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Sara Beazley: from Fine Art & Printmaking to Technology & Art Content Manager

Social media handle(s): LinkedIn


A few words about me:


I'm a Technology and Art Content Manager at Artlume, a newly launched Digital Art, AI and Web3 streaming service that brings love, beauty and passion to people’s lives. The platform allows users to display unique, high-quality art and images directly on their TVs and screens. As we are a startup, my work is incredibly varied, spanning creative, marketing, and tech teams. However, my primary focus is collaborating with artists, galleries, and museums to curate and deliver a beautifully curated selection of artwork and images for our users.


I grew up in London but went to a french school thanks to my mother who spoke to us in French. I have given the gift of a second language to my own children. I have 2 boys who are 9 & 12 and fully bilingual, I'm proud to say! I have a great relationship with their dad even though we are no longer together, he's always been very supportive of what I do and we co-parent really well. He also works in tech which inspires me.


I'm very sporty and love to run, practice yoga and play tennis in my spare time. I love to travel and these days, I spend as much time as I can in Paris (the joys of remote working!)


Are there any professional experiences you've had that are quite unexpected compared to what you do nowadays?


For 15+ years I worked as an artist, exhibiting in galleries all over the world and working on commissions in the hospitality industry with clients including Soho House and Andaz Hyatt. 2 years ago I decided to challenge myself and learn something new so I signed up to a coding bootcamp and that's how I entered the world of tech. I worked freelance for all those years so one of the best things today is that I have colleagues and work as part of a team - I love it!


Is your background more STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) or non-STEM related?


Totally non-STEM. I have a degree in Fine Art and an MA in Printmaking.


Where did your professional journey start?


I would say that my professional journey began age 18 as soon as I had my first exhibition and started to sell my artwork. Though creative, I've always been quite entrepreneurial from a young age. Interested in maths if there was a pound sign in front of the number! :)


How did you get into tech and what motivated you?


I was inspired by a friend who had completed a coding bootcamp a couple of years previously and who had successfully turned his life around. He took it upon himself to act as a mentor to me during that time and the first step was signing me up to a course on the 1st Jan 2022 after weeks of talking and thinking about what my next move in life would be. He was doing so well and inspired me to take a leap of faith. He supported me along the way, practically - by studying with me along side the course and emotionally - by telling me to show up with a smile on my face even on the hard days when I wanted to give up.


Have you experienced any 'career in tech' challenges / stereotypes?


I lost a job or rather a contract came to a very abrupt end in my first role after finishing my course which was a bit of a shock, but with the right positive mindset that I had been practising for months now, I dusted myself off. It wasn't personal and found myself another job 2 weeks later.


Standing woman smilling in front of a large landscape painting

"I set out to become a software developer through the course but my trajectory has beautifully unfolded in a different way. I had no idea there was such a multitude of jobs in the tech sector that don't necessarily involve coding on a daily basis."


What you wish you knew before getting started in tech...


Actually it's been really fun going in pretty blind! I was told there would be lots of jobs and that women were highly sought after and that's what I've found so far.


What has been your biggest 'wow!' moment related to working in tech so far?


The wow for me has been that I've been able to find roles that embrace my background in art and my new found tech skills. I set out to become a software developer through the course but my trajectory has beautifully unfolded in a different way. I had no idea there was such a multitude of jobs in the tech sector that don't necessarily involve coding on a daily basis.


What do you like / not like about working in tech?


I love feeling like I'm involved in something very current and forward thinking, a sector that is evolving everyday in front of my eyes.


"These days, most companies are involved in tech in one way or another - there are a multitude a jobs in the sector that do not require you to sit in front of a computer for 12 hours a day."

What's been your favourite / most memorable / funniest 'career in tech' moment so far?


Being asked by the 2 best coders in my cohort to join them and a couple of others to form a coding group after the course. I remember them saying "we need your energy and enthusiasm in the group and don't worry about the coding, we'll teach you that!! haha".


Clearly I was not the best coder, but I had other valuable skills and the group highlighted these to me. For 3 months while we looked for work we met 3x a week remotely and worked in an agile manner designing and developing websites. It was brilliant.


And to wrap up, is there any advice you'd like to give to others interested in a career in tech?


These days, most companies are involved in tech in one way or another - there are a multitude a jobs in the sector that do not require you to sit in front of a computer for 12 hours a day. That was my biggest fear!

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