Episode 21. Sharing the joy of creativity with Sarah Rowan

The Creativity for All Podcast

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 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: KOALA Live Art Netball World Cup 2015 Painting the ocean Wedding Entertainment

Sarah’s TV interview Sarah's website Sarah's Instagram To purchase Sarah's prints

The Creativity for All Podcast explores creativity in all its forms. With each guest I interview every two episodes, we discuss what it means to be creative in their daily life, zooming in on the mechanics behind their creativity and debunking myths, wherever possible, to show you that you too can be creative on a daily basis, that you don’t have to be an artist to be creative. My hope is to show you that creativity is everywhere and to inspire you to tap into your own creative potential.

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, as well as tailored language tuition for individuals and companies.