Today we’d like to introduce you to Sarah Kaja.
Sarah, we’d love to hear your story and how you got to where you are today both personally and as an artist.
For over 14 years, I’d worked as an art director and branding specialist, helping Fortune 500 companies, celebrities and lifestyle influencers create and tell their brand stories. Some of my clients included Halle Berry, Playboy, The Cheesecake Factory, and Skinnygirl. I’m a big hiker and love to travel. My boyfriend and I had just come back from hiking the W in Torres del Paine over the holiday break. Getting out in the world and experiencing things really feeds creativity. You don’t come up with ideas sitting behind a desk – you become inspired by seeing new cultures, new places, new textures, and patterns, talking to people and hearing their stories. I realized I wanted to experience more places and work with clients who focused on the outdoor adventure lifestyle I loved.
The branding studio I was working at was offering me a promotion to help lead the team and I knew I couldn’t take it. At the time I was putting in nights and weekends for agency pitches that never went beyond a meeting room. I wanted to do art that inspired others and really helped people – small businesses, entrepreneurs, companies I believed in. I started doing hand-drawn outdoor illustrations based on my travels and posting them on Instagram and people really started to like them. And then a little over a year ago, I launched my own boutique design agency.
We’d love to hear more about your art. What do you do and why and what do you hope others will take away from your work?
My outdoor illustrations are about adventure, freedom, exploration, and wanderlust. That road trip spirit. That adventure-into-the-unknown feeling that we can still find as we’re setting off on a trail. I like to capture moments from each country and national park I travel to. Sometimes, like the cabin illustrations I’ve created, I’m dreaming of the next trip I’m planning. I hope they inspire others to get outdoors more. Our parks are such precious, beautiful, magical places!
Do current events, local or global, affect your work and what you are focused on?
Many of our parklands are being threatened. Federal protection is being stripped away at national monuments like Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante – threatening not only to destroy the natural beauty of these places but fossils and ancient ruins. Joshua Tree is one of my favorite parks and the needless vandalism that was done there was heartbreaking. If my art can inspire more people to visit our public lands, feel connected with nature, appreciate its beauty, and create lasting memories there, maybe we can gain more support in protecting our sacred places.
Do you have any events or exhibitions coming up? Where would one go to see more of your work? How can people support you and your artwork?
You can find my work on Instagram @thecallofthecreative. I’ve helped many small businesses with their branding, logos, apparel, and product design and hope to continue to empower more entrepreneurs. I would love the opportunity to work with more outdoor companies and with organizations that give back to the lands I love.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://sarahkaja.com/
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: @thecallofthecreative
Image Credit:
Portrait shot by Ron Villanueva
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