We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Reagan Kruse a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Reagan , looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Are you happier as a creative? Do you sometimes think about what it would be like to just have a regular job? Can you talk to us about how you think through these emotions?

Of course, the pursuit of the title of ‘artist’ is often extremely hard and full of rejection. You cannot help but compare to those running the same race on either side of you. That trap of comparison has definitely been my biggest obstacle as a young artist. Everyone’s path looks so incredibly different. Even among the same medium, the trajectory can really vary. The resources vary greatly as well, not everyone has access to the same education, time, materials etc. I’ve had to pull myself out of the endless comparison scroll on social media so many times, you just can’t live there as an artist. You must get to work- your own work, not anyone else’s!

Reagan , before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I am an emerging artist in Atlanta. I work with oil on canvas and paint what I see happening in the world around me. My inspirations vary from family portraits to windows and doors. I am always documenting travels, works of art that inspire me and experiences that I can bring back to the studio and try to find again in my paintings. I have always identified as an artist and it was always my dream career when I was a kid. My grandmother was a painter and we were close growing up so I was able to recognize the occupation of artist as a possibility.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

It is obviously rewarding when you feel like a piece got exactly where you wanted it to go. I think that feeling is multiplied when a viewer really understands what you were trying to say. When someone is as excited about a certain piece as you were making it, that is the stuff that keeps you going.

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative?

I have a grandmother who was an artist but no one in my immediate family is a creative. I think when my siblings and I dream about each of our respective careers it is hard to feel seen in how non-linear a creative field can be. There is no one way, and not that there necessarily is in other careers, but trying to be a painter and moving around other jobs that can support that is a total rollercoaster. When I go to people I admire and ask about their trajectory you have to take it all with a grain of salt, their art is different than mine, who they sell to is different than mine, their age and/or gender might be different. Which goes back to my point on comparison, you have to pave your own way.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.reagankruse.com
• Instagram: @reagankrusestudio

Image Credits

I took the images