Today we’d like to introduce you to Sarah Schwartz.
Sarah, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
When the pandemic started about two years ago, that’s when I got back into my art after taking a 10+ year hiatus from painting.
After architecture school and grinding at several design roles in NYC, the pandemic acted as a forcing function to slow down and reevaluate various aspects of my life. It offered me dedicated time and space where I could simply be with myself and explore my inner world — something that I was probably neglecting for far too long.
I moved out to California a little over a year ago and my art practice continues to flourish on the west coast. I’ve since been experimenting with so many materials, surfaces, and projects. From acrylic paints, tape, markers, and magazines, to canvases, trays, wooden panels, skateboards, and even NFT’s — I’m exploring it all.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
Not everything has been the smoothest.
I’m a “recovering perfectionist” and have my struggles with anxiety, depression, and body dysmorphia. I’m open about and not ashamed of it because it has made me the woman/artist I am today. However, it definitely stopped me in my tracks many times in the past, usually with messages saying “if I can’t be a professional, full-time artist, why even bother?” or “I haven’t painted in six years, what’s the point of starting again now?”
My art practice has helped me to combat a ton of that perfectionism, and there’s a variety of techniques I leverage almost every day to break down those walls. I can’t imagine a world now where I don’t have my art practice.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
As a product designer by day and artist by night/weekend, I’d like to think my work incorporates techniques from both disciplines. By exploring my internal world in relation to external elements I come across (found objects, messages and images from magazines), I strive to either achieve harmony with them or reflect the dissonance between them.
Sometimes my work has an underlying message I’m toying around with in my head and sometimes, my art is simply about exploring patterns, layers, texture, and various compositions. I think both are important in my practice because there’s a time and place for each.
I’m most proud of the fact that I really do find the most joy in the actual creation of a piece. Focusing on the creation helps me to feel unattached to the end results and more appreciative of what I’ve learned from the process itself.
What would you say have been one of the most important lessons you’ve learned?
Balance — whether it’s:
1. Working/generating vs. taking breaks.
2. Learning from others outwardly vs. going inwards and learning from myself.
3. Knowing when to focus on personal life vs. work life.
Contact Info:
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: https://www.sarahjschwartz.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sarahjaclynschwartz/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/sarahjschwartz
