Today we’d like to introduce you to Sarah Hiers.
Sarah , can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I have always been interested in art and I started drawing as soon as I could hold a pencil. I took various art classes growing up and continued to take them throughout my high school and college careers. I had never considered selling my work or making art a full time career until after college, when I had ironically stopped doing art as much. I had taken a break from it when I was asked by a couple of friends to do some custom paintings. I agreed to do the projects and after posting the finished results to social media I had more requests come in and pretty soon I had a good amount in my portfolio. Soon after that, I decided to try to sell some original work that I had lying around and took it to a local gift shop in Hudson MA called Serendipity in Hudson. On the very first day, I had dropped off my paintings I made a sale. That’s when I decided I could really do this, and I have been creating and selling ever since. My art has taken me in many directions, but the most notable one so far has been the number of custom pet portraits I have completed. I began drawing people’s pets in 2016 and I have since drawn over seventy-five different breeds of dogs, cats, hamsters, and more. I have been commissioned for a lot of other subjects, but I find animals to be the most fun to draw! Right now, I have an Etsy site where I sell my prints as well as an online store on my website where I sell apparel and other things. You can also find my prints and products in six local shops – the most conveniently accessed from the city is 4GoodVibes in Somerville MA.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Starting a career as an artist can be a rollercoaster of a ride, and I honestly prefer that over a nice smooth terrain. I’ve had my high points and my low points, but the whole time it has been consistently fast-paced and exciting. I never attended business school or even art school for that matter, and I started off with nothing but the eagerness to share my art with the world. In the past two years, my business has developed more than I could have ever imagined all because I was willing to dive head first and tackle any project that came my way. That willingness to dive right in was met with some successes, but also some tough lessons. I learned that no matter how exciting an idea may seem at first it’s always a good idea to take the time to do some research before acting on anything or making any important decisions. My advice to people who are considering pursuing a creative career would be to not be afraid to make mistakes and definitely not to be afraid of putting yourself out there. I have been so surprised by the warm response people have to my art, and I love interacting with customers in person at shows and events. The road to pursuing your dreams might not always be easy, but in the end, it is all worth it because you are making your vision a reality and sharing your passion with the world.
Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Sarah Hiers Design – what should we know?
My art has always come from the heart. When I design a new piece I essentially turn off my brain and just draw. I fill my drawings with colorful shapes and colors to make my work happy and exciting because my main goal as an artist is to spread joy and happiness. If my art makes you smile as your sitting at your desk at work, then I have done my job. Most of my work contains no background or foreground but rather focuses on the subject matter itself, with intricate designs and color patterns making up its features. Being an English major in college also developed my love for puns and wordplay, which is why you will see a lot of my drawings include fun sayings and captions. I draw subjects ranging from alcohol prints to baby prints, and everything in between but I have really found a niche in doing custom pet portraits. My goal with custom pet portraits is to highlight each pet’s unique features and truly make it something special for the recipient of the artwork. Customers can request their pet’s name or any other customization that they wish and can get it printed on any of the products I offer ranging from greeting cards to apparel and even tote bags. The biggest thing I would say that sets me apart from others is my unique style. I have been told by many people that my work is very different from anything they’ve seen before, and I really appreciate that!
We’re interested to hear your thoughts on female leadership – in particular, what do you feel are the biggest barriers or obstacles?
In my experience, the biggest barrier I have reached so far as a woman leading my own company is the shock on people’s faces when I tell them I do it all by myself. As a young female entrepreneur, people expect you to have a ton of degrees backing you up or to have a lot of help along the way. I have been fortunate enough to attend college and I have the immense support of family and friends, but when it comes to my business I handle it all on my own. I am the one unloading hundreds of pounds of inventory at shows, I am the one managing the website, and I am the one who is filing the taxes and doing the bookkeeping. A lot of people are surprised when I tell them I have my own business and many of them immediately want to section me off into the “starving artist” category, but they can’t. I have made a successful living at selling my art, and it is only just taking off. I think women these days are more empowered than ever, and it is a wonderful thing. We have so much creative power to share with the world, and we shouldn’t be afraid to let that show.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.SarahHiersDesign.com
- Email: sarahhiersdesign@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sarahhiersdesign/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sarahhiersdesigns
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/SHiersDesign
- Other: https://www.etsy.com/shop/SarahHiersDesign
Image Credit:
Sarah Hiers Design
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