Life & Work with Sarah Allen of Santa Clarita

Today we’d like to introduce you to Sarah Allen.

Hi Sarah, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
In 2015, I spilled vegetable soup all over myself, and it changed the trajectory of my entire life. I was a chemistry major but ate lunch in the art building at Orange Coast College. I initially wanted to go into live-action film, but when I googled the success rate, I decided to be a coward instead. I grew up being known as the artsy kid, but I could also do math. So I switched to chemistry. I was in my final semester, ready to apply to four-year colleges. I needed to decide soon.

My chemistry notes were soaked in broth as I scooped chunks of carrots off the floor. I took all my notes in glitter pens. My hands were already streaked with glittery ink. In the broth, all the multicolored formulas bled together, forming an abstract painting that my parents would have been proud of and hung on the fridge if I were 12. Every day after class, I would dump my bag on the floor, eat Nutella, then watch anime. Animated shows, movies, and art were all I ever thought about or cared for. But I love money. I want a lotta money. Animation doesn’t pay well, right?

I wiped my soup-covered hands on my soup-covered jeans and took out my phone. I looked up careers in animation. “Storyboard artists make $75K,” Google read back to me. “Senior artists make upwards of $140K.” It’s unionized! Healthcare?! My little brain exploded. You could indeed make money in art. I’d been lied to: art could pay.

The next Google search was: “Best animation schools in America.” California Institute of the Arts came up. I knew the next part would be the hardest: convincing my Japanese father that I was making the correct career choice.
That night, when I arrived home, I found him sitting in front of the TV watching basketball. My father is a stable man, with the same mustache style he’s rocked for 40 years.

He grunted in acknowledgment of my hello.

“I chose what four-year college I want to go to, Dad.”

He grunted again.

“It’s a place called CalArts.”

He grunted in confusion.

“It’s for animation.”

He took his eyes off the TV and looked at me. I rattled on about the statistics, salary, union, and whatever else Google informed me. He turned back to the TV. The 30 seconds of silence were defining.

Then he cheered as his team got a point.

“Oh my God, Dad, what do you think?!”

He turned back to me,“Yeah, do what you want. I know you can make it.”

From there, I ambled my way to Fullerton College for a few years. I visited the CalArts campus with my friend. The basement of CalArts is a graffiti filled wonderland. I wrote my name and the date on the wall and wrote a wish that one day I would get in. Instead, I got rejected by CalArts and moped around for 15 minutes. I went to ArtCenter for a year before applying again. I finally accepted at CalArts the following year. I’m now entering my last year and can’t wait to etch my graduation date next to the writing I scribbled onto the wall all those years ago.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
No, it hasn’t been a smooth road, but that’s fine. Through my decades of being alive, I’ve learned tenacity, grit, and resilience. It all began in my youth.

In the ’90s, a miracle only capitalism could produce, Mattel and Jeep (Chrysler) officially collaborated to launch the iconic Barbie Jeep. This battery-powered pink plastic mini-car could reach speeds of up to 5 mph. With rear storage and a preloaded radio featuring six snazzy tunes, I knew I had to possess this crown of creation at the tender age of six.

However, the universe conspired against my wishes. My parents, knowing my adventurous nature, vetoed it as a birthday gift. They claimed I’d terrorize the neighborhood. Fine. Who needed parents when I could call upon a more powerful force: Santa Claus. I made my request known as I sat on his lap at our local mall. All I had to do now was wait.

Christmas morning came. I was given a Hula Hair Barbie instead.

I turned to my last hope: God. I did my best not to sin. I prayed dutifully for this Jeep before bed. I patiently waited three days. To no avail, the Jeep never appeared before me. It was a sunny Tuesday afternoon when I realized all my pleas had gone unheard. I spent 15 minutes crying in the yard. Life was miserable and unfair. As I munched on a cookie my unfair mother gave me, I knew I had to take charge of my own wants, needs, and destiny.

I ambled to the garage and found a deconstructed cardboard box. With sparkly pink gel pens, I colored as much of the cardboard as I could. It ended up being only one side, but that was enough for me. Using string, I made shoulder straps and taped them to the sides.

I hiked to the nearest hill by my house and stood atop it. My hair blew in the breeze. As I sprinted down, the pink cardboard collapsed around me and the strings broke, because I was six and not a skilled mechanic. That didn’t stop me; I kept running. It was at that moment that I knew I could overcome anything on my own.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
Creatively, I’m a Swiss Army knife! I specialize in storyboards and visual development but, I can do screenwriting, illustration, and children’s books. CalArts prepares you to do everything, and I mean EVERYTHING, creatively. I’m most proud of my storytelling and my ability to find free parking in LA. What sets me apart is being able to craft unique compelling stories and parallel park in even the narrowest spots.

What’s next?
My goal in life is to be sexy, rich, and to heal my inner child by getting a Barbie Jeep someday. In terms of career though, I plan on being a storyteller in any form. My dream would be to have my own story come to life through animated tv shows or movies. At CalArts, we create films every year, so I’m getting some practice in! I’m also interested in making my own graphic novel, web comic, or writing books.

The opportunities to create are endless!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://sarahallen-art.weebly.com/vis-dev.html
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/catamiza/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarah-allen-2a8852253/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@catamiza