We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Sarah Macias. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Sarah below.

Hi Sarah, thanks for joining us today. So, naming is such a challenge. How did you come up with the name of your brand?

In the beginning of 2023 I named my graphic design business Opal Street Studios. Having been a graphic designer for several years and finally taking the leap into freelance work I knew my business name had to mean something to me, it had to be rooted in who I was.

Growing up in Southern California, it always felt incredibly special the few times I got to visit my mother’s side of the family in North Carolina. Coming from the hustle and bustle of San Diego to a small town near the coast of North Carolina, it felt as though time paused for the summer and all of a sudden the earth came alive. For anyone who’s spent any time in the South during the summer knows that there is a literal buzz in the air from all the bugs making their presence known.

I consider myself a true Californian having spent my entire life in San Diego however, something about my southern summer getaways always takes hold of my heart and leaves me feeling as though I am visiting with my ancestors with every moment I spend there. From the hum in the air, the sticky sweet smell of blossoms, to the leaves blowing in the wind as if they are cheering you on, North Carolina is home. It is the place where my maternal family tree began– where perseverance fought through adversity, a place where my creativity, quite literally, has room to soar. And now, the place where my graphic design brand name comes from.

Opal Street Studios, named after “Opal Street” the street where my great grandmother bought her own home in North Carolina– a place that has become a sort of family pilgrimage whenever we find ourselves in the South.

Sarah, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I’m a 24 year old graphic designer based in San Diego, California. I’ve been designing professionally for the last 5 years but have always considered myself to be creative. I grew up around many creative adults, my dad being one of them. He is an illustrator and always invited me into his creative sphere. Whether it was trips to pick up art supplies at Blick or rummaging through his collection of “Surfer Magazine”– the place where I suspect my love for layout design began–I knew I was made to spend my life creating.

Currently, I do freelance graphic design work within the fashion and sustainability industries. I consider myself to be a sartorial lover, and I am forever inspired by the world of fashion and how graphic design is so tightly bound to it. The passion I have for this industry is the reason I continue my endeavors as graphic designer and now business owner.

2023 was a whirlwind of a year for me! I took the leap of faith to begin freelance design fulltime and I was INCREDIBLY blessed with amazing opportunities that I could not have even dreamed up myself. One client of mine is a luxury retail concept store called T.A. New York. This past year I worked with them as the lead graphic designer for two major campaigns. One was a month-long pop-up at Fred Segal located on Sunset Blvd. in Los Angeles, which included the opportunity for me to design an LED billboard. Another was a shoe collaboration with Vans where I designed the campaign in full– from all the digital assets, to the in-store experience in New York City. These are opportunities that I am very proud of and I can’t wait to see what this year has in store for me as I continue this freelance graphic design journey.

Being a bi-racial, Black-Latina in the design industry there have definitely been times where I feel like an anomaly. Recently I learned that only 4.9 percent of graphic designers are black. Of this percentage, I can only assume that an even smaller amount are black females. With these kinds of statistics in mind it pushes me to continue in the industry that I have worked so hard for my space in. I feel really blessed that I can truly say that I LOVE my job and I can only hope that this joy can be shared among other Black and Latina designers.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

When people ask me about my job as a graphic designer I often say that I feel like I am engaging in the art of storytelling when I design. Oftentimes, especially as a commissioned or contracted designer, you are hired with a vision in mind and it is your job to convey that vision or message visually. While this can be a tricky task to do at times I also feel like it is the most rewarding aspect. You get to connect with viewers through the visuals you create and I believe that is what makes this job so special. It is our way of engaging in the collective human experience and I hope all designers can take a moment to realize just how beautiful this contribution to humanity truly is.

Are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?

Expense trackers! If I could go back and do one thing differently I would have been tracking my business expenses as a freelance designer as soon as I got my first paid project—even if it was small! I believe my delay in tracking expenses was intertwined in the reservations I had around considering myself a full-time designer and just generally the “imposter syndrome” I was facing at the time. While that’s a valid experience among creatives, if I could give any advice to freelancers just getting started, I would say kick that imposter syndrome to the side and get your coin! You are getting paid for your work and unfortunately taxes are a thing, so you definitely want to get your finances in order when that time comes around each year.

I currently use an expenses tracker called “Keeper” and so far it has been working great for me. There are definitely a ton of finance resources out there for small businesses so find one that best suits your business!

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sarahmacias__/
• Other: You can find some of my graphic design work on the following Instagram pages: https://www.instagram.com/t.a.newyork/ https://www.instagram.com/planeterthos/ https://www.instagram.com/latina/