Meet Sarah May Taylor

We had the good fortune of connecting with Sarah May Taylor and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Sarah May, what habits do you feel play an important role in your life?

One of the most transformative habits has been recognizing and challenging the rhetoric of late-stage capitalism that pushes us to work at an unsustainable pace, prioritizing productivity over well-being. I want a juicier and more balanced life that makes sense to me.
I’ve found that prioritizing stress management using somatic techniques, spending time in nature, spending less time on devices, and more time in solitude works best for me.

I’ve also made it a habit to resist the impulse to compare myself to others. So many of our lives seem dominated by social media and constant productivity, it’s easy to fall into the trap of measuring worth against curated versions of others people’s lives and achievements. I am interested in defining success on my own terms and evolving a sustainable making/being life.

Similarly, I’ve learned to resist defining myself in limiting terms. I have felt myself pushed to fit into neat categories, but I’ve found that embracing the complexity of my identity and aspirations has been interesting and conducive to my success.
I love being a multidisciplinary artist, educator, and therapeutic practitioner. We don’t have to choose one thing.

Ultimately, it’s about trying to choose projects and people that align with my values, prioritizing care, and allowing a more holistic, far-reaching definition of achievement.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
Right now my life is a blend of making, teaching, and therapeutic work. I’m a multidisciplinary artist working on poetic prose, experimental memoir, mixed media, and lens-based work. I think a lot about connection, ancestors, grief, death, belonging, and intuition.

I have taken a winding path to get here, which included overcoming a lot of self-doubt and letting go of conventional timelines. I took a long time to believe in my voice enough to call myself an artist. I started making work seriously after the death of my mother, which knocked me off balance enough to begin rebuilding myself in a more honest way. Since then, I’ve been learning what I want vs what I want to want.
I used to have the words, “everywhere around me, I see my desires” written on my studio wall and I think about it a lot.

In addition to my art practice and teaching, I integrate various divination practices, such as Tarot, and holistic modalities, to collaborate with others in intuitive problem-solving and self-reflection. I’m excited to continue using art and creativity as ways of healing, resisting, and connecting

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I’m a Canadian girl who grew up with lakes and no salt water, so the first thing I always choose is the ocean and the Pacific Coast Highway. I love Point Dume Natural Preserve, and I love road trips. The drive from LA to Vegas is one of my favorites. Any time I get to be in the desert, I’ll take it. I have spent a lot of special time in the Mojave breathing with stars and hawks; it’s my kind of place. I also love bookstores and occult shops; a good friend recently took me to Psychic Eye Book Shop, and Thunderbolt Spiritual Books and The Last Bookstore are both favorites.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I have too many to name – especially all the folks in my creative community and the kiddos I’ve been teaching and working with recently. Feels like kids are connected to their genius, originality, and fearlessness, which is fun to be around. Their ability to play and stay present reminds me of the spirit I practice returning to in my work. In my mixed media, video, and writing, I sometimes struggle against a certain tightness of expression which is connected to fear. I notice they often don’t suffer from this. I’m grateful, and always look forward to the reminder.

Website: https://www.sarahmaytaylor.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/softstudiotherapy/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarah-may-taylor-1a7430303/

Other: https://softstudiotherapy.start.page/ 

Image Credits
Sarah May Taylor