THEATRE
DESIGN ARE THE
same skill in
different fonts
THEATRE
DESIGN ARE THE
same skill in
different fonts
In this essay, I will—actually, hold up. Allow me to introduce myself first.
★
Sarah kleist
Designer, educator, musical theatre performer, New Yorker, and the reigning Queen of the Mesh Top™.
I've been telling stories my whole life; first on stage, and now on screen (well, your screen).
As a brand and web designer, I help creative entrepreneurs build digital homes that actually feel like them. And as a musical theatre performer, I’m reminded daily that capturing attention is an art, connection is a craft, and showing up fully is the whole job.
turns out, those skills transfer pretty damn well!
hi, i'm
seen in...
When my dad forced me to audition for the school musical because I was spending too much time on the computer, I had no idea it'd lead me straight into a life where I am uniquely qualified to do
(Although looking back, that's honestly too perfect—you really can't make this shit up.) I was upset at the time, but I'm so glad he put his foot down and got my ass out of the house, because theatre taught me everything I needed to know about marketing:
★ How to read a room and hold attention.
★ How to take someone on a journey from Point A to Point B and make them feel something along the way.
★ How to make choices so authentic they look effortless.
★ How to show up, fully, in service of an audience.
So, sure—on paper, Kleist Creative is only 6 years old, but in practice, I've actually spent my entire life cultivating the skills to inspire, educate, entertain, and engage. And now, I'm using those skills to help you make an impact, too.
both.
“You’re REALLY a designer AND an actor? At the same time? This isn’t a metaphor?”
People ask this constantly, so let me set the record straight: yes, I really do both. Like, literally. In real life.
In any given week, I might be designing a website, filming a self-tape audition in my apartment, hopping on a client call, running to a callback in Midtown, connecting someone's domain, designing someone’s newsletter, going to rehearsal (if I'm lucky), performing in a show (if I'm luckier), and seeing at least one musical on Broadway (for research, obviously).
Some weeks lean more design and some weeks lean more theatre, but honestly, most weeks are a chaotic blend of both.
(And hey, I may not know what "work-life balance" means, but at least I do know what a fulfilling, maximalist, and intentionally weird creative career looks like!)
It's deffffffinitely not for everyone, but it's very much for me.
okay, but wait...
these are the ones i'll die on:
Every creative has their hills,
Pick-a-lane culture is dead.
“NiChE dOwN!” “ChOoSe OnE ThInG!” I've been hearing it for years, and I've been ignoring it for just as long. I believe that brands can hold multitudes. If people are confused, they're probably not your people anyway.
Creativity thrives inside structure.
I'm a rare left-brain/right-brain hybrid, so I believe constraints are the container that makes creativity possible. I bring the logic, strategy, and clarity of a systems thinker to every creative or artistic project I’m involved in, whether it’s online or onstage.
You don’t have to starve to be an artist.
I fundamentally disagree with the narrative that says creative people have to choose between making art and making a living. You can and should do both—because art requires sustainability, not suffering.
“Multi-hyphenate” was never a
buzzword for me.
Watched Riverdance for the first time and was absolutely GAGGED. I was convinced I was going to be the most famous Irish dancer that ever lived.
Dad told me I needed to get off the computer and do something besides write, so he made me audition for the school musical. I never looked back (…to fiction, at least).
Irish Dancer
Author
Singer
Wrote a 200+ page novel on Microsoft word. (Okay, fine, it was double spaced.) Was it good? Absolutely not. But did I finish it? Yes ma’am. And that counts for something!!!!
My parents were professional musicians, so I sang ever since I could talk. But I didn’t consider myself a singer ~for real until I auditioned for a solo in middle school choir and got it.
Actor
these two stuck.
Here’s every creative title I've held (so far).
age 5
age 11
age 12
age 13
My best friend Lindsey and I started a channel making stupid music videos that I edited with 10x more intensity than any TikTok or Reel on the internet. We only had 20 subscribers, but we were creating content before it was cool.
Ultimately, producing was not for me, so I went back to school to study nonfiction writing. I really wanted to be the next Joan Didion. (A cannon event, I fear.)
Youtube Creator
Producer
Social Media Manager
After graduating from an NYC theatre conservatory and hitting the audition circuit HARD for a year, I self-produced a couple of plays with a friend. We got to cast our pals & do whatever we wanted. It was a very liberating (and pretentious) time.
Started running the Instagram account for the restaurant I worked at and realized I was good at social media. (Also lowkey, my photography skills were not too shabby either.)
Nonfiction Writer
age 14
age 20
Age 21
Age 22
Went viral more than a couple of times for all sorts of things and built an audience of 60K+ followers with all different interests.
Designing websites, performing in musicals, teaching workshops, speaking on stages, singing in concerts, mentoring other designers, writing newsletters, and somehow doing all of it at once!
TikToker
Designer
Accidentally started a thriving brand & web design studio during the pandemic, which led me to…
today!
age 26
age 26
catch me on a mic
Speaking and Podcasts
I've been a guest on a buuuuunch of podcasts and stages—from Showit's annual Spark Conference in Arizona (twice!), to universities, to industry podcasts for creative entrepreneurs.
If you want to hear me talk about sustaining a multi-medium career, building websites in a week, or why "pick a lane" is the worst advice ever given to creatives, here are some faves:
The Freak Show podcast
Point of the story podcast
1
1.4M+
performance of "The Wizard and I" at a Jonas Brothers concert (yes, really 💀)
websites designed and launched since I started my business in 2020
likes accumulated on TikTok across a very chaotic range of topics
Oh, i fucking love a stat
Here are some of mine:
&
0
#sadgirl songs in my Spotify library (the world is too sad to be listening to ballads, sry)
200+
Tuesday newsletters sent without missing a week, ever
∞
Notion dashboards keeping my life together at any given time
aaaaand, scene
jk, we're just getting started!
Whatever you’re here for—design, education, digital tools, mentorship, or just good vibes—I'm so fucking glad you found me.
Because the world doesn't need more "niche experts" or "starving artists." It needs more multidimensional people who let their work change shape as they do—well-resourced, creatively fulfilled, and unapologetically pivoting.
★
TikTok
Threads
Insta
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