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.
Inspiring
October 27, 2022

Coal Miner Still Covered in Soot Drops Everything To Take Son to His First Basketball Game

Parents make sacrifices for their children all of the time. Sometimes they’re large, and sometimes they are small—like coming straight from work in order to participate in a special event. Michael McGuire is just that sort of dad. He’s a coal miner who, despite being covered in soot after a shift in the mines, rushed to be with his 3-year-old Easton and attend their first live basketball game together.

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Animals
October 25, 2022

Owl Steals a Child’s Stick Horse Toy and Looks Like a “Wicked Witch” Flying Around on a Broomstick

Halloween is a time of great spookiness. A witch riding on a broomstick is one iconic image that comes to mind, and an owl in Eureka, Illinois, did its best to recreate this type of spine-chilling scene. The great horned owl was captured on camera flying through the sky carrying a child’s toy broomstick—not unlike the witches in Halloween tales.

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Video
October 24, 2022

Hiker Fends off a Terrifying Bear Attack While Climbing Down a Mountain

A mountain climber was maneuvering down a rocky ridge on Mount Futago in the Saitama Prefecture of Japan, when he had a terrifying encounter. Suddenly, from seemingly out of nowhere, a black bear came and attacked him from behind. The climber fought back; from higher ground, he began screaming, kicking, and using a hammer fist in order to scare the creature and drive it away. It worked, and the bear eventually retreated.

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Inspiring
October 21, 2022

Aerospace Engineering Student Who Was Bullied for Her Red Hair Is Crowned Miss England 2022

Growing up and attending school is challenging for all kids, but for some it can be even more difficult. When someone looks “different,” it's fodder for being teased. Jessica Gagen has an intimate understanding of what it feels like to be bullied for your appearance. When she was in secondary school in Lancashire, England, (middle school in the U.S.), she was made fun of for her red hair.

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My Modern Met

Celebrating creativity and promoting a positive culture by spotlighting the best sides of humanity—from the lighthearted and fun to the thought-provoking and enlightening.