Meet Sarah Wright | Artist and Psychotherapist

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

Hi Sarah, what’s your definition for success?
Success to me has always been such an interesting concept that is extremely subjective culture to culture and person to person. Growing up in a upper class home, success was defined differently than I think most others are taught success is. Keeping food on the table or buying needs and wants was never a concern, so success was always presented as doing what makes you happy. As I got older and gained more experience in the world, I realized that success is really about balance; balance of doing what makes happy while also providing for yourself, helping others or the greater community, and being fulfilled in whatever it is you do. I think being successful means enjoying your life day to day and being happy with who you are and where you are, while always acknowledging there is growth and learning to be done. My art has been a big part of this, acknowledging that it makes me happy and sometimes makes others happy as well. For me, the balance piece comes in with my art since I am a psychotherapist full-time, meaning my art is what helps to fulfill another part of me that craves creativity, mess, and expression.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
When it comes to classifying myself as an artist, that doesn’t mean my profession is art because its not, I am trained as a psychotherapist and that is my career; however, at my deepest truest self, I am an artist. I create whether I intend to or not and I crave the expressive process of art in any form. This yearning for artistic expression goes back as long as I can remember and I dabbled in the idea of it becoming my career, but found it didn’t fill other needs of mine. I attended an arts and project based high school, High Tech High Media Arts, and found there was a way to incorporate art and creativity into everyday tasks and nearly every profession, which is when I decided upon striving towards being an Art Therapist. As a teen I struggled with bullying, depression, and anxiety and began therapy which became a saving grace for me. This is when I found how important mental health is and how creativity and expression is a large part of that. I moved onto my undergraduate career at Santa Clara University where I studied Psychology and Studio Art so that I could continue to fulfill my creative and empathetic needs. To say I always have been consistent with my art would be a straight up lie; I have had many periods of time where I neglect that side of myself. That neglect of my creative side halted when I began my psychotherapy career with children. Utilizing art therapy techniques in sessions has been such an inspiration for how transformative creating art can be which brought me back to my roots of creating, being messy, and getting lost in color, texture, and shapes. I am new in my new side hustle/career as an artist, but that comes second to BEING an artist at heart.

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.
San Diego is my home and absolute favorite place in the world which makes this question hard. I would probably do brunch at Morning Glory (cause who doesn’t love some fancy cocktails and fluffy pancakes while surrounded by pink?!) followed by exploring Little Italy and walking towards Seaport Village. I would then do a picnic at Kate Sessions Park (my childhood park) with California Burritos from Ortiz’s in Point Loma. From there obviously the beach is a must so I would head to WindnSea to snag a nice alcove with some beach games. Seeing the view at the top of Mt. Soledad would be a must to take in the amazing views of San Diego. Finally, to end the night I would take them out to Madison to get a delicious dinner and cocktail which would lead into exploring the nightlife in the area and ending up in North Park for some City Tacos.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Oh man this is a big one. I would not be where I am today without all the support people in my life have given me. I think colleagues have been my biggest cheerleaders in life aside from family. When I began my journey as a psychotherapist, my colleagues at San Diego Center for Children-FFAST engrained in me how truly talented and important I am to my community, which I think stems from the phenomenal leadership of the the program director Aisha Pope (who continues to support me to this day even though I no longer work under her!). When it comes to my art, I have to shoutout my best friend and colleague Myra Hollis for inspiring me to do more with my art. She planted the first seed to start putting it out there and build something with it, and then she supported me by commissioning multiple projects for her non-profit, podcast, and published journal Senses of Self. My patient boyfriend has also been a huge supporter by always reminding me I do it for myself and no one else, so the sales and money or likes don’t matter (he also puts up with my collecting random supplies that flood our apartment). And of course, my OG supporters, mom and dad. My parents are both extremely creative individuals that have embraced artistic expression in me from childhood. Its your first few supporters you’ll always remember and cherish, and I cherish each and everyone of the aforementioned.

Website: https://www.etsy.com/shop/EssJayArt

Instagram: @ess,jay,creations and @s_j_wright

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

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ess.jay.creations

Other: TikTok: @essjaycreations