Daily Inspiration: Meet Sarah Patterson

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

Sarah, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
Raised within an art-minded family as the only daughter among a nest of seven brothers and guided by parents who fostered emotional intelligence early on, my path into adulthood was strongly driven by connection. It was not until I became a parent that I became aware of how much I had been shaped by my family of origin and how little I was intentionally choosing to shape my own family comprised of my husband and two children. This passivity alarmed me and placed me on a journey of self-understanding which I grew to believe was not a unique experience but shared by all. We are always evolving, sometimes closer to an authentic Self, but often farther from any sense of Self. This realization prompted me to combine my background in Health Education with Expressive Arts Therapy and develop CERASart, a mobile expressive arts studio. My mission is to design and facilitate approachable creative engagements for individuals and groups in an effort to invite momentary pause where inner narratives become unified with outward actions, and authenticity of Self is strengthened.

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?
Smooth roads are for the weary. My mother used to say, ‘if you don’t experience the fire, you cannot grow.’ The path for this business has been long, rich with switchbacks and lots of doubt. However, despite having managed CERASart for over seven years, it was not until September of 2019, when my vision forged into clarity. I would lie awake at night identifying new methods for engagement or themes to harness for marketing, and most exciting, I could envision a future flourishing. Debt, doubt and disappointment is a triple thief, and I’ve had my share of each. When one evolves into an authentic state of Self, there is acceptance, absolutes and ability. You begin to see what can and cannot be done; you begin to live within your ability and you do not jeopardize the absolutes that drive you. Specifically in my creative wellness business, it has held a competitive spot against my role as a parent, a wife and servant leader. Where does running a business fit among all these other responsibilities. And thus, it’s a journey. I have chosen this entrepreneurial path to work for myself; with that requires perseverance, no matter the smooth or rough patches upon the road.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
Think about your most recent wellness pursuit. A yoga class? Peloton spin or neighborhood walk? Perhaps it was a simple ZOOM gathering with friends or a Netflix binge. While these are common ways to balance out our rather high intensity, hyper-stimulated life allow me to welcome you to CERASart, a mobile/virtual expressive arts studio. As the creative genius behind CERASart, I have applied the dimensions of wellness and basic neurobiology with the field of the expressive arts. After receiving my Certification as an Expressive Arts Practitioner/Educator, I developed a company that specializes in making connections to Self and others, approachable! The goal of any CERASart experience is to cultivate conscious listening of one’s own inner narrative to inspire greater states of personal wellness through engagement with the creative process. Initially designed as a mobile expressive arts studio, in-person engagements catered to a variety of settings: corporate training rooms, household kitchen tables, church halls, even park spaces.

Moving forward through this era of COVID-19, I, like the world, pivoted offerings to meet people in their home offices through the video conferencing platforms. ZOOM, Ring Central, Microsoft Teams or other platforms have become the unique ‘virtual’ expressive arts studio! I take pride in up-cycling junk mail and office supplies or repurposing cereal boxes into a canvas for creative exploration. Who knew you might meet yourself on the reverse side of Cheerios! I facilitate thematic experiences ranging from playful yet powerful 25-minute coffee breaks to the meditative and reflective addition where my time becomes your time. While I have a branded core curriculum, the generating of new methods and projects to inspire personal connections keeps me up at night. Humanity is hungry for connection. Professional relations have undergone massive disrupt, self-identity is constantly challenged and in a time when mortality swings in front of you, establishing strengthened connections to Self is one way to work toward a greater tomorrow.

What separates me apart from others is that I am me; a naturally affirming person who is passionate about our innate desire for connection. I invite you to show up and believe in what the creative process cultivates within, leading individuals through transformative states, from being consumed of Self to being connected with Self. Write with your less dominate hand, scribble, tear and rip paper, sew with floss and staples…leave the idea making to me, and the spontaneity up to you! All CERASart experiences are for artists and non-artists alike. Gather. Create. Connect. This is what I specialize in and feel confident as you read this, we need one another! Fire & Ice, Black Out Poetry, Women of Inspiration, Vision Boarding, Chocolate & Chalk, Expressive Self Portrait and MatchBox Storybooks are some of the many curriculum offerings available. Learn more by visiting www.cerasart.com.

Is there any advice you’d like to share with our readers who might just be starting out?
Fellow friends, follow what leads you toward a greater authentic version of yourself! Your life matters. Each day you step in the direction of what fuels purpose, you step further into your greatness. It took years for me to come into this personal conviction because the quest for purpose is as vast as the ocean floor! This discernment takes time and can often be the outcome of lived twisted life turns. Allow yourself to evolve and seek the clarity. Many live passively, allowing others’ expectations and circumstances to define them. To this, I say, rise up! Live with intention, choose your steps forward. Part two of this advice is to sustain a growth mindset. What may have been a setback transpires quickly into opportunity to further evolve. In this season of heightened awareness on mental health developments, I invite you to consider building a business model to include a foundational value of wellness. As the business grows, so, too, does the well-being of its membership. It becomes a part of the culture. Invite this early on with any entrepreneurial pursuit and your own well-being will remain balanced with your work success.

Contact Info:

• Email: sarah@cerasart.com
• Website: www.cerasart.com
• Instagram: ceras_art
• Facebook: @cerasart
• LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/sarah-patterson-743966172

Image Credits
All photos taken by Sarah Patterson with CERASart.