Rising Stars: Meet Sarah Ward

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

Hi Sarah, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today. 
It feels strange to be telling the story of how I got here when I feel like my journey is still just beginning. When I was 22, I moved to Los Angeles from my parents’ house where I grew up in Orange County. Music had always been at the centerfold of my life for as long as I can remember. That being said, from the age of 7 when I began playing classical violin all the way to now, even (unfortunately) I have struggled to find the footing and confidence in myself to get me where I would ideally like to go. This just became increasingly more frustrating and heartbreaking as I am now 27 and am tired of running in place. After 20 years of an emphasis on music, I took a step back these past few months and considered that maybe I had been barking up the wrong tree. This humbling thought led to me to the realization that the majority of what I was consuming every day (in many ways) was food. I grew up watching my mom cook, always putting so much love and care and creativity into the food she made for our family but really thought much of it personally until my senior year of high school when I went vegetarian and a year later vegan. Both she and I took this as somewhat of challenge to recreate my favorite foods by playing with new, more limiting ingredients. This is where my personal relationship with food and cooking began. I truly fell in love with creating flavors and textures and just damn good meals that made me feel physically and mentally great. Flash forward to 2020, I began to deal with what I self-diagnosed to be hormonal acne. I have struggled with doctors my whole life and decided with all of the new free time I had, I was going to do tons of research and heal myself naturally. And through a series of truly kismet podcast episodes, communities, and books, within a year’s time, my skin and debilitating cramps had healed, and I felt the happiest and healthiest I had ever felt in my whole life! Flash forward again to now, after the current closure of my restaurant job where I was serving and constantly distracted from myself; I decided to finally buckle down and marry my two passions of cooking and hormone health into what will soon be a cookbook! The cookbook will be broken up by each phase of a woman’s cycle with information about how the foods in each recipe can support her body during this time. They’ll be normal recipes that I love and am so proud of, with a side of support for the ladies like me that had virtually no idea how my own body worked. I know I’m in for a ride, but I’m so happy to be here. 

We all face challenges, but looking back, would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It has definitely not been a smooth road. That being said, I’ve enjoyed the journey along the way and wouldn’t trade it as I know I am always being gently nudged in the right direction every time something doesn’t work how I planned. 

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I’ve always struggled to answer this question because I am such a mixed bag! I am a singer, a songwriter, an artist, a cook, a photographer, and a soon-to-be-published cookbook author (fingers crossed)! I think I am definitely known for my food. Cooking for my friends and family is my love language, and I am definitely proud to be able to share the food I create with them. I think what sets me apart from others is my view of food and the community I want to build through it. The book I am working on is kind of niche, but at the end of the day, they are just gonna be damn good recipes that I hope anyone and everyone is excited to make. 

We’re always looking for the lessons that can be learned in any situation, including tragic ones like the Covid-19 crisis. Are there any lessons you’ve learned that you can share?
I learned how to nurture and heal myself through time and patients and listening to my body. If you ask for something and are willing to truly listen for the answer, it will come every time. 

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/psych.ward/?igsh=OGQ5ZDc2ODk2ZA%3D%3D&utm_source=qr