Meet Sara Young of Westland, MI

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

Sara, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
My story is ever evolving. Everything ties into everything else. Because I met one person, I met the next and so on.

I started etching glass artware 25 years ago after taking a stained glass weekend class with my Sister-In-Law. I could create the designs and cut the glass like a champ, but I couldn’t solder the pieces together to save my soul. The instructor told me that in the 30 years he’d been teaching these classes, I had single handedly wasted more solder than in his entire career combined.

That wasn’t helpful.

But on the last day of class, he showed us how to etch glass. The lightbulb went off, and I’ve never looked back. SYS Custom Etching and Engraving was born.

I moved from acid etching simple designs to using sandblasting to be able to increase the intricacy of my designs.

In 2011 TechShop Detroit opened, and the possibility of using Co2 Lasers changed everything.

With a laser I was able to work with Glass, Leather, Stone, Slate, Wood and so much more. I am able to not only etch images, but I can cut materials as well.

Favorite projects to work on are my Laser Photography. This allows me to take any image I am given and engrave it onto wood, slate, powder coated stainless steel and mirrored glass.

In 2017 I had someone ask if I could do a 3D piece out of wood of the Great Lakes of Michigan,

That lightbulb went wild, and I moved into my 3D Artwork pieces. I do all the design work, use my laser to cut the pieces, and then get to paint, stain and assemble them. I’m making my own puzzles for a living! Favorites here again, are photos that are special to someone, and being able to create their memories in 3D.

Also in 2017 I moved out of Corporate America and into being an Artist fulltime. So liberating and scary as hell. Living without a safety net is not for the faint of heart.

I know it’s time to make take these leaps of faith when the idea hits me, and my body reacts by my stomach flipping upside down, breaking out in goosebumps and acknowledging the low grade panic.

At the end of 2017 I was watching a lot of Comedy Specials. Ellen Degeneres, Kathleen Madigan, Gabriel Iglesias….and the thought rolled through my mind, “They’re just talking about their lives” – and my stomach flipped, goosebumps flourished and panic ensued.

Uh oh.

I told a few (very few) friends that I was thinking of taking a Stand-Up Comedy class, and was horrified when they all thought it was a great idea. Now I would have to go through with this!

As luck would have it, Mark Ridley’s Comedy Castle had a class that was starting that week. Bill Bushart taught it. He is a master at being a Comedian, and at helping newbies find their voice. Halfway through class, I was trying to work through a premise (about losing 250# after a disastrous helicopter flight) when Bill told me, “Sara, that’s not stand-up, that’s storytelling”.

Cue the lightbulb and low grade nausea again.

I’ve always loved listening to The Moth, and another Google search led me to The Secret Society of Twisted Storytellers and incomparable Satori Shakoor. I submitted my idea, and was invited to tell my story in October 2019.

Honestly, I thought that the class show at the end of my class at The Comedy Castle would be it. One and done. But when you can make a room filled with 400 people all laugh? That’s beyond intoxicating.

And someone was in that audience. That person recommended me to a friend that was looking for a comic to put together a show for a charity event and contacted me. (Cue panic) I figured it out, and Sara Young Productions was born.

October 2019, I had business in New Hudson, MI. When I came out to my Jeep (my wheel cover has one of my designs with my website on it) I had an email from Dan Weiand, the owner of Whole Hearted Winery in New Hudson asking if I could help him out with some etching he needed. Another lightbulb, more nausea, and 6 years later, Dan, his wife Brenda, and I are heading into our 6th year of monthly Live Comedy shows.

I’ve had the joy, privilege and honor to host shows with Michigan’s best and brightest Comics that I get to call friends and make people laugh along the way. Combining this with my Artwork, and Storytelling, I am absolutely living my dreams.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
There is never a good time to hear the word “no”. It’s difficult to see your peers getting opportunities that you aren’t. But what I’ve come to learn is that the only person that thinks less of me for not having these opportunities (YET!!) is myself. I just buckle down, work harder, and get better.

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I specialize in Laser Photography and 3D Wood Artwork.
Storytelling.
Stand-Up Comedy.

My life is absurd, things happen that shouldn’t (Porn Hub at iHop?) and I get to share with people.

Storytelling is truth. Storytelling is power. Storytelling is my heartbeat.

Being able to take a suggestion (can you do a dinosaur?) and make it a reality is a blessing.

Risk taking is a topic that people have widely differing views on – we’d love to hear your thoughts.
I don’t think I’m a risk taker, but every major change has been a giant leap of faith – so I might be wrong.

Walking away from Corporate America? Huge risk.
Picking up a mic? Scary as hell.
Telling my truths and living truthfully? See above.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.sys-etching.com
• Instagram: @Sara.Young
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/syscustometching/