Today we’d like to introduce you to Sarah San Juan.
Hi Sarah, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
Hey everyone! My name is Sarah San Juan and I’m the artist behind Doña Doodle. I can’t really think of a time in my life where art hasn’t been a major form of expression for me. In high school, it was my main outlet. I picked up photography, drawing, painting, pottery- literally anything I could get my hands on. Looking back, I was just testing the waters to see which medium of art I like working in best. Doña Doodle began as a way to keep my mind busy while I was working on TV sets in Atlanta. At the time, I never thought I’d turn my art into a small business, I was just doodling and doing my thing. During the small bursts of downtime on set, I would whip out my sketch pad and just create images that reflected the world around me.
I began taking my doodles and making them into greeting cards with positive messages. I think it’s important to be able to send people in your circle a card for any occasion, not just a birthday or wedding, but a little love note to show them that they’re thought of and important to the world at large. Sometimes we all need a little reminder. From the simple idea of making greeting cards, I began expanding the mediums I was using. At the time, I was really into exploring markers and mixed media. During quarantine, I really got into creating digital art–a friend let me borrow their iPad for a while (what a blessing!) and told me about the ProCreate app-this changed the way I was making art. I could do it anywhere and use literally any type of brush, paint, pencils… it was all at my fingertips! I was drawing everything I could see, from the rooms in my home to places I have traveled- even places I wanted to visit but couldn’t because of the lock-downs. This was my way of getting out of the house without ever leaving the couch. Eventually, I just started daydreaming of shapes and how they can play together. Which has led me to where I am now. My curiosity with shape, color, and pattern all play a major role in the art that I create. Most recently, I’ve been really influenced by modern and abstract artists. I feel like this area of art is more free- there are literally no rules to it. It’s forced me to look at objects, shape and color with a deeper light and I’m really into it! I’ve been most inspired by Carmen Herrera and Louisa Salas.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
When you’re first starting off as artist, you have to wear all the hats- not just the creator behind the art, but also the owner of a small business. Recently I have really been honing in on the business side of creating. It can be a little overwhelming at times because I feel like I’m not creating enough art. I need more than 24 hours in a day! If you’re looking for the part in my story where I went to a fancy art school and had top-notch training, you won’t find it. As a self-taught artist, it can be really challenging trying to navigate exposure and of course, there is always the thought of “am I doing this thing right?”. What I’m learning is that art is a practice, and as long as I am evolving and following my curiosity, I’m definitely doing “it” right. Like most of us, it’s just me behind Doña Doodle. I struggle daily with branding myself, navigating social media, finding art shows that are down for my style and most importantly, ignoring self-doubt. It can be really hard not to compare myself with other artists, but I’m learning that we all have a unique journey. Even with all of these daily challenges, I’d say my largest upset so far has been the lack of a mentor or someone experienced enough to offer me guidance along the way. A mentor would be the greatest gift.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I’d have to say that I’m most proud of myself for taking the risk to open up and go public with Doña Doodle. I was inspired by the name because of my Cuban heritage. In Spanish, Doña means lady or madame. It’s a title of respect. I knew right off the bat that I wanted to command respect from others for my work and more importantly, I needed to respect myself in this process. I wanted to capture my latinx heritage in one simple word, and I thought–DOÑA, that’s it! My art explores shapes and color and how they work together to build the world around us.
Most of my work is inspired by my travels and the beauty of nature. You’ll find very few straight lines in my work because I love the whimsy of curves. In nature, there are no rigid straight lines. I wanted to encapsulate this element in each unique piece that I create. 2020 was such a hard year for so many of us. The decision to take my art to the next level and open up myself for commissions has brought me the most joy in my creative practice. Talking with people, finding out what they like and then creating that special piece for them is so rewarding to me. It’s just such a special moment. One of my favorite things is to see my art in someone else’s home or office. It literally makes my heart soar. I hope to continue to make art for others for many years to come. If you’re interested in following me along this journey, feel free to check out my website at www.donadoodle.com or follow me on Instagram @donadoodle.
So maybe we end on discussing what matters most to you and why?
The most important thing to me is my family. We are each so unique and have such different interests. I’m the only girl with three older brothers so growing up was really interesting. I was always dodging nerf gun fights and trying to convince them that polly-pocket was just as cool as their green army men. We had such an awesome childhood together; the memories from my childhood are my favorite past-time. My parents threw us into everything, whether we wanted to try it or not. From sports to musical theatre, they always told us “can’t” isn’t in the dictionary. Something my parents said to me often was, “If you can dream it, you can do it.” I know it’s super cheesy, but looking back, it’s been the one thing I’ve really held onto as an adult–especially when I begin to doubt my abilities. My family has been the greatest support system for me throughout all of my creative endeavors. They push me when I need it the most. I don’t where I’d be without each of them lifting me up in their own special way.
Contact Info:
- Email: donadoodlestudios@gmail.com
- Website: www.donadoodle.com
- Instagram: @donadoodle
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/donadoodle
Image Credits
My portrait is taken by Ish Holmes.
