Today we’d like to introduce you to Sage Kelly.
Hi Sage, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I’ve been making art since I was a kid. I would usually draw characters from my favorite shows, comics, or manga, and I would even write stories to go along with some of my drawings. In middle school my parents got me my first guitar, which I still have. I think that was the beginning of me becoming interested in all types of art, not just visual. In high school I branched out and did band and drama, but mostly on the tech side, like helping build sets or lighting from the spot tower. By the time I got to college, I knew I wanted to do art, and I landed on graphic design because of how it combines visuals with text. But I still took so many other art classes that had nothing to do with my major. Life drawing and print making were some of my favorites; printmaking feels like an early form of graphic design. Then when I started at New World School of the Arts in Downtown Miami, I became introduced to bookmaking and fell in love. I liked that I could play with the structure, redefine what a book really is, and the hands-on craft got me off the computer a lot. Working as a tutor at Broward College also informed a lot of how I approach my work; the brainstorming, researching, critical thinking, and just having a lot of empathy for the students I worked with is something that inspires me. A lot of this has led me to where I am now, I work as a graphic designer and a museum educator, and recieved a Broward County grant to create my own picture book series and art installation. I’ve even gone back to making music and branched out to try dancing, also at Broward college, where I’m lucky enough to participate in their annual summer shows.
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’m sure like any artist or person, it hasn’t always been easy. Unlike other careers, being an artist is not a straightforward path at all. I’ve had to pull many all nighters, work for free or a lot less than I would have liked, and even now finding a job is extremely challenging. In 2020, I came out as trans, and having to navigate that during covid and figuring out where I wanted to finish my degree was a challenge in its own. But art ended up becoming a place of solace for me. I think as artists, especially as a graphic designer, we get burned out working on stuff that we don’t want to do or feel stuck not knowing where to go next. I always just try to remind myself that regardless of where life takes me, art will always be there. Whether I’m making it for myself or others. I began making a lot of work about my transition, mainly drawings of myself as a way to better understand what I wanted or who I was. I remember I had a piece of card board and some cut up manila folders from my job, and I turned those into a small sketchbook, and it ended up being one of my favorite works to this day. All the drawings in there were a big influence on my BFA thesis piece. I created a book that included poems of me reflecting on how I felt coming out to each member of my immediate family. Art helped me feel comfortable enough to share feelings and moments with others that I used to be scared to admit to myself.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I really like to make books. I participate in zine festivals like the Small Press Fair with Shared Print Fac. I like to make custom sketchbooks for myself and others, and I use the book format to explore my own practice, which includes a lot more than just binding a book. I’m proud of where I started and where it took me. One thing always leads to another, so it’s important for me to always try even when I feel unsure or like I can’t accomplish something right away. I’m most proud of the community I’ve been able to be apart of and help grow in Broward and Miami. Apart from making work about myself and experience, I love helping others make work and collaborating. Another reason why I am a graphic designer is so that I can help get messages and stories across clearly, especially about other people. When I was at Broward College, I worked with Panku, the literary and art magazine of the school. The magazine was mainly about showcasing the students work and giving them a platform to be seen. Now I work with Hu Magazine, an art collective and publication that is also about collaborating around different themes to create art, poetry, photography and design. That is something I want to continue doing going forward, and I’ve began slowly by doing things like making zines with artists and friends and interviewing them about their work and process.
Any big plans?
For right now, I’m focusing on some new jobs I’ve started. One as a museum educator at the Young at Art Museum in Broward, and another as a graphic designer at Arts Garage, a performing arts center in Delray Beach. I’ve only just started, but as I got closer to graduating college I figured out that I could see my career path going in the direction of art education or graphic design, so I’m lucky that I get to start out with both right now. I also want to keep illustrating and making books. One of my dreams is to be a children’s book illustrator or even a picture book designer at a publishing house.
Pricing:
- Custom Book – $35-50
Contact Info:
- Website: https://sagekelly.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sagedrawsstuff/
