Sara Blake
Bio
I'm an illustrator, fine artist, and designer, living and loving in New York City. When I'm not making scribbles, I also enjoy having conversations with my cat Eugene O'Neill, going for runs, riding my bike, exploring gastronomic delights, naps, "quiet-time," and traveling as much as the universe allows.
ZSO (pronounced |zo|) is a collection of letters that I find aesthetically and phonetically beautiful, culled together from some personally significant people, places, and things.
Together they make a sound much like "so," the adverb which means "to such a great extent." I am a person of extremes, for better or worse (most often the latter), so the ring of it was fitting, and the moniker has since stuck for good.
I graduated from New York University's Gallatin School of Individualized Study with a concentration in Graphic Art and Postmodern Studies--I've been working in design and art direction ever since.
Session
The Art of F*cking Up
Everything I've learned that feels worth while has been through the exercise of trial and error, more often error--and most adventures and experiences that have felt as though they contain those sublime kernels of meaning have been through venturing into a space where failure is not only a possibility, but a probability.
I'm a self-taught illustrator. I discovered very quickly that I'd given myself a complex that I wasn't doing it 'the right way' and that some day someone was going to catch me.
Furthermore, I've always struggled with the feeling of being 'good enough' - both completely useless terms, if you ask me. I've struggled all my life with sitting with the feeling of vulnerability.
It's frustrating, it's terrifying, and it's liberating if you let it. If I'm an expert on anything, it's fcking up (I say that with only a smirking tinge of self-deprecation).
I'd like to share the stories behind my work process and explain why I believe the beauty lies in the fck ups, the blemishes, the incongruous, and the honesty - in our work, in our personal lives, and in our ability to be creative with others.