We were lucky to catch up with REN Dillard recently and have shared our conversation below.

REN, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. We’d love to hear the backstory behind a risk you’ve taken – whether big or small, walk us through what it was like and how it ultimately turned out.

Just being alive in this realm implies taking risks. The risk is baked right into the cake from the start. There is never a guarantee you will make it back home the same way you left. The world is a hungry place. Every morsel of food, every gallon of gas we consume, every piece of toilet paper we wipe our asses with means some animal or plant had a bad day. A very bad day. That dynamic is just the starting point. To live a rewarding and fulfilling life in the face of such ominous and unpredictable circumstances is where the alchemy comes in. We all have our dharma (conformity to one’s duty and nature) that we individually must work through before we go room temperature. So, what really matters is how you lived! Did you take risks? Did you gain virtue? I believe the only thing that we ultimately take with us energetically is virtue gained – or lost.

REN, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

There is an old saying that breaks up becoming a professional artist into three stages. Number one: The artist has to learn and develop using the medium itself. This is usually the easiest entry point because creative people naturally want to make things. The next stage is to figure out what the artist wants to say with their work. This stage begins to get a little more complicated because in general making art is easy but creating something of significance with a compelling narrative is a little more difficult. After those first two objects are accomplished is where the real work really begins. The artist has to figure out a way to monetize their craft. This stage is usually the most difficult because now the artist has to manage being creative, while simultaneously functioning as a businessperson in a pretty crowed art market. Depending on the way the artist’s life is optimized, monetization can quickly eclipse all of the other creative aspects of being a full-time artist.

We borrowed our slogan from Capitol One Bank’s wildly popular marketing campaign. Instead of “what’s in your wallet” – we ask the question “What’s on your walls?” Throughout history, civilizations have prized the use of precious metals for their beauty and sanctity. The leafing process suffuses the intrinsic value of the treasured subjects with the implied spirituality of the precious metal. The perception of luminosity varies as the viewer’s position and ambient light change. Layering color, texture, and gold leaf, my process creates ephemeral illusions that seemingly dance on the work’s surface amidst reflections of light on the metals, creating a synthesis of technique and subject.

I have also always felt compelled to create powerful philosophical narratives with my work where I can. Obviously, one never wants to be too heavy handed with messaging in one’s art, so picking the right opportunity becomes a sort of artform within itself. We seldom realize that our most private thoughts and emotions are not actually our own. For we think in terms of languages and images which we did not invent, but which were given to us by our society. My hope is that my work helps to cut through that a little bit. Through our eyes, the universe is perceiving itself. Through our ears, the universe is listening to its harmonies. We are the witnesses through which the universe becomes conscious of its glory, of its magnificence. The focus of my art has always been about communicating ideas that challenge viewers to be curious about their own internal nature. I would like for people to see themselves in my works. They are as much about you as they are about me.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

The most rewarding aspect of being an artist for me boils down to simply being a vessel for the work to come through. The process of creating art is a learning process that continues for your entire career and life. Witnessing your own growth as an artist is one of the most rewarding parts of being an artist as well. There is a creative voice in all artists. We are often solitary creatures as we work, and the only voice in the room is our own. When we find our own voice and listen, we experience the pure joy of exploration, innovation, and creativity, and are able to share the results with the world. I am rewarded every day when I trust and believe in my inner voice and the world gets a chance to hear me.

Are there any books, videos or other content that you feel have meaningfully impacted your thinking?

I am always absorbing content that helps to push my work forward. Whether through books, articles, podcasts, lectures, or even music; it all goes into the gumbo. Currently, I am fascinated by the arcane teachings of Gnosticism, alchemy, and what is commonly called “Afrofuturism”. I generally consume anything I can find on these subjects daily.

I have also found that having a variety of mentors that have executed consistently at a high level for a long time is probably the most important resource an artist can have. Not only does the right mentor help to show you the ropes based on solid experience, but they also have connections and keys to doors that you need on your path. If I have seen further, it is by standing on the shoulders of giants.

Contact Info:

• Website: renswork.com
• Instagram: rensworkdotcom
• Facebook: rensworkdotcom