Now more than ever, we need joy in our lives, and I can’t think of a better guest than speed painter, Sarah Rowan, to remind us all of the joy of being creative and of sharing creativity with others.
Sarah has been creating unique works of art for two decades, performing live at over 400 live events, from Parliament House to the Opera House, in Sydney, and leaving her mark as a speed painter for corporate events, weddings, festivals, schools and fundraisers, raising nearly 200K through her paintings so far.
She not only seeks to entertain, but to inspire, using her platform as an artist to speak on creativity and wellbeing, as a keynote speaker. She loves engaging with her audience with a microphone, as well as a paintbrush, sharing her inspiring message of embracing your true colours and living a life of curiosity.
When I came across videos of her events, I was fascinated by the joy and energy she radiates as she paints live. Despite not seeing herself as a creative person, surprisingly, Sarah embraces what she calls her ‘acts of creativity’ with an energy, a boldness, and a sense of fun, which are both exhilarating and inspiring.
She shares with us the visceral experience of speed painting, the messiness, the mistakes, which she reframes beautifully as ‘plot twists’, and the magic of the creation process.
She also describes how she connects with others, by sharing her most sacred place – her canvas – with members of the audience, handing them a brush and encouraging them to have a go, like her. It’s no wonder than some of them have ended up taking up painting or even leaving their jobs to embrace an artistic career!
To her, creativity is a birthright, an exploration with, at its core, a curiosity and a playfulness, which remind us all to give ourselves the permission to be human and have a go as well, so I hope you will enjoy our conversation.
Sarah's performances:
ABOUT THE CREATIVITY FOR ALL PODCAST
A maths teacher can be creative. So can a financial adviser, a community builder, and a yoga teacher. Not to mention a speed painter, a potter, or an actor!
Creativity is everywhere and I love nothing more than to explore it in The Creativity for All Podcast, either by focusing on a theme – such as perfectionism, feeding your creative brain, or the pressure to be creative – in my solo episodes, or through my conversations with all manner of creative people.
I want to challenge the perception of creativity and, in the process, debunk many myths attached to it: it's painful, for artists and the chosen few, etc.
My guests and I are keen to zoom in and dissect the origin of an idea, the impulse that makes us engage with our own creativity, with the hope that it will inspire listeners to get creative too.
My podcast is designed for anyone who’s already being creative, or is tempted to use their creativity, in particular those of you who think they are not creative or can never be. I would love to change your mind!
The Creativity for All Podcast is sponsored by Blue as an Orange, where we believe in creativity through communication, and offer mentoring and coaching for aspiring writers and tailored language tuition for individuals and companies.