Posts by Sara Barnes

Sara Barnes

Sara Barnes is a Staff Editor at My Modern Met and Manager of My Modern Met Store. She is a graduate of the Maryland Institute College of Art where she earned her BFA in Illustration and MFA in Illustration Practice. Sara is also an embroidery illustrator and writer living in Seattle, Washington. She runs Bear&Bean, a studio where she stitches pet portraits and other beloved creatures. She chronicles the creativity of others through her website Brown Paper Bag and newsletter, Orts. Her latest book is Threads of Treasure: How to Make, Mend, and Find Meaning Through Thread, published in 2014. Sara’s work has been recognized in Be Creative With Workbox, Embroidery Magazine, American Illustration, on Iron and Wine’s album Beast Epic, among others. When she’s not stitching or writing, Sara enjoys planning things that bring together the craft community. She is the co-founder of Camp Craftaway, a day camp for crafty adults with hands-on workshops in the Seattle area.
January 29, 2019

Woman with Synesthesia Tells People What Their Names Taste Like

Some people have an uncommon condition called synesthesia, which essentially means that one of their senses is understood by another sense (or senses). One of our favorite examples of a synesthetic person is Melissa McCracken, an artist who hears colors and translates their music into gorgeous paintings. But the condition can happen in other ways, too—people’s brains get “cross-wired” in different forms.

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January 17, 2019

14 Contemporary Artists Offer a Rare Look at the Pages of Their Private Sketchbooks

Visual magic happens on the pages of an artist’s sketchbook. The creative person will take the blank book and, page by page, transform it into an incredible art object that functions as an intimate handheld gallery featuring their work and writing. Artist Dina Brodsky is one such person, as she has kept a sketchbook since she was 18 years old.

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January 11, 2019

10 Creative Audiobooks to Artistically Inspire Your Mind Through Your Ears

With January 1 now past, the mantra “new year, new you” has probably worn out its welcome. But just because that phrase has been on repeat, it doesn’t make it any less inspiring—or true. You might’ve identified your goals for the next 365 days, but there’s a chance you still need help getting started on them. To aid you on this quest, we’ve selected many books that you can listen to in an audiobook format.

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January 3, 2019

Here’s a First Look at How the Studio Ghibli Theme Park Will Look in 2022

If you’re a fan of the iconic Hayao Miyazaki films, chances are that you’re eager to visit the forthcoming Ghibli Theme Park. While the project was originally slated for completion in 2020, there’s been a slight delay—it’s now expected to open in 2022. Although a setback, there are new concept drawings and plans for what we can anticipate once it’s complete.

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