Daily Inspiration: Meet Sara Pulver

Today we’d like to introduce you to Sara Pulver. 

Hi Sara, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I grew up in a small town in rural Michigan, catching toads and exploring the woods. I’ve been creative for as long as I can remember, but the backbone to my business has always been letter writing. When we were assigned pen pals in Middle School, I immediately became enamored with giving and receiving things through the mail. This continued into my adulthood, then in about 2010, I discovered an incredible service called Postcrossing. It’s an international postcard exchange that is still happening today! You send a postcard somewhere in the world, and then receive one back from someone else – it very quickly becomes addicting. I ended up developing a friendship with several folks who I would exchange letters with on a regular basis. Naturally, I started making my own stationery to write letters on and send. Much to my surprise, people began asking me if I could send them some stationery, then they would send it to their friends – and pretty quickly Dear Ollie was born! 

I founded and began Dear Ollie in 2014. It is now a full line of illustrated goods (not just cards!), and is carried in about 50 boutique shops nationwide. There’s a sense of nostalgia behind sending a handwritten note that I absolutely adore. It’s personal, it’s intimate, it’s a memory that can last for years to come. I still have cards that I’ve kept from childhood birthdays – I’m that person! In my dreams, someone is dragging their special box out from under their bed, blowing the dust off of it, opening it to hold and relish in their memories, and they pull out a card I designed. 

In addition to Dear Ollie, I am also a freelance illustrator and muralist. I’m inspired by nature, humanity, and the exploration of how the two are connected. My work is playful and vibrant, with moody undertones. I love the duality it allows me while exploring subjects that are close to my heart, including wildlife conservation, mental health awareness, feminism, and LGBTQ+/human rights. 

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
If any business owner or creative says it’s been smooth sailing – PLEASE tell the rest of us your secrets!! Haha! I have definitely had both personal and professional hurdles that I’ve needed to overcome over the years. 

I was diagnosed with major depression and generalized anxiety disorder when I was thirteen, and it’s been a part of my story ever since. Not only does it play a role in my capacity and productivity, but also in how I move through the world in general. 

Quite honestly, comparison and imposter syndrome have always been a real struggle for me. I’m sure my mental health contributes to that as well. It’s difficult when we are constantly bombarded with this edited view of what our lives, businesses, and art “should” look like. I deeply believe in community over competition, but there are certainly days where it feels discouraging. My business and creative journey have grown at a slower pace than others, and logically, I know that’s ok, but it’s easy for me to find that frustrating emotionally. 

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I’m an illustrator, muralist, letterer, and about a million things in between. Flora and fauna are my main subject matter, but then I twist things up a little bit. I absolutely love pairing animals with weird-ass quotes from family, friends, or pop culture. I tend to use limited color palettes with saturated tones to draw interest and bring something a little different to the table. When it comes to the critters – the weirder the better. I’m here for the unsung heroes, the not-so-popular crowd in the animal cafeteria – opossums, lungfish, rats, snails, lizards, angler fish, beetles, you name it. I think we have all experienced a feeling of “otherness” or have felt outcast at some point in our lives so in my opinion, these little dudes are just endlessly relatable. 

In the past two years, these creatures have moved from cards to walls, and it has been SO exciting. Creating large-scale public art has been a dream come true. Not only does it selfishly satisfy my need to create and feel sweeping instant gratification, but it gives me an opportunity to share these natural wonders with folks who would not normally be interested. Going back to my love of connection and nostalgia from earlier – I just love stories. And oh my gosh, do you get stories when you’re outside painting odd animals. 

When it comes to what I’m most proud of – I always feel an incredible sense of pride and accomplishment when my work can contribute to causes I care about. Over the past few years, I’ve been able to donate over $1,000.00 to Planned Parenthood thanks to my sticker sales. Not only does that mean that this messaging is all over water bottles, laptops, sewing cases, wherever you can slap a sticker, but then I got to turn around and donate the profits directly to an organization supporting the cause is something I am incredibly proud of. 

We love surprises, fun facts, and unexpected stories. Is there something you can share that might surprise us?
I strive for authenticity and transparency always, so I’m pretty much an open book! So, I’m not sure if there is anything people would find too surprising. 

However, there is one thing that I’ve just started doing professionally lately that folks may not know about! Ok so, I love old weird stuff. Shocking right? I thrift most of my clothing, and spend a large portion of my free time in antique stores and flea markets. Because of this, I’ve developed a pretty incredible curated collection that I use for props for my product photography. In the last year or so, I’ve been taking on a few styling gigs for other local photographers and filmmakers and it is SO. MUCH. FUN. I’ve had the opportunity to work with local film crews on studio projects, collaborate with a few photographer friends, and assist on branding shoots. Eventually, I would love to have a stylist section in my online portfolio – it truly is so fulfilling! 

Pricing:

• Dear Ollie Products: $1.50 – $50.00
• Custom Illustration: Starting at $100
• Murals: Starting at $500

Contact Info:

• Email: hello@sarapulver.com
• Website: dearollie.com
• Instagram: instagram.com/sarapulver
• Facebook: facebook.com/dearollie
• Twitter: twitter.com/alsosarapulver
• Other: sarapulver.com

Image Credits
Jennifer A. Berggren Productions