Meet Sara and Christa Olson and Schmitz | Chrisara Designs, Artists & Business Owners

We had the good fortune of connecting with Sara and Christa Olson and Schmitz and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Sara and Christa, how has your perspective on work-life balance evolved over time?
Christa and I, Sara, are hard driven people by nature. I think it’s because we’re twins, feed off each other’s energy, and very competitive. (To all those enneagram Type 3, “Achiever” personalities, you can relate!) That being said, we have always been obsessive in creating art & design. Our business, Chrisara Designs, was started in 2013 while we lived in Colorado, and it began with us selling hand drawn nature inspired pillows and apparel. It quickly branched out into other design aspects from that. We have done this for our own business endeavors, but also for other companies or custom orders as well. For the past 10 years, a few examples of things we’ve done are such as a front cover/full feature illustration spread for a nation wide magazine, 8 full dishware designs sets, 3 children’s book illustrations, coloring book designs for our current city, & commercial murals. It didn’t feel like an option to say no to a project because what if we missed a great opportunity? Now that we have had the opportunities, the past couple of years we have learned the word “no thanks” to honor our time for the creative things we really would like to do or feel excited about. It started getting hard to focus in on what was most creatively important, and we both felt like we were getting trapped in what we were about. It felt like major burnout point. Both of us needed more quiet time with our thoughts to get the mind flowing with colors and ideas! It felt like being lost as we were just trying to get the custom orders out, etc. Now, weekends are mostly kept for doing whatever we want to do, but not where it feels like work! It can still be something to do with art though, just for personal endeavors. There’s the start to some balance. Also, we don’t want to just be creating for other’s because it feels like our work is lost for a company. Creating art for us and then putting it out there in the world feels like it helps with balance. To be honest, if you’re an artistic person, it’s hard to ever find that because highs and lows can happen real easily. It’s knowing yourself, and how to deal with it.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
It feels like the excitement is when our twin & creative minds get to join forces to work together. It’s crazy when one of us comes up with the idea, but both get excited because we can get the vision to move forward. Then the one starts it, & the other knows exactly what to do to finish the art. Or we take turns to just keep adding to a work. We also can execute a piece at the same time, (If the piece is large enough. A mural for example) & not question if it’s going to look cohesive. It hasn’t always been easy. At the time, we graduated from college when jobs were hard to come by. Even though we knew we wanted to do our own business endeavor, it kind of felt expected that every college graduate goes out and finds a corporate job. Which we both did, but felt so freeing to go on our own, create Chrisara Designs, & make something out of it. It was during the “quiet, calm, stagnant feeling season of life” that made things get started for us & our business. Without us trying to force anything. It simply happened. We also knew that some things can be an overnight success, but we were satisfied to take the small victories to keep getting bigger ones. Each year we learn new things. It’s always safe to stay humble while remaining confident in what you’re doing. We just want people to know they don’t have to have all of it together. Do things afraid, don’t be intimidated to ask questions, and try things out. Be kind to yourself if you fail at something, & just try something else.

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?
Christa & I, Sara, are both energetic & quickly drained people! We talk fast, jumbled, and then feel tired. Ha, so the list of what we would do, is short, and sweet. 1. Come to either Christa’s or my house. Ozark, MO. (We live a couple minutes away from each other!) It’s super pretty with the rolling hills in view. Appetizers & cocktails. Christa & my fav appetizer: smoked salmon on toasted baguette with goat cheese, fresh dill, and capers. Cocktail: TBD. Sit outside to enjoy outdoors, music. (I’m guessing 70’s music playlist) If Christa’s husband & my husband were present, they would sing karaoke the whole time. Sinatra for my husband to sing, & 90’s music for Christa’s husband.
2. Finley Farms in Ozark, MO. It is beautiful there with a huge, amazing, coffee shop, “The Workshop”, and also gardens galore, sitting areas, and an amazing dine restaurant, “The Mill” that overlooks the river.
3. Silver Dollar City In Branson, MO is a fun classic, and has the best old timey feel without being too overdone.
4. Go to Farmer’s Market of the Ozarks early Saturday morning or hit the Ozarks trailways for walking & the Ozarks views.
5. Branson, MO…Random fun places to go to! In the summer time though. Feels like when you had your first crush & wanting to impress them with taking them on a date to Branson Landing, food, a Branson show, and water time…then finish with a sunset.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Instagram: @chrisaradesigns

Our parents, Bob & Bonnie Schmitz. They both believed in us from an early age & always encouraged us. They didn’t let us watch tv much growing up and put us at a little table with paper and pencils, and this is where the creativity started.

Christa’s husband, Blake. Also an artist & a twin. Sara’s husband, Edward. Each of our husbands back us up any art schemes we have.

Mel & Jan Myers, Spencer IA. High school art teacher & TAG teacher. They believed in us & bent over backwards to help us when we did not know the next step to take.

Website: chrisaradesigns.square.site & chrisaradesigns.com

Instagram: chrisaradesigns

Facebook: Chrisara Designs

Other: Contact: chrisaradesigns@gmail.com

Image Credits
1st 2 Christa & Sara outdoor shots, image credit: Instagram, @morganleaphotog (Morganleaphotography.com)