Daily Inspiration: Meet Sarah Ortiz

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

Sarah, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
My creativity and love for the arts is really rooted in my crafty family – from hand made quilts and woodworking to home made crafts and stitching, my family was always creating for each other using their talents. It was an inspiring way to grow up! While my early life revolved around my love for dance, I never stopped making and creating handmade crafts throughout my life, mainly as gifts for family and friends. Though, in recent years I have taken the dive head first into painting and with some inspiration and encouragement from a great friend, Sweet Roots Designs was born in 2024. I now spend a lot of my free time creating bold, bright, colorful designs rooted in the basics of mandalas with my own twist. I have officially returned to my creative roots!

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?
I am still in the beginnings of starting a small business and that in itself has been a challenge. Most of this world is new to me, from filing for an LLC and creating my own website to filing for a sales tax license and making sure I meet all of the deadlines, I have learned so much and am still in the learning stage, with my business and art. Finding your own voice in the art world can also be a daunting task. I have so many interests in varying aspects of art and have created many different types in my lifetime. Though, finding mandala designs really did ground me in my style, and I’m grateful to now able to incorporate that style in many forms including canvases, paper, terracotta plant pots, ornaments, and more.

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
My design aesthetic revolves around the concept of mandalas which are meant to be representations of the universe depicted with extremely detailed designs forming patterns that fall within the guidelines of concentric circles. I love the marriage of perfect geometry and mindfulness with the chaotic colors and designs of creativity. Within that realm, I definitely put my own spin on the concept of mandalas and don’t follow only the basics. I like to incorporate different shapes and multiple background colors as well as nature scenes like mountains and forests that center around these concentric circle designs. I am most proud of my recent large canvas commissions, 36inch square canvases. They allowed me to take a deep dive into the aspect of how the repetition of details can truly bring a canvas to life while exploring new concepts that can’t be achieved on smaller canvases.

Are there any important lessons you’ve learned that you can share with us?
I have learned so much since beginning this journey, but I think the most important lesson I’ve learned is to trust myself. So much self doubt can creep in your mind when you are planning a creation, especially when you are creating something for someone in particular. I’ve had to remind myself that clients wouldn’t be asking for a piece from me if they didn’t already appreciate what I do. So I try to lean in and be myself, trust the process, and it always comes together in the end. I remember an artist once saying, “almost everything you make has to go through an ugly stage before it becomes beautiful” and I think about that often while creating new pieces.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://sweetrootsdesigns.com/
• Instagram: @sweet_roots_designs