Today we’d like to introduce you to Sarah Xiong
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
Hello, my name is Sarah Va Xiong and I am an artist, illustrator, and multi-disciplinary designer. I have been really fortunate to have always been in some type of creative work. I’ve worked in graphic design, web design, logo and brand design, user interface design, and user experience design. I think having design experience across all of these various disciplines has given me a specific skillset – how to tell a story and connect to your user/audience. I utilize this skillset when creating art as well.
Even though I’ve always been in creative work, it took me a while to put more focus on my art and illustrations. I find it still a little strange to call myself an artist. I started focusing more on my art during the height of the pandemic. This first series of work explored storytelling through minimalist lines, abstract shapes, and soft, muted colors. While exploring this style, I found a sense of calm and peace, which was so comforting during such a chaotic and isolating time. But I am always refining my artistic style and voice as I change as a person, too. There’s been many phases of exploration to get to my current style, something I don’t think artists talk about enough. Now my style is bolder, more colorful, and includes my own prose and poetry. I think this makes my art feel more authentically me and the messages I’m trying to convey are clearer. I’m sure my style will continue to change as I continue to change, too.
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?
It hasn’t always been easy. I struggled for a long time trying to find my own unique voice as an artist; the story I had to tell. Because of this, for a while I felt very reluctant to be explicit about the idea or message I was trying to convey through my art. I wanted the viewer to interpret and take away their own meaning from my work.
My perspective has shifted since then, especially as I have gone through some major life experiences that feel necessary to share. I realized that I also had a story to tell, and that my voice was important, too. I started exploring a bolder and more colorful style. I have always loved writing, so I paired this new style with my own prose and poetry. This combination of illustrated prose and poetry felt more genuine and raw, so I have continued exploring it. I have shared stories about my own struggles with overcoming mental health issues, learning to be kind to self and others, and giving each other grace through the ups and downs of life. I would say that I am most proud of this phase of my work. I’m excited to see how my style will evolve as I do, too.
There is an Ira Glass quote I love about getting good at creative work. He talks about how, when we’re first starting out as creatives, we’ve got killer taste, but there’s a gap between our taste and the quality of work we can actually produce. The only way to close that gap is to produce a bunch of work. To keep working through it. And eventually that gap will close. And I have felt that quote so deeply in my own creative journey.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I create illustrated prose and poetry that I have written, as well as digital art and illustrations. My work often explores individual and collective healing through vulnerable expression that aims to remind us that we are never truly alone in our experiences. I create art to heal from my own mental health struggles, and in sharing my art, I hope it can be healing for others as well. When someone looks at my work, I want them to walk away remembering that they are worthy and deserving of love, gentleness, and kindness.
Some of my work requires of me to get really vulnerable. There are parts of my life that are triumphant, and parts that get very, very ugly. And I try to muster up the courage to share all of these shades of life, because I believe that issues like mental health become less stigmatized the more openly we talk about them. Shame starts to heal when we can create safe spaces for others to tell their stories. And observing someone else’s healing journey might encourage someone else to keep going, or to feel less alone.
I believe that social support is such an important part of recovery. To be able to create that sense of support for someone else through my art is the most rewarding thing for me as an artist.
Do you have any advice for those looking to network or find a mentor?
I’ve been really lucky to have organically found a network of creatives who I learn from, who push me to get better at my craft, and who are supportive of my dreams. Some of them I’ve met through work, others I’ve met through friends of friends, or at different events, some even online. I have found that if I stay humble and curious, I can learn from anyone, regardless of whether or not they are my mentor. Everyone has something to teach. Curiosity is also contagious. The more interest you show in someone’s life, the more interested they will be in yours, too.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.sarahvaxiong.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sarahvaxiong/
- Other: Book: https://www.blurb.com/b/12032864-imperfect-lessons
