Check Out Sarah Rosa Glickman’s Story

Today we’d like to introduce you to Sarah Rosa Glickman.

Hi Sarah Rosa, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I’m what they call an Outsider Artist, which essentially means I’m self-taught. I never knew what I wanted to do with my life, but I’d always been fascinated by the individual experience and the human mind and, after experiencing some rough times, I knew I wanted to help people. So, I ended up going to UNC Chapel Hill for psychology – which is what brought me to the area – and spent a few years working with wrongful conviction and death penalty law. I liked that I was doing work that was helpful to people who didn’t feel seen, but I was not happy. I wasn’t connected to myself at all. I was trying to help others but I hadn’t taken the time I needed to heal myself and see myself first. I was pouring from an empty cup, I was not built for the amount of reading that was required for this industry, and things were taking their toll on me mentally and physically. I ended up taking a step back from everything and really focusing on my mental health and my relationship with myself. I’ve always been a creative person but it wasn’t until the pandemic hit in 2020 that I went for it career-wise. I wasn’t working and people weren’t really hiring but I still needed to pay my bills, so I took pictures of all the art I had made over the years and posted it on my social media hoping to sell a couple of pieces. I ended up selling almost all of the pieces which was a huge shock to me as I hadn’t really shared my art with many people up to that point. I decided to research galleries in my area and found Cecy’s Gallery & Studios in downtown Durham. I created an Instagram page for my art, uploaded 20-30 pictures, put on my mask, and went to the gallery. I introduced myself to the owner, Cecy, and showed her my page. She really liked my work – another shock for me – and offered me a spot in the next phase of artists. Unfortunately, this wouldn’t be until three months from then, however, there was a CBD shop in the building at the time that was hiring an operations manager. I didn’t know much about CBD but I went home and educated myself as much as I could. I was lucky enough to get the job and spent the next 9 months working inside of the gallery surrounded by art and artists. I learned so much from my time managing a small business while working within another small business, and I had the opportunity to build relationships within my local art community while starting to share more of my art in person. I’m forever grateful to Cecy and her community, I truly believe I wouldn’t have felt the same empowerment and encouragement that pushed me to keep going anywhere else – and I still get to be part of this family today! I sell at Cecy’s Art Market on Foster Street most Saturday mornings, have my art hanging there this April-June, work at the gallery when Cecy needs an extra hand, and visit to buy gifts whenever I need something special for someone in my life. This community really showed me the importance of supporting my local economy and how doing so can open the door to so many genuine connections, friendships, and opportunities. I was able to heal, refill my cup, and now I get to pour into others while doing what makes me feel whole.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I think when you decide to pursue your own business there will always be struggles. It can be like a rollercoaster sometimes, and I’ve definitely faced my fair share of financial, mental, and external obstacles. I’ll be honest, what saves me in most of my difficult moments is my local community. If I’m struggling financially and need work, I can talk to Holly at Artpost and she can help me find a teaching opportunity. I can reach out to Lucy with Downtown Raleigh Alliance and see if there are any events I can get involved in. I can show my art in local businesses like Hartwell Raleigh or sign up to vend with The Creatives Club or The Hummingbird Market. If I’m feeling discouraged about my work and unsure of myself, I can get coffee with Sean of Badcat Studios and ground myself by connecting with another creative mind. I can grab dinner and brainstorm business collaborations with Alexandria of She Thrifty Apparel. I can go see an art show at Outerloop Arts or walk through a local market like The Coco Drip or The Black Vegan Street Market to feel re-inspired. I’ve learned that the road will probably always be bumpy, but it’s the people around you that can help smoothen it out.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
My work is centered around celebrating the beauty in both the simplicity and complexity of being human. From single-line drawings depicting the human form, figure, and essence, to brightly colored abstract faces and geometric combinations that reflect the mixture of moments, memories, emotions, and experiences that make us who we are. I paint on thrifted clothes, shoes, and purses, giving a new life to something pre-loved and promoting sustainable fashion. I believe everyone deserves to own original art, but this can be hard to afford, so I hand-draw all of my 5×7-11×14 line art pieces and price them from $10 to $40 so I can help more people access original art. I also hand-draw them so I can alter details like hip and chest size in each drawing. I want everyone to feel seen, heard and represented. Life is heavy and if I can help lift some of that weight for people with a momentary deep breath that comes from looking at a piece of art they love, then I consider myself successful.

Right now, what I’m most proud of is my current exhibit at Cecy’s Gallery in downtown Durham and my community mural project that is being hung up at Wye Hill Kitchen & Brewing in downtown Raleigh. During February and March, I partook in a personal project where I researched various women from history and painted them in my style. I was sharing these portraits and what I had learned about each of these women on my social media and decided to get one printed on canvas. I brought it to the gallery to show Cecy and she offered me a section of wall space to hang my whole series. So now these beautiful women and their stories are hanging for others to celebrate April-June. Currently featured are Laverne Cox, Viola Davis, Lauryn Hill, Sonia Sanchez, Claudette Colvin, Doechii, Ida B. Wells, and Pam Grier. There is also a place where you can leave suggestions for who I should paint and add to the wall next! I was also incredibly fortunate to be asked by Downtown Raleigh Alliance to create a community project for their Feminist First Friday event at the beginning of March. We decided to create a Mt. Rushmore-style design of female firsts from North Carolina. I researched these incredible women and painted the design onto 16ft of wood paneling, and then everyone who attended the event drew or wrote on the panels to add their own unique touch to the piece. I am currently finishing touchups and we will be hanging the ladies at Wye Hill this week! Featured in the piece are Susan Dimock, Tabitha Ann Holton, Sigrid Taylor, Pam Grier, Gertrude D. McKee, Anna Julia Haywood, and Isabella Cannon. I can’t even put into words how honored I am to have been able to bring such an inspiring lineup of women to life through this project and to know it will be up for people to see and interact with for years to come is truly magical.

Are there any apps, books, podcasts, blogs or other resources you think our readers should check out?
I read a book last year – Artpreneur: The Step-by-Step Guide to Making a Sustainable Living from Your Creativity by Miriam Schulman – that I absolutely love and recommend to all creatives trying to pursue their art as a career. I have an amazing business coach, Todd Lyden, through the Wake Tech Entrepreneurship & Small Business Center – they offer a free service where you can schedule a virtual meeting with a coach to help you maneuver running your business. The student-run non-profit Consult Your Community (CYC) at NC State has been one of the greatest organizations I’ve ever worked with. They are not only some of the most hard-working, driven, and intelligent people, but also so incredibly genuine, caring, and passionate. When I got started I took a lot of webinars through Triangle Artworks to learn about business taxes, establishing an LLC, and marketing. Talk to others! If you see someone doing what you want to be doing, ask to buy them lunch and pick their brain. So much of my education has come from those around me.

Pricing:

• $100 Custom line-art tattoo design, includes 5×7 drawing of design.
• $10-$40 Hand-drawn original line drawings
• Custom hand-painted clothing starting at $50
• Logo/Website Work (varying pricing)

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.artbysrg.com
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/artbysrg
• Facebook: https://facebook.com/artbysrg
• LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/sarah-rosa-glickman-15294a320
• Other: https://pinterest.com/artbysrg