite client – myself! – quite often. My husband, Christopher Bean, a handy lawyer, and I have renovated all sorts of properties together: a stone Hill Country ranch in Wimberley, a 1930s bungalow in South Austin, a 1910 white clapboard church in Georgetown, a midcentury ranch house in Marfa, and a 1920s Dutch Colonial in Maine. I will ALWAYS pick old houses over new, they just have so much more soul. I also highly recommend real estate as an investment. A little sweat equity can work wonders and these projects are our most lucrative ventures to date.
I am currently expanding my interiors business and am taking on new clients for design, color and art consultation, and what I call “knickknack curation”. Projects can be as large as a whole house or business or as small as a single room. I’m here to help. I am also considering opening a showroom. I come across too many great pieces in the course of my day and it pains me to pass them up! I used to be a stylist for photo shoots and I also sourced housewares for a vintage store, so I’m very familiar with looking for gems and schlepping things around. I find that my career is cyclical, each experience I’ve had is valuable in some way and finds relevance at some point. My current focus on interior design circles back to my time at Sotheby’s Auction House in New York in the 90s. I’ve always been an object person and I saw so many cool items come through those doors. I was at Sotheby’s for so many incredible sales including Jackie O’s estate and Ralph Lauren’s private collection. I also grew up in a highly curated environment, my parents collected everything from Empire furniture to Majolica ceramics to 1950s Taxco silver. The quality and variety of my family’s finds definitely laid the foundation for me. I’d say my design style is eclectic, I’ll buy new items when they are called for but always mix in vintage pieces and good art. Having worked in art galleries for years I have connections that can help me obtain interesting pieces. Real art matters. Color is important. No one has to live in a boring space.
In addition to visual projects I have lots of other things cooking. I’m a yoga teacher with a love of the wide open skies of West Texas. So, I host yoga & creativity women’s retreats in Marathon twice a year with my friend and partner, Wilma Schindeler. These long weekends, which we call Head West Retreats (www.headwestretreats.com), are a mix of yoga, creative projects, desert excursions, chill time, delicious food, and community. They are a perfect reset from the daily grind and I enjoy showing people one of my favorite places on earth and helping them to feel relaxed and, well, better. Our November 2023 retreat will be our 21st one!
Another thing I do is write. (I ended up not being able to escape the family curse after all.) I found my written voice after my mother died rather unexpectedly in 2018. She was a creative jack of all trades and one of the things she did beautifully was cook and entertain. When my father forwarded me my mother’s recipe archive a few years ago I was inspired to start a blog which allows me to share her amazing recipes as well as some of my memories of her and my childhood. My blog is called Dale Knows How To Host (www.daleknowshowtohost.com) and it’s been so well received that I’m considering turning the project into a book.
What’s nice about shifting between mediums is that you never get bored. If I get tired of making art I can take a break and write. Tired of that? I’ll do some yoga or cook. It’s amazing to try to live life in a creative flow. Of course sometimes I eat frozen Indian food from Trader Joe’s and watch crappy TV.
Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?
While I don’t court numbers on social media, it is very much a part of my various businesses. I find it’s not the quantity of your followers, it’s the quality. I have been slowly building my social media presence over the years and, actually, a lot of it uses my private personal accounts (a detail which often surprises people). If you get the right people following you, opportunities ensue. I moved to Austin 17 years ago when Facebook was just becoming a thing. I started off by following people I already knew and then let the algorithms work to my advantage, suggesting people I might like. I began following people I *wanted* to know, like people who were doing cool, creative things who I might not ever get to meet in person. Virtually friending them gave me an opportunity to see what these people were up to and, conversely, show them what I could do. My posts range from details on what I am making to conversations about what inspires me. Basically, I’ll reference anything from The Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood to Duke’s Mayonnaise! Everything interesting is fair game. My early posting wasn’t very strategic. But, I’m a big Leo, so just try to stop me from sharing. By continually putting out content I got into conversations with the right people and slowly and stealthily networked the hell out of Austin. Connections I made via social media have brought me so many opportunities I could never have imagined, everything from chances to show my art to valued friendships to cool travel hookups. You never know what’s going to pop up. A lot of us entrepreneurs rely heavily on social media for our businesses and it’s stressful trying to keep up with new developments (Instagram Reels, anyone?) and stay relevant. My advice is to be genuine and keep it fun. I think in this day of Instagram perfectionism, a little humility and humor go a long way.
On a side note, a few years ago I hosted a toga party at the old Austin Elks Lodge for my birthday. The sheer number and variety of Austinites who showed up wrapped in sheets was staggering. My friend Karen proclaimed me to be the biggest influencer she knew because I had “influenced” all of these grown adults to shed their clothes, dress in novelty bedding, and dance to Otis Day & The Knights “Shout”. I take that as a compliment and a testament to my ability to network. Thanks, social media!
For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?
Hands down the most rewarding thing about being an artist is getting to live life on your own terms. Like, it’s a job requirement. Over the years I have periodically squeezed myself into desk jobs at times when I needed more structure or my family needed more consistent money. That type of work situation is decidedly not for me! At one point I was a recruiter and I developed a reoccurring eye tick from the stress. Ha ha – listen to your body, people! I’ve discovered that it’s pretty critical for me to be my own boss and have the daily freedom that is granted by a creative life. Another very positive aspect of being an artist, especially in Austin, is being part of a vibrant community. I’d say that Texas is a pretty welcoming place for artists. I moved to Houston from New York in the mid 90s and was both surprised and charmed by the art scene’s willingness to share resources and encourage one another. Austin is similar. More often than not people want to help you. So, for me, being an artist allows me to make my way in my own time on my own terms surrounded by people who inspire and accept me. That’s pretty hard to beat.
Contact Info:
- Website: http://sarahgreenereed.com
- Instagram: @sarahgreenereed
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sarahgreenereedart
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarah-greene-reed-552368134/
- Other: linktr.ee/sarahgreenereed
Image Credits
Sarah Greene Reed