CLEVELAND — Sarah Beth Morgan is a Cleveland-based designer and illustrator whose work is making national waves with the distinct visual style and a growing list of projects.
But Sarah's work is just as interesting as her story. She spent much of her childhood far from Northeast Ohio, after her father took a job in Saudi Arabia. The change in culture had a great influence on her formative years.
"There wasn't much to do outside of the house or the neighborhood, so I actually ended up doing a lot more of creative type things with my friends that kind of sparked that creative journey," she said.
After moving to Northeast Ohio for high school and deepening her passion for art with local programs, Sarah decided to go full out with her creative journey, attending the prestigious Savannah College of Art and Design, before finding success as an illustrator for animation.
"I've done projects for [clients ranging from] Google, to Adobe. I think one of my favorite ones was the Bath & Body Works commercial I did because it was my style," Morgan explained. "It was like a cute little fox running through this surreal world. I love doing stuff like that where clients like my style and then I get to bring that into their world."
And to expand her signature style. Sarah took on the ultimate challenge directing a short animated film about her personal experience called "Between Lines."
"[The film] is basically about an experience I had when I was in seventh grade. I was bullied by other girls in my grade, so I wanted to kind of bring that emotion and that experience," she reflected. "It's a little bit of a darker story, so I wanted to implement some new techniques into it. And then I really was excited because it was an all-women team, which felt really important for the subject matter."
This award-winning film has been shown everywhere from New York to Germany, and while it resonates with an experience from Sarah's past, her most recent endeavor reflects more recent events in her life.
"So I had my son Artie about a year ago. He's 15 months now, and even before him I loved children's books, so it's always kind of been a dream of mine to illustrate for them," she said. "This is my first ever illustrated children's book, 'The Color of Yummy.' It was written by Anja and Sam Pasquesi. They have a four-year-old, so it was really about trying to get her to eat, not beige foods, learning about different fruits and vegetables, and I thought it was a really cool concept."
From client work to original projects, Sarah Beth says she's determined to continue her creative journey and she's open to every fantastic turn that journey presents.
"I think when I was in school, I had this idea and this picture of where I was going to end up. I feel like my career has been evolving in ways that I never expected."
The Color of Yummy: A Lift-the-Flap Hardcover Book is available locally at the following Northeast Ohio independent bookstores and retailers:
Océanne (Gordon Square & Pinecrest)
The Learned Owl (Hudson)
Made Cleveland (Cleveland Heights)
Fireside Book Shop (Chagrin Falls)
and coming soon to Mac's Backs-Books on Coventry (Cleveland Heights)
You can also purchase it online here now.