Meet Sarah Rowan | One of Australia’s Top Speed Painters & Speakers

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

Hi Sarah, how does your business help the community?
As a painter, flowing in the stream of visual communication, I believe it is imperative to use this skill to have a positive impact on my community, nation and world. Sometimes this comes in the form of creating murals for public schools with low budgets, knowing the impact it has on lifting the mood of the area and inspiring the next generation to follow their passions and what makes them come alive. As a speed painter who performs live at corporate events and fundraisers, my paintings are often auctioned off for various charities and my goal is to raise over one million to support noble causes. To date I have just surpassed the 200K AUD mark and I am so grateful that even a career as simple as painting, can help support so many different people around the world.

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.
Creative living is simply choosing curiosity over fear. Author Elizabeth Gilbert, helped me see this side of creativity in her book Big Magic, and each passing year, I work on approaching my work and performances with a more childlike wonder and curiosity. I have painted LIVE at over 450 events and sold over a thousand original paintings. Sometimes the audience participates with me when conducive at the events, and I love engaging with corporates and celebrities who often don’t have these beautiful and almost meditative experiences in the midst of their full schedules.

I began painting LIVE (often in exchange for food) in cafes, parks and pubs across Sydney. This built my confidence and skills. Usually I created cityscapes or vibrant abstracts in 30 minutes to an hour. It took years to build momentum and over a decade to be able to fully cover all living expenses with my art. Now, I have about a dozen event agencies who reach out and book me for all sorts of exciting events, from weddings, to award ceremonies and product launches. In the past several years, my business has expanded and I have been speaking on creativity in business and leading intuitive paint & sip parties, often virtually around the world.

I learned early on in this journey that there are enough talented people in the world. It is very hard to impress and wow people these days. And guess what? I honestly believe that being wowed is not what people need or even want!! People crave connection. Authenticity. Vulnerability. The world is full of people wearing fake smiles as they digest anti-depressants, and I can relate as I was one of them for 20 years as I hid from my sexuality in a closet. In 2018, I broke free from the cycle of pleasing others and now truly seek to inspire my clients and audiences rather than impress them. I want people to look at my art and think “omg I wanna try that! It looks likes fun!”…not “omg how did she do that? I can’t do that.”

My art is an extension of my soul. I want people to see it and be inspired. Feel more alive…to love themselves, each other and this planet we live on.

For those feeling stuck my advice is…Be curious. Keep showing up. Unlock the doors of limitations that have been bolted shut since you allowed the fears of others or yourself to lock them shut.

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 spent much of my childhood in Huntington Beach, and now after nearly twenty years in Sydney, Australia, the only thing I really miss or crave is In and Out Burger and good fish tacos. If you come to Sydney, it is a gem of a place. I would take you to the “untouristed” quieter beaches south of the city, such as Cronulla or bush walks in the Royal National Park. Yes, I have seen wild kangaroos, held a koala, and fed dozens of king parrots. A definite experience not to be missed would be to attend a ceremony or dance held by the First Nation, the Aboriginals and see the rich and beautiful people who’s culture, music and art are being acknowledged and honoured more each passing decade as people understand and respect their history more and more.

The Blue Mountains, Sydney Opera House, Bridge Climb and dinner at the revolving O Bar over the city would also need to be on the list of must-see places. Of course The National Art Gallery of NSW and Contemporary Art Gallery are a must and being walking distance through the Botanical Gardens, it is a perfect activity for a sunny day. To enjoy an Australian meal, I would take you to Harry de Wheels for the classic meat pie with mashed potatoes, peas and gravy on top. For the vegetarians and vegans I would take you to Bodhi, which is near Hyde Park, perfect spot to picnic in the city.

There are so many beautiful places and people across this city, you might need to stay two weeks.

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 would love to make a shout out to my family. In 1999, when I entered university to study art, my parents were fully supportive of my dreams. Many of my classmates struggled to enjoy their creative journeys as their parents were nagging them to study something that would lead them to a “real job”. Now, after nearly two decades of being my own boss and loving my “job” more each year, I am full of gratitude for my children and girlfriend who fully support the wild and unpredictable life of artists. I have met so many artists who persevere with their dreams despite an unsupportive family life and it makes me all the more grateful that each day they embrace and assist in making my dreams come true.

Website: www.artistsarahrowan.com

Instagram: @artistsarahrowan

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

Twitter: @sarahrowanart

Facebook: Facebook.com/artistsarahrowan

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/artistsarahrowan

Other: Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com.au/artistsarahrowan/

Image Credits
Megan Carew, Shane Rozario, David Benson, Jared Dahl, Amoi Salakas