Today we’d like to introduce you to Sarah Castro.
Hi Sarah, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I was born in San Jose, California to line of artists and hippies. My grandmother was a self-made professional artist who traveled from South Dakota to San Francisco to fulfill her dreams. She ended up being hired at Milan Studios when she was in her early 20s. I have vivid impressions of watching her share photographs of her in heels and a pin-skirt, painting giant Macy’s billboards at the top of 10 foot ladders. The images of her in leopard-print blazers with red lipstick and a cigarette, surrounded by people and enjoying the fruits of the big city made an impact, to say the least. I grew up in a too-normal suburban neighborhood where I quickly identified that creativity was something that made me unique, a talent that I could capitalize on. I loved theater, painting, sculpting, decorating, writing, designing, anything that required creative intuition. I fell madly in love with theater and built an amazing community there, sometimes doing 4+ shows a year. This taught me public speaking, leadership, communication and how to captivate an audience. I grew an aptitude for makeup design, which I used to roll into a makeup career that took me all the way through and beyond college. I soon migrated from northern to southern California landing in Los Angeles, specifically Long Beach, after being accepted into the journalism program at Long Beach State University. My classes in Public Relations and Design built a foundation for me to start working in the industry of digital media, videography, photography and graphic design. I have hovered in this industry ever since, eventually making it into a full-time career. When I started SBC Creative, I knew that my long-time dedication to the industry would finally have a place to flourish, un-stunted by the limitations of working for a bigger company. As a design company, what makes SBC Creative unique is our main focus of offering high-caliber work to all clients, large and small. We take special care to connect with institutions, business and organizations by finding ways to creatively meet their needs, no matter their budget. I feel that everyone deserves access to beautiful, custom branding representation and we work hard to bridge the gap between good design and affordable design.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
I think that anyone who says that their road has been smooth is lying. I have had bumps and will have more in the future. Every road has its bumps and struggles only makes the end destination sweeter. I think one of the largest struggles for any artist/ creative is to not giving up on your desired focus or “your dream”. This is not to say don’t “sell out” or take a job that may use your skills but not feed your passion. I say, make that money. Do what you have to do to get by. As a for-hire artist, sometimes you will know that what you are producing is shit, for whatever reason. Maybe you’re too restricted by your employer or not given enough time or creative freedom to make the masterpiece that you want to produce. That is ok. Don’t let it sour your passion. Try to compartmentalize your bread-and-butter-work from your passion-work and eventually, you will have enough bread and butter to fuse your passion and your work into one. Another thing I think is vital is to master is the art of saying “no”. Everyone who knows me knows I am a big proprietor of NOPE. As a creative, you cannot be afraid to say no. If a project doesn’t fit your schedule, say no. If a client doesn’t feel like an appropriate fit, nope. You are the curator of your own future and realistically, you have to be comfortable turning things down sometimes. This is not to say that you should be rude or not accommodating, but if you stretch yourself too thin, your work and your life will suffer, which isn’t fair to you or your clients.
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?
At our core, my company is a design and digital media company that focuses primarily on graphic design and branding. We also have consultation, videography, photography and website services. Some of our clientele includes Loreal, Yves St. Laurent Beaute, Giorgio Armani Beauty, Cal State Fullerton, Long Beach City College, Santa Barbara County and Deckers – Hoka One One.
While design, branding and digital media is our primary focus, I make sure to maintain my work in other creative avenues as well, which for a creative mind is essential to keep from feeling stale. I work on as many film projects as I can, doing makeup, production design and set decoration. I also work closely with my sister, who is a photographer (TeresaCastro.com), on various shoots for both her and my clientele.
Some of my favorite work is done with primarily female teams. I love working with diverse teams, both on and off set. I feel like the creative voices of women and minorities infuse unique, rich and complex variations into each project. Struggle breeds some of the most interesting art and I have definitely experienced that in my time in the industry. And there is nothing quite like being part of an all female team.
We love surprises, fun facts and unexpected stories. Is there something you can share that might surprise us?
I love animals. All of them. The creepy crawlers, the reptiles, the icky-sticky-ooey-goey, the large and the small. From furry to ferocious, I cannot be offended by any of them. I always side with the animal and currently am driving a car that dons an “I break for all animals and some humans” sticker. I have spent countless hours building marketing and branding collateral for non-profit animal rescues and most recently created a website for Last Call Animal shelter. I have five rescue dogs, three rescue cats and 16 rescue chickens. Animal people are my people and I firmly stand in the belief that if you love animals, you are likely a pretty solid human being.
I also love working with non-profits in general. People who do things for others are real-life heroes and I will always make time in my schedule and my businesses’ schedule to help those who help others. You have a non-profit and you’re on a budget? Hit us up. We’ve got you.
Contact Info:
- Email: sarah@sbccreative.com
- Website: www.sbccreative.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/sbccreative
Image Credits
Teresacastro.com @Yasmayesma @KeithBryce (computer image)
