Hei der! I'm Erik Sagen, a UX designer for Paychex, voice actor & illustrator who likes to ramble on about pop culture, video games and books.


The Cardboard Oracle: A Short Story

In the heart of a bustling city, where towering buildings cast long shadows and hurried footsteps echo through the streets, there stood a man, weathered and downtrodden, holding a tattered sign. The sign bore a cryptic message that piqued the curiosity of passersby: "The world will end tomorrow. Ask ...



Humanity according to Forrest Gump

As good of a movie as Forrest Gump is, after all these years I just realized it’s a film that represents the good/bad of humanity. Forrest is simple-minded but loves everyone unconditionally, no matter who that person is. His compass is set to True North and everyone and ev...



A Tale of Bad Bosses

Working for a bad boss can take its toll on your health and eventually your physical well being. It can mean putting up with someone who cultivates a toxic environment and doing so because you have no other options to remove yourself from the situation. This is where I can ...



8 Life Lessons

In the 39 years I’ve been alive, here’s what I’ve learned: I’ve learned that everything I’ve learned can and should be unlearned. I am equally a teacher and student. Every day I wake up is another day to learn something new. Drinking soda for 30+ years wasn’t the best d...



A Pencil for a Frog

Being a parent means all the things you’d expect; child rearing, the drudgery of homework, after school activities, book fairs, messes everywhere and so on. Then there is the unexpected stuff that is more often than not, surprising and extremely strange. For instance, when a conversation just happens out of...



Alpaca to Zooplankton

Here’s the real deal meal that is applicable to my personal and work life: Most of the time, first pass and maybe even second or third and a bit beyond I might not have the answers or anything resembling a solution, not without some deep thought and collaborative ping po...



The Saga of the Rice Prophet

At first it seemed somewhat unreal, that the person I was speaking to on the phone was possibly a robot or one of those “Madame Merconi” fortune-telling carnival machines come to life. You know the ones with spooky glowing eyes, a rigid Charlie McCarthy puppet-like jaw and palm facing up eage...



Humble Beginnings

Whether it be tracing from your Peanuts books, like I did when I was young, or finger painting, there is a beginning to every designer’s repertoire. After all, everyone had to start somewhere. I knew I wanted to be an artist after my Dad taught me how to draw a ...




For project or art inquiries just drop me a line.