Meet Sara Moore | Creative Director + Founder of Silver Lining Stuffies

We had the good fortune of connecting with Sara Moore and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Sara, how did you come up with the idea for your business?
I came up with the idea for Silver Lining Stuffies in 2020 when the world was reeling from the COVID-19 pandemic. Children everywhere were facing new challenges and we, as a society, were talking more openly about mental health, particularly with children. A topic typically brushed aside was slowly being de-stigmatized. As someone who was diagnosed with depression and anxiety at a young age, I empathized greatly. It was hard to sit by and watch the massive toll our circumstances were taking on children. I was fortunate enough to have supportive family and friends, along with access to therapy, where I learned the skills to cope with depression and anxiety that I still use. I wanted that for children everywhere.

Silver Lining Stuffies is a line of stuffed animals & companion books aimed at giving children the tools to cope with mental health conditions, such as ADHD, anxiety & depression, while normalizing their experience through a community of relatable characters. It is an approachable, at-home toolkit that fosters imagination & play so that children can see themselves in stories, know they are never alone & discover their own methods for achieving mental wellness.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I’ve worked in the marketing and design world for over 15 years, starting as a Graphic Designer, to Art Director and now Creative Director at an ad agency called The Story House. It has been a fruitful, joy-filled career, but not without it’s challenges. I unpacked quite a bit when the #metoo movement happened. Coming up in the advertising industry in New York City there was a lot of behavior that I quite honestly did not feel empowered to act against. I packed my bags and moved to Los Angeles and was lucky to be welcomed by a very supportive community of artist and designers. I got my MFA in Media Design from the Art Center College of Design where I fell in love with critical design, design research and human-centered design. It took me a long time to really find my voice as a designer, especially in a corporate setting – and it’s something I still struggle with occasionally. Age and experience have helped. And I’ve worked on some amazing projects from museum and theme park design to app development and social media campaigns. I love the variety I’ve been able to find within design and I am so excited to see the narrative around marketing shift to be more purpose and mission-driven vs. simply driving revenue. Those are the projects I get the most excited about. We live in a very unique time and we need design to help solve some very big problems. That’s what gets me excited.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I’d start in my very vibrant neighborhood of Highland Park. We’d bop around York and Figueroa, stopping in spots to grab tacos, drinks and check out some local shops. I love the color and variety the east side has to offer. But I’m also happiest when I’m in the ocean, so from there we’d go to Will Rogers Beach in Malibu and work our way up the coast, stopping in Santa Barbara for some wine tasting then heading up to San Luis Obispo to stay at the Madonna Inn. From there, a trip up to Big Sur for some camping and hiking.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
There is an endless list of people who deserve credit and recognition in my story! Starting forever ago with my amazing grandmother and parents who were so supportive and loving all throughout my journey dealing with the challenges of mental health, from childhood into adulthood. And none of this would be possible without my incredibly supportive friends. When I told them I was launching Silver Lining Stuffies, everyone’s first words were “How can I help?” and the support just continued. My good friend Alex was so instrumental in helping me create the stuffed animals, her sister Rose and later my friend Christopher Piehler jumped in to co-write the books. I’ve leaned on so many others for guidance, to cry to and to celebrate with. Starting a business by yourself can be a lonely endeavor, but it rarely felt that way. I’ve been fortunate to have an amazing support group and that is exactly how I want children to feel with Silver Lining Stuffies.

Website: www.silverliningstuffies.com

Instagram: @silverliningstuffies

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/saracmoore/

Facebook: @silverliningstuffies

Image Credits
Camron Hatef & Saul Bhatti