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

Hi Ruth, thanks for joining us today. How did you learn to do what you do? Knowing what you know now, what could you have done to speed up your learning process? What skills do you think were most essential? What obstacles stood in the way of learning more?

I was drawing and painting from a very young age, probably around 7. It just came naturally and is a part of me like my arm or leg. I was discouraged from pursuing a career as a fine artist with my counselors saying men dominate the art world in 1965. Also you will never make a living as a fine artist. So I did the next best thing for a conscious creative, I went to design school. But while doing that I would find masters whose work I connected with and train under them. I don’t know how much time you have to put in doing your craft before your style emerges. It may well be the 10,000 rule. Mine happened for me some 20 years later when I met my art mentor. He issued an order that I was not allowed to paint anything that wasn’t as tall as I was, and as wide as my hands would reach. So I began painting on the floor using huge watercolor paper and water media. I found it very cathartic and freeing. I have always using layering as the hallmark of my work whether in oils, acrylic, or water media. That same style install with me today. I think it takes what it takes to feel comfortable in the space of ‘artist’.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

My name is Ruth Westreich. I have two websites. www.thewestreichfoundation.org and www.ruthwestreichtheartist.com. I use my art and activism to inform my philanthropy. I integrated the 3 main parts of me a number of years ago when my best friend and co-writer called me out on it. It has made all the difference. I have a 23 piece body-of-work on my Foundation website that I call Conscious Conversations of Consequence Inspired by an Artist’s Brush. It was been seen by Universities and integrated into curriculum, streamed around the globe and continues to be up to date and reverent. I am very proud of my contribution to the world discussion of the great issues we face globally. Check out my websites. If you view my art website, you will see that I am very versatile and excited to experience every medium.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

In the 1980s I was in a position to be able to earn most of my living from my art. I had an agent and was producing sandblasted glass and my large water media pieces. When you sell your art, your art becomes a commodity. When you show in a gallery much of what you hear is people want to commission you to create an artwork for them. They become the drivers of your creativity, and something goes missing. When I was selling my art regularly, I was having about as much fun as if I were painting a wall.

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

Throughout my life, I was constantly bombarded by the same response when I told someone I was an artist. They will reply, “I am not creative, I can’t draw a straight line.” That prompted my co-writer, Jan Phillips and I to write our book Creativity Unzipped: Why Your Thoughts Matter. Creativity and the artistic process are so misunderstood. Our book did great and we busted so many of the myths about being a creative being and creating your life at every moment.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.thewestreichfoundation.org; www.ruthwestreichtheartist.com
• Other: Vimeo Channel, Ruth Westreich user106500202

Image Credits
Ruth Westreich, Puppet Masters All Around Ruth Westreich, Mother Earth Thriving Before Ruth Westreich, Democracy for Sale