Meet Sara Heideman of The Sketchy Neighborhood in Fort Collins

Today we’d like to introduce you to Sara Heideman.

Sara, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I grew up a military brat, moving around every four years. One of the constants in my life was comic books. I spent most of my youth organizing my long boxes full of hologram variant covers and trying to draw like Jim Lee. I filled sketchbook after sketchbook up with fan art, dreaming about Marvel picking up one of my superhero teams that were blatant ripoffs of X-Men. As I got older, I branched out to traditional art. A high school Photoshop class opened the door to digital art and the idea that maybe I could make art for a living. Photoshop led to a full-fledged membership into the Adobe cult and the wonderful world of graphic design. My first “big girl” job was in Cheyenne, Wyoming, doing graphic design, where I met my husband. We decided to put roots down in Fort Collins, had two daughters and I became an official Greenie. Though I had a little less time for personal stuff, I was still drawing constantly. In 2016, The Sketchy Neighborhood was born out of a need for a creative outlet. I was working a 9-5, feeling drained and not very fulfilled. I just wanted to make something cool and for people to get their eyes on it. I wanted to turn my hobby into something bigger.

Has it been a smooth road?
Just getting started was my biggest challenge. I had imposter syndrome something fierce. I worried my artwork wasn’t good enough to show to anyone. But that’s not what art is about. Art is about a person’s point of view. Eventually (with a lot of support from my husband), I realized my art has a voice worth listening to.

As cliche as it sounds, I still struggle to find a balance between work and family. I freelance as a graphic designer and have two kids. Sometimes I don’t have the time to concentrate on art. And sometimes when I do have the time, I’m too tired or distracted to make anything “good”. It’s important to remember that everyone is dealing with something. Sometimes you have to push through it so you can achieve what you want, no matter how long it takes.

So, as you know, we’re impressed with The Sketchy Neighborhood – tell our readers more, for example what you’re most proud of and what sets you apart from others.
At The Sketchy Neighborhood, I sell original artwork and art prints. My favorite medium is watercolors. It’s one of the first paints I got my hands on as a kid and it just stuck. I love the fluidity (duh) and the dreamy elements you can get with watercolors. I also sell t-shirts, stickers and pins. There is nothing cooler than seeing someone wearing your art. My art tends to focus more on the macabre. Weird and spooky things are featured prominently in my artwork. I’m drawn to the trope of the “Final Girl”, the last girl in the scary movie who defeats the monster/killer. I love painting women in peril and women in power. Sisters are doing it for themselves!

To that point, I’m really proud to be a woman-led company. I’m lucky enough to be surrounded by strong women, both in and out of the arts, and I hope to be an example of one to my girls.

Let’s touch on your thoughts about our city – what do you like the most and least?
Connecting with the Fort Collins art community has been an incredible experience. I’m constantly being pushed and challenged by the amazing artists I’m surrounded by, many of which have become friends. I’ve also been lucky to work with rad local vendors (what up, Pine Printing?!) that truly care about quality and supporting artists. Fort Collins has awesome venues as well, like the Art Lab, where I hold my annual Sketchy Halloween Art Show, featuring local artists. And being super close to the beautiful Foothills doesn’t hurt.

Contact Info:

• Website: TheSketchyNeighborhood.com
• Email: saraheideman@gmail.com
• Instagram: instagram.com/thesketchyneighborhood
• Facebook: facebook.com/thesketchyneighborhood

Image Credit:
Curtis Heideman

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