Meet Sage Helperman | Visual Artist & Live Painter

We had the good fortune of connecting with Sage Helperman and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Sage, what do you think makes you most happy? Why?
Going to see live music makes me very happy. In some ways, it gives me a reason to live (other than my pets, they also give me purpose). Live music and the communities surrounding it have been a never-ending sources of new friendships, shared connections, and amazing sounds that heal the mind, soul, and body. When the concert is particularly good, it can be a semi-religious experience.

My animals make me happy too, because I think having something or someone to take care of gives one a reason to live. If you live for just yourself, there is not much to really be motivated for. When others and their happiness/well-being is involved, you are almost obligated to be there for them. I think for me personally, helping others makes me happy (to an extent, I try to not let others burn me out as well, in order to keep a healthy balance).
Also, making art, doing creative writing, and playing music make me happy. Just being creative in general is a pretty consistent source of happiness even when sometimes you have writers/artists block (both of which are incredibly frustrating, no doubt).

As of late, cleaning and organizing my living space also helps my happiness levels. It can be fun with some good music going on in the background, and generally I just feel more in order when my environment is in order.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I think the one thing that truly sets my art apart from others in my community, is that even though I advertise myself as a live painter, I actually don’t use paintbrushes very often. I primarily use paint pens and india ink, with some paintbrush strokes in some areas to give the image more texture. I almost boycotted the use of a paintbrush at first, because I felt like everyone was doing it. At least live painting with paint pens is different, and not common amongst the live painting community at large. I’ve had a bit of an identity crisis doing that sometimes because I think people are surprised that I don’t use paintbrushes often. It’s a hard thing to explain somtimes I suppose.

I think overall, I can attribute my success in the art world to generous people in the music/art scene who have given me opportunities to exhibit some of my works or live paint. I’ve used those opportunities to network and connect even further. No gig is taken for granted. I appreciate every event I’ve ever been a part of, truly.

I think without using live painting at music concerts as a primary means of marketing, I wouldn’t have gotten very far. There just aren’t enough ways for artists to really reach a broad audience without either paying for social media advertising, or pure luck. I’ve met some artists that don’t live paint who are moderately successful for sure, but I just feel like in my personal experience if you can integrate live painting into your art, you might have a better chance of capturing the attention of potential customers.

What I want people to know about my brand and story, is that I am simply a cartoonist/creative writer/musician who does art as a way to market myself. I love doing art and frequently create works for fun, but I think these days I spend more time trying to get myself out there than actually making new stuff, which is a bit sad. Trying to work on that part.

I also like to do photography, and used to do it professionally on occasion as a teenager.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
My favorite spots in the city can vary depending on the season and mood, but my go-to hangout spot is So Many Roads Museum & Brewing in Denver, Colorado. Great spot to live paint, make new friends, hang out with your old friends, listen to some Grateful Dead music, and play arcade games. It really is a fun place and maybe my favorite music venue other than Red Rocks Amphitheatre or The Mishawaka Amphitheatre, which are also both in Colorado.

If I were to give someone a tour of Denver, I would take them to the Museum of Nature & Science, The Denver Art Museum, So Many Roads Museum & Brewing, 16th Street Mall, Santa Fe Arts District, and finally the grand star on top of the tree, Red Rocks! Greatest music venue in the world.

However, there is lots of great fun to be had all over Denver and Colorado. You just got to poke around. There is a little something for everyone here.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I’d have to say my number one shoutout would be to Matt Groening, the creator of The Simpsons, Futurama, Live in Hell, and Disenchantment. As a kid, I started off as a cartoonist more than an artist, per se. Mr. Groening’s funny cartoons and edgy sense of humor were an instant source of inspiration to me at such a malleable time. My initial style of drawing humans was almost a rip-off of Groening’s art style a little bit, I have to admit.

My foray into creative writing and making comic books as a kid was pretty much directly due to Matt Groening, so I think I have to give him the spotlight here. Without him, I might not be who I am today.

Website: http://www.sagehelperman.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sagehelperman/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sagehelperman

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/HelpermanTube

Image Credits
All images taken by myself except for Pancakes & Booze Art Show snapshot of me live painting was taken by Glenn Little II of IGLIVISION.