Today we’d like to introduce you to Sarah Momo Romero.
Hi Sarah Momo, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
I’ve been an artist ever since I could pick up a crayon, and my curiosity has never been limited to one medium. I love to draw, paint, I’ve taken wheel-throwing and ceramics classes for fun, and I still remember how to fold a handful of origami animals from when I was little. But right now, my creative passion is writing books for children and illustrating the characters that live in those stories. I worked as a graphic designs for over ten years, but at the time, I wasn’t exactly creatively-fulfilled. In my spare time, I painted whimsical animals for small art shows and fundraisers. Even though all of that was really fun, I still felt like something was missing. In 2017, I took a leap of faith and took an online children’s book writing class to see if I could bring the little owl bouncing around in my head to life in a fun story for kids. I had no idea how much I would love that writing class and how much it would change my life and bring creativity back into it. That little owl transformed into a Little Bat who can’t stay up at night and my first children’s book, Wake Up, Little Bat! was born. My debut picture book leads to a super fun launch party at the Griffith Park Merry-go-round, several author visits to read my book to elementary school kids and my dream reading at the Barnes and Noble in my hometown of Torrance.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
With any creative endeavor, there are always struggles and challenges along the way. My journey to publishing was completely unexpected. At the time, I was working a full-time job, and illustrating my picture book also felt like a full-time job in itself! I was working nights and weekends and every spare moment to get my book finished in time for my release date in October at the time. Some days, it was easy to sit and be creative and the excitement of the project kept me going. But other days, especially after a long day of work, it was really challenging to muster up the energy to put in another few hours of work on my illustrations. But at the end of it all, I can look back and be really proud of what I accomplished.
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 have worked as a graphic designer for quite a while, but am most proud of being an artist and illustrator. My profession consisted of working on detailed and technical projects, which allowed me to hone in my Photoshop and digital art skills, but the creative expression just wasn’t there. Thankfully, my day job allowed me to gain the experience with these programs to do what I love now. These days, especially during the pandemic, I don’t have the luxury of extra time spent for creative projects. But I suppose I never really did! I am lucky enough to stay home and take care of our toddler while my husband works. That doesn’t leave me with much time to do much else, but I am grateful to be a designer and illustrator for Little Feminist, a children’s book club. Each month, I work on a project for their monthly book boxes, and it keeps the creative juices flowing, even though my time is limited. What sets me apart is I can work on the graphic design and layouts for a project, but also the cute character illustrations, like my current projects for Little Feminist.
Before we let you go, we’ve got to ask if you have any advice for those who are just starting out?
Don’t be afraid to branch out and try new things, especially if you don’t think you have the time! When I was in college, I thought I wanted to be a graphic designer and focused most of my time doing that. But when I eventually found jobs as a graphic designer, it wasn’t what I had expected and I didn’t feel creatively fulfilled. I wouldn’t be where I am now if I hadn’t kept exploring new creative outlets during my spare time. If you have a creative calling, the muse will not quiet down until you find a way to let your inner artist out. And you will always find time for that, even if it’s just 10 minutes a day out of your lunch break.
Contact Info:
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: www.sarahmomoromero.com
- Instagram: @sarahmomoromero
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sarah.momo.romero/
- Other: www.etsy.com/shop/thepeanutproject
