Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Brianna Harbinson. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Brianna, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Did you always know you wanted to pursue a creative or artistic career? When did you first know?

In highschool I stumbled acrossed Etsy and became hooked on the idea of being and independent artist. From an early age, I always excelled in art class and was usually working on multiple craft projects at home, so it only seemed natural for this to stick. Photography became an outlet for me and it wasn’t until 2020, after combing through 70k plus photos I had taken since 2010, that I realized it was time to dip my feet in being a creative and start that with selling photography prints. And here we are! I am answering interview questions within a month or two of opening up a print shop.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

Hello! I am Brianna, wearer of many hats, all in millennial gray. I am currently walking the long and winding road of transitioning from an employee to self employed welder and artist. Most of my waking hours are spent as a full time stainless TIG welder in the food/beverage industry. If you want a career where you melt metal on a fascinating variety of projects, sanitary welding is where it is at. I love to weld beyond my place of employment too and am accepting welding and fabrication commissions. Being a female welder has made me proud to represent women in a male dominated industry, and to put my blood, sweat, and tears into producing quality work. I have gravitated towards loading up a TikTok account showcasing past welding projects for this reason. Content creating has been a valuable outlet for me and soon I will be adding my creative endeavors at a regular interval as well. As much as I enjoy welding, my true passion lives in the creative world. Most of my work embodies fine art photography, which the bulk can be viewed on my website. I have been shooting since 2010, and finally after all the years, my first print and sticker pre-order will go live soon. Exciting times for anyone obsessed with cameras. You can catch release dates on the website and social media accounts. Since 2015 I have been making custom graphics and logos which examples of past work are also on my website. Like with welding, if you are interested in having work done, contact me through email.

Of course I cannot stop there, I have ADHD after all. After the first print release, my attention will focus on projects beyond photography, including welded metal art/sculpture. To sum it up, I like to creatively tinker on many things and I am excited to show the world what is on my mind. I am also really thankful to be given a second interview in an online publication. It is an honor to share what I do and make.

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

There is the obvious goal of becoming financially independent with the skillsets I have honed and have. When I take a step back, I cannot help but be fueled by the opportunity I have to show that women can be successful in the trades. I have had (and still have!) many moments in the welding industry where I was doubted or not taken seriously. My favorite way to combat that is to let the quality of my work speak for itself. This issue is a large reason why I started a Tiktok account posting welding videos. The more our society sees women in the trades, the easier it gets for women jumping into construction of any type. There are a lot of females out there that prefer to work with their hands, and I want to help say to them to go for it!

What can society do to ensure an environment that’s helpful to artists and creatives?

The typical “shop local with small businesses” does not just apply to storefronts. Working with local and small artists is among one of the best ways to keep creative trades alive in your area. On top of that, a general acceptance that pricing coming from an artist/creative is going to be higher to properly pay for their time and skill. Often artists/creatives undercharge for their work and it is always a shame to see that.

Contact Info:

• Website: http://www.rmaart.com/
• Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/r.m.a.a.r.t/ (from RavenMoonAlchemy)
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ravenmoonalchemy/
• Other: LinkTree: http://linktr.ee/r.m.a.a.r.t  

Image Credits
@sinisterart13