Today we’d like to introduce you to Sara Moore.
Hi Sara, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Like a lot of artists and designers, I always knew I wanted to be an artist, in some form, from a young age. I never had the confidence to just do fine art for a living – the “struggling artist” narrative weighed pretty heavily on me. I’m from a working-class family in a working-class town and was always very practical about money and finances. Chronologically speaking this is probably where I mention I was diagnosed with depression when I was 13 and it’s been an ongoing battle ever since. I got a therapist who was instrumental in teaching me how to cope. Mental health has always been a passion point for me. Talking about it, helping to de-stigmatize it and supporting others through it.
Back to the career path – I got into graphic design in college and fell in love with it. We had the assignment to design business cards one day and not really knowing what an Art Director is or does I decided I liked the way it sounded so I put it on my card. After graduating, I moved to New York City and landed an Art Director job at a big ad agency and loved it. It wasn’t the dream job – it was in pharmaceutical advertising but I graduated into a recession and this was the best thing going so I made the best of it. I’ve learned there are pros and cons to any job, the key is approaching it with a level of optimism that makes it easier to get out of bed each day. I learned a lot there and went on to another role as an AD in experiential advertising (events, spatial design, experiences). There I fell in love with the built environment and also started to understand this new thing called “interactive design”. After four years I realized I wasn’t any closer to being a New Yorker so I moved out to LA with two suitcases – one mostly filled with childhood stuffed animals.
I got into grad school to study Media Design at the Art Center College of Design, which was essentially a two years exercise in critical thinking in whatever medium you felt inclined to explore. It was amazing. I discovered a love for critical design (mainly design that creates a dialog around societal issues) and design research. I did my thesis in how emerging technologies can help us grieve and remember our deceased loved ones.
Fast-forward to today I’m a Creative Director at an experiential ad agency and have launched a small business called Silver Lining Stuffies – a line of children’s books and companion stuffed animals that each have their own mental health condition. There’s an elephant with anxiety, a hippo with depression and a wolf with ADHD. The books illustrate how they cope with their condition with the help of friends and family. They are meant to foster imagination & play so that children can see themselves in stories, know they are never alone & discover their own methods for achieving mental wellness.
This was born out of the pandemic when I was unravelling and we were simultaneously watching children everywhere start to unravel as well. I was very fortunate that I was able to get a therapist at a young age and learn how to cope. But I know that’s not the norm. I learned that 1 in 5 kids in the US are diagnosed with a mental health condition and only 20% of them will ever receive treatment. While Silver Lining Stuffies is in no way a replacement for professional help, it is meant to help kids who might not be able to get help and help parents talk with their kids about how they’re feeling.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Tell me more about these “smooth roads”… There were definitely challenges. Professionally, being a woman in advertising isn’t always easy. Especially pre-Me Too. There were complaints lodged, altercations had, you name it. It’s a big reason why I moved to LA and something I’ve been unpacking over the years. I’ve learned that while the work is important – you need to enjoy what you do – the people are equally important. I’m happy to have found a group of genuinely nice people that I get to work with each day. It’s been a joy. And I think the environment is shifting. You can’t expect to treat people like garbage anymore and get away with it.
With the small business, it’s quite honestly been a lot harder than I expected. The designing and writing of the books was a blast. Designing stuffed animals even better. Marketing them – something I do for others 5 days a week – has been a challenge but also a very rewarding one. I’m finding my feet with it all and learning to enjoy it as I go. I’m learning to be gentler on myself with it.
We’ve been impressed with Silver Lining Stuffies, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Silver Lining Stuffies is a line of storybooks & companion stuffed animals helping children cope with mental health conditions, specifically ADHD, anxiety & depression. The narrative within each book focuses on normalizing their experiences through a community of relatable characters. We value openly discussing mental health to de-stigmatize conditions & normalize the experience. Our vision is that every child has the tools, skills & community needed to develop a healthy mindset.
There’s Alfie, the wolf with ADHD, Andie the elephant with anxiety and Frankie the hippo with depression (or as it’s called in the book, “Gloob”, his sad monster).
The brand, while it tackles important issues, does it with a sense of whimsy and levity that makes it more palatable for both children and adults. Mental health can be a very doom and gloom topic. I want the brand to be hopeful and approachable.
My proudest moments are when I get a photo of a kid squeezing their stuffy and am told how it’s helped them deal anxiety, or lifted their spirits or even helped with situations like bullying. Those are the moments that keep me going. So far, they have been very well-received by parents, teachers and therapists. It’s been very exciting and fun to put them out into the world.
What’s next?
I would love to scale the business. Get them into as many hands that need them as possible. I believe in these books and stuffies and I know they can make a difference in kid’s lives. So just to keep growing and be able to create new books and stuffies. I’ve been asked to create one for kids with autism, kids with PTSD and OCD. There’s also new products to try out, like journals, interactive media, and games – the sky’s the limit. I mean, money, money is actually the limit but there are so many possibilities and opportunities to help kids.
Pricing:
- Book + stuffy set is $35.99
- Book alone is $15.99
Contact Info:
- Website: https://silverliningstuffies.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/silverliningstuffies
- Facebook: facebook.com/silverliningstuffies
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/saracmoore/
Image Credits
Saul Bhatti and Camron Hatef at Fuzz Visuals
