Nature, mental health, and curiosity: the art of Sarita Walsh
Image via @saritawalsh on Instagram.
If you’ve scrolled through any social media explore page, you’ve likely stumbled upon Sarita Walsh’s work. As an artist and designer, Sarita roots her work in helping to build self-acceptance and accommodate self-growth, as well as creating an open source for conversation surrounding her own mental health issues, and how the everyday things propel her design.
Where did you begin in the art/design world?
Since I was a child, art was a tool I used to escape my reality. I couldn’t imagine being anything else but an artist, but when I was introduced to graphic design I knew that was what I wanted to study. After getting my BA in Communication Design, I worked in the design industry in Sydney for 5 years, then moved to New York City in 2014—where I continued to work as a designer and started selling personal art work.
What was your process in finding the link between self-care and design?
Just over a year ago I discovered that I have ADHD—which validated many of my past experiences. With this awareness, I realised that I’m a visual learner, and I learn best when there’s less noise in the information I’m trying to comprehend. I started visualizing information—self-care activities, self- discovery techniques, and self-development tools—to serve as a simple reminder for, often, complex ideas. Simplicity doesn’t necessarily mean removing the complex; it means removing the superfluous.
This exercise quickly became how I process information. If I can’t visualise it, then perhaps there’s something I’m not understanding. It helps me connect with the idea like a eureka moment. Once I experienced that connection, I find simple visuals carry more gravity than any complicated paragraphs, making them very powerful reminders.
Do you think there is a key to mastering our own personal self-care and growth?
I find curiosity to be one of the most powerful instruments in all aspects of human growth and development—and it’s certainly hopeful to know that you can cultivate curiosity.
What do you value most in yourself and your work?
I value my curiosity. It keeps me open-minded and empathetic—both are traits I have great fondness of. I’d like to also note that because of curiosity, I very much enjoy solitude and am seldom bored, which made me particularly resilient, especially in 2020.
With my work, I value its ability to help people live better, more meaningful lives. This notion plays a crucial role in my wellbeing.
You’ve shared about finding inspiration in the small parts of everyday life. Are there things that you find yourself drawing inspiration from most?
Nature, to me, is so elegantly complex yet simple. It doesn’t have complicated and unnecessary layers like some man-made designs. There are all these intricate systems that, although, I may not yet understand, there’s still a sense that it is knowable. Nature is wisdom I enjoy observing.
In the art and design space, is there anything that you feel is missing?
I often find myself connecting with a piece of art or design that I’m preconditioned to liking, leaving me with little room to venture out of my default preference. Storytelling helps me step out of that comfort zone. It helps me connect with the artists and their work from their POV. I would love to see—or experience, rather—more innovative ways in how artists share their work in order to reach new audiences.
You’ve been open on social media about your experience with PMDD. Has there been a relationship between creativity and combatting mental health issues for you?
As mentioned, art was a very effective tool used to escape reality when I was young. It still is, but the difference, now, is that I no longer use it to escape—because with that approach then, my reality was always a disappointment to come back to. Today, I use creativity to embrace my reality, and lean into my discomfort with curiosity. I would invite my feelings to sit with me, ask them questions, listen to their response, paint their answers, one by one with no judgement.
What’s next for you? Personal and professional!
I just started an online course with Yale University on Introduction to Psychology after quitting my full-time job back in March. Aside from learning new skills, and continuing to sell original artwork on my website, I have no clue what’s next for me.
Although one thing I know for certain is I won’t waste anymore of my precious time saying yes to things that don’t bring me meaning and joy.
