In this essay, I will—actually, hold up. Allow me to introduce myself first.
★
THEATRE
DESIGN ARE THE
same skill in
different fonts
THEATRE
DESIGN ARE THE
same skill in
different fonts
turns out, those skills transfer pretty damn well!
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.
Designer, educator, musical theatre performer, New Yorker, and the reigning Queen of the Mesh Top™.
Sarah kleist
hi, i'm
seen in...
(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.
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
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 most weeks are a balanced 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.
“You’re REALLY a designer AND an actor? At the same time? This isn’t a metaphor?”
okay, but wait...
“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.
Pick-a-lane culture is dead.
these are the ones i'll die on:
Every creative has their hills,
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.
Creativity thrives inside structure.
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 making good art requires sustainability.
You don’t have to starve to be an artist.
these two stuck.
My parents were professional musicians, so I've been singing 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.
age 13
Singer
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).
age 12
Actor
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!!!!
age 11
Author
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.
age 5
Irish Dancer
Here’s every creative title I've held (so far).
“Multi-hyphenate” was never a
buzzword for me.
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.)
Age 22
Social Media Manager
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.)
Age 21
Nonfiction Writer
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.
age 20
Producer
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!!!!
age 14
Youtube Creator
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!
today!
Accidentally started a thriving brand & web design studio during the pandemic, which led me to…
age 26
Designer
Went viral more than a couple of times for all sorts of things and built an audience of 60K+ followers with all different interests.
age 26
TikToker
Point of the story podcast
The Freak Show podcast
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:
Speaking and Podcasts
catch me on a mic
&
Notion dashboards keeping my life together at any given time
∞
Tuesday newsletters sent without missing a week, ever
200+
#sadgirl songs in my Spotify library (the world is too sad to be listening to ballads, sry)
0
likes accumulated on TikTok across a very chaotic range of topics
1.4M+
performance of "The Wizard and I" at a Jonas Brothers concert (yes, really 💀)
1
websites designed and launched since I started my business in 2020
Here are some of mine:
Oh, i fucking love a stat
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.
jk, we're just getting started!
★
aaaaand, scene
Insta
Threads
TikTok
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