Meet Sarah Wandzilak

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

Hi Sarah, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
I have been self-employed now for five years but I have been in love with creating art for my entire life. When I was about ten, I would spend hours pausing the TV and redrawing my favorite cartoon characters. I have easily created a piece of art for every day that I’ve been alive! I have found many outlets for my creativity but I definitely have the internet to thank for giving me a platform to share my work and passions.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
The truth for me is that things were always harder before I accepted my desire to become a professional artist. I was told in college by the student advisor that “not everyone gets to be the dolphin trainer at SeaWorld.” She was trying to “help” me by steering me away from a career in art but all it actually did was push me to choose a major I didn’t even like and later I withdrew without ever earning a degree. My whole life, I was discouraged from pursuing a career in art, and that uncertainty in what to do with my life was far more stressful than trying to create my own future and manage my own business. It’s much easier to face life’s struggles when you know what you’re struggling for.

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
Though I do create art for a living, the art I make for myself is very different than what pays the bills. I love painting, and experimenting with color and mediums. The pieces I create for simply my love of art usually end up hung somewhere whether it’s a gallery or a business. Those paintings do sell but I have to be very entrepreneurial and tenacious to supplement my income in other ways. I do murals for the city or individual clients, I’ve dabbled in tattoo work and even doll painting. one thing that I realized from being self-employed is that any amount of effort you might put into finding a job, you can put into yourself and finding new ways to boost your income.

What does success mean to you?
I do believe success in a traditional sense is when you can comfortably live off of your own work/business. However, success for me personally is much harder to define. I’m not sure I really even know what it is yet. I do comfortably live off of my business, but I crave much more. I think for me success will come when I create a piece of art that I believe is truly great.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: Instagram.com/s.e.wandz
• Youtube: YouTube.com/swandzz