How Hitting a Creative Wall Helped Artist Sara Drescher Find Joy in her Art Again

Sara Drescher is a Texas-based artist with over 20 years of experience. In this interview, she talks about her creative journey, from getting her Master of Fine Arts degree to what inspires her today. Sara explains how her art has changed, focusing on telling women’s stories, addressing oppression, and exploring empowerment. She also opens up about overcoming creative blocks, her love of symbolism, and her wanting her audience to feel connected to her work. From using everyday kitchen items to representing powerful women from old legends, Sara’s passion for storytelling shines through.

Sara Drescher, a Texas-based painter, uses realism, surrealism, and still-life paintings to present stories of women. Drescher earned her Master of Fine Arts degree at Texas Tech University and her Bachelor Fine Arts degree at the University of North Texas. She has more than 20 years of experience as a professional artist and more than 10 years of experience leading popular workshops and ongoing art classes for adults. In 2021, Drescher had a solo exhibit at the Museum of the Southwest titled Reclaiming the Casserole. This exhibition was reviewed in Glasstire, Texas, Visual Art News and Reviews, August 31, 2021. This was her second solo exhibition at the Museum of the Southwest in Midland, TX. She has also had a solo exhibition at the CASE Gallery in Ft. Morgan, CO and recently had a solo exhibition at Raw 1899 Gallery in San Angelo, TX in 2023. Her work has been recognized in numerous juried art shows around the United States, and she has been the artist in residence at the Museum of the Southwest Children’s Museum, the Midland County Centennial Library, and Elsewhere Studios in Paonia, CO. In 2023, she was featured on the podcast “Badass Women of Any Age” and the long-running PBS show “Texas Country Reporter.” Currently, my work is transitioning into a new series. The work from the previous series to the current one seems visually unconnected, but the thread of ideas links them. While the imagery has had many iterations, my work has always been about women and the oppression we still face in our society. My kitchenware series presents double standards and issues that women deal with and integrates them into the graphics of familiar domestic cookware. These pieces remind us that, in many ways, we have not come very far in our goal of equality for women, especially for women of color. My newest series explores the archetypes and mysterious power of women in lore. Far from being only a damsel in distress, the women I present are fully in tune with nature and are taking back the roles of matriarch and wise women that have been slowly erased from our society.

1. Can you tell us a little about yourself and your background?

My name is Sara Drescher. I am a professional artist living in Fredericksburg, TX. I recently earned my master’s degree in fine art and have lived in Texas my whole life. As a professional artist, I have created many types of art to make my living. That has included portraits, murals, commercial work, custom art, and my art. I have sold my work at art festivals, but I only sell via my website. I use realism and symbolism to tell a story or make social commentary, or both.

I reflected on what other things interest me and what I wanted to research for this next period in my artistic journey.

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2. Where do you find inspiration for your artwork?

Through the 20+ years I have been creating art professionally, I have been inspired by women’s stories. For many years, I used the female form to re-present the mainly patriarchal stories and symbolism in religion and spirituality. In grad school, I created a series of works that used familiar kitchenware to discuss current events that highlight oppression and double standards that women still grapple with today. Recently, I started a new series of works that create new versions of ancient allegories with nods to the modern world woven in. This series will focus on imagery featuring the connection between women and nature.

3. How do you handle creative blocks or periods of low inspiration?

Until I went to grad school, I never had creative blocks when making my work. I had a never-ending supply of ideas, and my series flowed into the next effortlessly. Grad school forced me to create specific work for the program. This was a difficult transition, and I struggled to make it work throughout my time there. Thankfully, I came out with solid work that I liked. However, I had created that work to satisfy someone/something else. I hit a creative wall this summer after spending two years post-graduation working on that series. This was a moment of artistic standstill that I had never experienced. Not to be overly dramatic, but I also felt disconnected from my true self. I tried to rest from making art to reset my creative journey and inspiration. Resting/not creating art is scary for a working artist! I visited an artist friend in another state, and it helped tremendously to see art currently being made in another region and to talk with another artist about what I was going through. I realized that I had to permit myself to make art for myself again and not worry about whether it would meet academic art standards. I knew I didn’t want to pick up the art I was making before grad school, but I tried to remember when I was last thrilled to make art. I reflected on what other things interested me and what I wanted to research for this next period in my artistic journey. I have always loved symbolism and stories, so I started creating my own ‘fables’. I am reading books on the psychology and theory behind ancient stories and archetypes that still influence our culture today. I am also learning about the folklore from my ancestral countries. This new direction has gotten me back in the studio, trying to paint a flow of ideas as fast as I can! I am joyful and excited about my art for the first time in about five years. I have always heard that ‘you should make art that is authentic to you.’ This experience has confirmed the importance of authenticity in my art practice.

4. How do you know when a piece of art is finished?

When I start a piece, I have an image that I want to make physically. The detail and specificity of that image vary. So, if I am lucky, I am done when the painting matches my idea. However, the painting often has other ideas. When that happens, it becomes tricky to know when it is finished. Usually, I see a piece is complete when it stops ‘talking to me.’ When nothing keeps asking for attention, and it feels balanced in composition and meaning, I stop. Putting a piece away for a few days will also help. Separation from my piece in progress clarifies whether the work is done. If not, something will often jump out to help me finish it.

I have always heard that ‘you should make art that is authentic to you.’ This experience has confirmed the importance of authenticity in my own art practice.

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5. What do you hope people take away from experiencing your art?

I love it when my audience finds a connection to my work. As human beings, collective rituals, stories, and traditions are integral to forming a sense of belonging and safety. If we can relate to having heard a particular tale or know a pattern of group ceremonial behavior, we feel part of the ‘tribe.’ When my art becomes part of the link between a person and their lived experiences, that is special. Often it will be as simple as a familiar resonance with an idea. Ideally, the viewer will come away with the comfort of a shared experience or being seen..

Sara Drescher’s creative journey is one of personal growth and thoughtful exploration. Her dedication to telling women’s stories and her use of symbolism and nature make each piece deeply meaningful. As she continues to explore new themes and challenge herself, Sara’s art remains a true reflection of her experiences, connecting with anyone who has faced obstacles and found strength through creativity. To learn more about Sara, visit the links below.