Issue 7 Artist Spotlight | Sarah J. Schwartz
C+B: Tell us about yourself, Sarah!
SJS: By day, I'm a product designer at Apple, which I love balancing with my art practice. I think that my worlds between design and art often influence each other and inform how I approach the practices. Something that often inspires me is being around other creative people and seeing them doing what they love. I also want my art to inspire others to jump in and get creative in their own way.
C+B: Describe how you work through a creative block, or period where it's difficult for you to produce work.
SJS: I think of my practice as having different parts and components to it. When I'm truly blocked, I am either cleaning up my studio space, stretching new canvases, or even painting base layers over old paintings that no longer resonate with me. And sometimes I need to simply get out of the studio, so I’ll go to a local thrift store and collect some second hand frames.
C+B: Describe a time when you experienced a creative breakthrough, a change in process, or a realization about your work.
SJS: I had a breakthrough a couple years ago, where I noticed how much I loved using non-traditional supports and found objects to create my work. I enjoy using items that speak back to me as I work. Sometimes the ‘message’ comes to me as I’m working through a piece that started off with thrifted material and I’ve learned that it’s okay to ‘not know what I’m doing’ because I’m simply enjoying the process of creating itself.
C+B: Describe a negative experience you have had (relating to your work). How did you move forward?
SJS: There was one week about a year ago where I kept comparing myself to other artists on instagram. I was comparing my style to theirs, the likes, the followers, everything. I had to remind myself that everyone is on their own track and timeline. Some days it's super easy to internalize that message, and other days, it feels like I'm back in that really tough week all over again.
C+B: Imagine it's 2075. What do you hope your work is remembered and recognized for?
SJS: That I enjoyed and learned from the journey along the way. I think my mental health has always been something I have to learn to cope with and art has been this incredible outlet for me to understand myself better, and work through some darker moments. I want people to look at my art and see that it was a way for me to process what it has meant to me to be human.
Find and support Sarah here:
IG: @sarahjaclynschwartz
Website: sarahjschwartz.com
(License to Live, 36in x 36in, mixed media, ©Sarah J. Schwartz)
My ideal creative workspace: I dream about having a space that’s open, airy, and filled with natural daylight. It would be incredible if I didn’t have to worry if I got the floors, ceiling, or walls messy.
If I could have coffee with any creator (past or present) it would be: Robert Rauschenberg. I have always been inspired by his work ever since I learned of him in my high school art history class. I'd want to learn about what continued to inspire him and how that changed over time, where he sourced his materials, and what gave him the courage to keep creating even when he may have doubted himself.
Something I’ve learned as a creator that I’d like to pass on to younger creators: Remember that it's about having fun. If something starts to no longer feel fun, take a break, put down the materials, and come back to it later.
Sarah J. Schwartz
