Prior to receiving a small business loan from Purple Shoots, Sarah Lou had been chasing a vision of bridging the wealth gap for creative people. Only she had found herself slipping in and out of employment and further into sensory overload and poverty.
Being raised by a single mum who had survived domestic abuse, Sarah was the first of her family to gain a degree, move out of her hometown and pursue the path of a creative entrepreneur. And yet she was caught in a vicious cycle of benefits traps and career setbacks that would leave her with a lower income than peers with similar skills and experience.
Following job loss in 2020 Sarah created a family project with her son that would lead to her building a website and social media presence and being commissioned as an artist and employed as a copywriter.
A simple idea of using postage stamps as a mood board for visual art and communications had opened doors in creative marketing and a dream life working remotely by the sea. But the journey was bittersweet.
It became clear that Sarah was neurodiverse and the corporate world would dispose of her the instant she couldn’t keep up in the way that her younger, male, healthy peers could. Stamp out the Block was born from a place where there was nothing left to lose.
Purple Shoots provided a turning point for Sarah through validation and hope; her vision wasn’t just a dream; it’s a viable business plan and one that will open doors and reshape the way people think about neurodiversity in business.
Thanks to provision of funds and a boost of confidence, Sarah will be taking her dynamic vision boards to the National Neurodiversity Show in Scotland this autumn where businesses are actively seeking the tools and experience Sarah’s journey has prepared her for. ‘Purple Shoots’ is sure to be a topic of conversation and highly photographed theme. We’ll keep you updated.
Website: https://stampouttheblock.com/