Finishing her night out after attending a local concert, senior Grace Sauers smiles at the camera. She recently started a business, PrettySick, that takes photos as well as sells merch at local concert venues. Next year, she will attend Columbia Chicago College majoring in Graphic Design. “There’s such a good communal scene because there [are] great venues in Austin,” Sauers said. “I’m gonna miss it in Austin, but I do know Chicago is good, it’s not like I’m going to the middle of nowhere. I just have to find my footing again.” Photo Courtesy of Grace Sauers.

Lights flash, the ground shakes and everyone shouts in unison. Hands are thrown in the air as the sound of drums, guitars, singers and all other forms of instruments echo throughout the venue. A photographer scurries her way through the crowd, capturing every perfect moment and bringing them to life.

Senior Grace Sauers has been growing her business, PrettySick, since Dec. 2024. She began taking photos at headliner concerts in Austin, as well as tunnel shows that other high schoolers put on. In addition to photography, she also makes patches and shirts.

“I got to meet a lot of cool bands and talk to them [because of my photography],” Sauers said. “People are kind of scared to talk to bands because they think they’re so famous, so I started taking photos to get my foot in the door. I started practicing [making patches and screen printing] for fun, my own purposes, but I never knew it was a big thing.”

Though Sauers doesn’t have her own camera, she is able to borrow one from Mrs. Davidson, and edits her photos on an app, PixArt. Sauers took a photography class last year and uses those skills she learned to develop her own style.

“I’m very much a person [who doesn’t] need any huge resources,” Sauers said. “If I have a pencil, then I’m good. [When editing my photos], I try not to make it look kidcore, but I like to use the grittiness because I feel like it matches with the grunge vibe.”

In order to make her products, Sauers uses Mrs. Jennings’ dark room to spread emulsion and to process the stencils/make the stencils and prints at home.

“The first time I used emulsion, I was in the dark room [where] I spent a full school day and even stayed after school,” Sauers said. “That was the first time I ever made anything and it showed me that something being hard is a perspective, it’s really not that hard. Nothing’s impossible. Impossible is a mindset.”

After graduating, Sauers will attend Columbia College Chicago majoring in Graphic Design. Before going in, she will have earned her associate’s degree from dual credit and online ACC courses.

“People think [doing ACC is] scarier because it’s all online and self-paced, but it’s not,” Sauers said. “I think my whole motive about life is that people [say that you need to] follow rules [about being a ‘normal’ high schooler] because like they’ve been put in our whole lives. Live your own life and remember, you’re the business owner of your own life.”

The bands Sauers attend are mainly tunnel shows by Austin High, under a bridge in Georgetown, and Come and Take It Live. She has been attending these shows since her sophomore year and hopes to find a community like Austin in Chicago.

“There’s such a good communal scene because there [are] great venues in Austin,” Sauers said. “I’m gonna miss it in Austin, but I do know Chicago is good, it’s not like I’m going to the middle of nowhere. I just have to find my footing again.”

Sauers personal artwork is to spread the message, ‘it’s not that deep.’

“I feel a lot of people follow what other people think,” Sauers said. “People have their opinions for sure, but it’s not about the opinion, it’s about that people are causing big riots without even knowing why. There’s only one you in life, so live for yourself and don’t live for someone else. That’s what my artwork tries to show.”

After promoting her brand on Instagram, an Austin magazine, Pozeurz, reached out asking her to make patches for them. Since then, her Instagram, @_.graxe_.__, has been growing and she’s been making more for local bands all around the Austin area. Once her patches started gaining attention, she began making shirts, mostly for women.

“A big reason why I wanted to do T-shirts is because I feel that whenever I go to shows, they always have the worst T-shirts for women,” Sauers said. “I had some stuff for the guys, but I wanted to make stuff that was more for the girls and fit them well.”

Her father has continuously helped her with her business as he is also a business owner. Sauers said he helps her utilize business strategies and gives her advice. Not only has her father been an influence for Sauers, but art and music have as well.

“Art and music [are] like a language to me,” Sauers said, “I feel it and I express it that way. When [Nirvana and AliceInChains] were in their prime, they had a lot of good messages, so music definitely inspires me a lot to be smart and confident.”