By Siera Schubach, Staff Writer

Published in print Jan, 28, 2015

Sabrina Byrd has a self-professed “knack for the absurd”. Photographer, illustrator, crafter, actor, writer, costumer and graphic artist, Sabrina is a multi-hyphened wonder. A transfer student from UNC School of the Arts where she majored in design and costume production, Sabrina is currently a Media Studies major.

“I like making stuff up… my favorite way to pass the time is to tell stories.  I’d tell my friends improvised stories and they would get increasingly ridiculous… but [my friends] wouldn’t notice until, like, a house was taking off,” she says, laughing.

A fan of science fiction and fantasy, Sabrina says much of her inspiration comes from reading the words of her favorite authors. “Their styles and creativity really inspire me,” she says. Sabrina counts Gabriel García Márquez and Kafka among her favorites. “I don’t only like things that I agree with… if a story makes me feel something, then it’s working,” she says.

In high school, Sabrina was part of theatre productions, spending part of the time acting and the rest of it costuming. “It was fun because it’s a part of storytelling, but you’re always at the mercy of the director and their personal vision,” she explains. Sabrina is also the author of several surrealist plays, one of which won at UNCG’s Playworks Festival.

At UNCSA, she continued this pursuit in theatre but transferred to UNCG for a lighter workload. “I was working nearly 60 hours a week in the drama department,” she says. “It was too much.” After completing her undergraduate degree, Sabrina hopes to pursue a Masters in design. “I’d like to work in advertising or doing some sort of graphic design”.

Currently, Sabrina is the secretary of the Science Fiction Fantasy Federation (“We’re the oldest club at UNCG!”) and creator of her own Etsy shop SpiritMilk, where she sells her own creations. “I sell stickers, clay jewelry, bows and some of my graphic art.” After a beat she adds with a smile, “I’m a crafty crafter”.

When asked if she could choose only one of her many artistic endeavors, Sabrina laughed, “If I had to choose one I’d cry.”  With that, she says she does have favorites within her art. “I love photographing people, taking portraits and finding places that reflect the personality of my subject,” she says. “And cats,” she adds, taking out her phone and showing a photo of a green-eyed tabby.

As for all her other mediums, she says she likes to experiment. “I use a lot of pens in my illustrations but I sometimes draw digitally too,” she says. She holds up one of her recent graphic illustrations, a beautiful flurry of bold colors and words splashed across a page.

An artist of many talents, Sabrina says she finds beauty and inspiration all around her. “My creativity is like free writing,” she says. “When something speaks to me, I am moved to create.”

Check out Sabrina Byrd’s Etsy at: https://www.etsy.com/shop/spiritmilk.