We were lucky to catch up with Ben Ruzicka recently and have shared our conversation below.

Ben, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. When did you first know you wanted to pursue a creative/artistic path professionally?

When I was a kid, I wanted to be an artist. I wanted to create new worlds and bring my ideas to life. I grew up in the woods of Alaska, homeschooled and fairly isolated from normal opportunities. My access to traditional educational resources or mentors was limited, so I joined the Army when I was 19, planning to use the G.I. Bill to put myself through art school. It turned out that I made a good soldier. I became a Special Forces Medical Sergeant and earned the coveted Green Beret, so I decided to make a career in the military. But in a tale as old as time, life had different plans.

In 2013, while deployed to Afghanistan, our base camp was attacked. To make a long story short, what ensued was a battle that resulted in several Bronze Stars, several Silver Stars, and a Medal of Honor for members of my team, but it also resulted in many injuries, of which I was no exception. My back was severely injured when a rocket-propelled grenade hit me, and I fell over 13 feet, resulting in massive back injuries. Despite my injuries, I continued serving on active duty for several more years. Unfortunately, during my 3rd back surgery, the surgeon made some mistakes that resulted in a multi-year journey of learning to walk again. Ultimately, this injury would lead to 6 back surgeries, and, at 17 years in the military, I was medically retired from service.

I try to frame bad situations in a manner that will produce a positive outcome, so while I recovered physically, mentally, and emotionally, I refocused my professional efforts on my original passion: art. Physically unable to hold a typical job, this provided me with ample opportunity to learn the technical side of art and gave me time to practice, study, and figure out what my next steps would be. Thus, my passion for the arts became my healing journey and, eventually, my professional career!

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?

Growing up, my family loved to read. We didn’t have running water or electricity; we heated the cabin with wood and hauled our water in barrels from the closest town. We couldn’t sit and watch TV or play video games to relax at the end of a long day, so we read. My parents somehow managed to squeeze themselves, six kids, some dogs, and a cat into a cabin that was less than 1000 square feet and still managed to accumulate a massive library.

For me, books provided a window into all the places that I wanted to go, and introduced me to people I wanted to meet, but couldn’t. I was particularly fascinated by comic books—their art and structure allowed little room for interpretation, reflecting reality in a way I loved. I wasn’t a writer but could draw, so I was naturally attracted to a medium I understood. I would sit with these comic books for hours and copy the panels and the pages, recreating the art and changing the stories. I was in awe of how anyone could make a living by simply showing people their ideas.

I reconnected with comics after my unplanned retirement from the Army. I refocused and began to lean into the comic book world, revisiting my old passions. I met a business out of Las Vegas, ‘Mainstream Comics’, that liked what I was doing and gave me the grace, encouragement, and purpose I needed to forge ahead in that space. They gave me monthly work, which helped to give me a reason to keep drawing. My art has since evolved into children’s books and gallery exhibitions, where I channel my intimate healing journey into figurative works that speak to resilience, vulnerability, and healing.

My journey has been one that has had some unexpected turns and challenges, especially after my military injuries. Art has been my healing experience, my sanctuary when my body and mind gave no peace. Art is a place I can go where everything makes sense, where the emotions tell the truth, and interpretations are never wrong. The series I recently completed, “US.”, embodies this, and I hope that I convey this in the rest of my art.

Recently, I was lucky enough to meet with the Veterans Art Center of Tampa Bay. I am working with them to help bring awareness to art therapies and the power of art to heal depression and PTSD. This is an incredibly beneficial treatment for veterans and their families.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

Resilience, for me, has always been forged through hardship. Growing up in the woods of Alaska and joining the elite ranks in my military career have taught me that adversity is a constant companion. However, it’s not the successes that define resilience; it’s the lessons learned from failure. To quote Jung: “The soul demands your folly, not your wisdom.” My newest gallery show, ‘Us.’, is a reflection of these lessons. It explores what our inner child—our purest sense of an innocent self—would think of the sacrifices we have made to protect that sense of innocence. I have encountered many challenges, and while I didn’t always overcome them immediately, I’ve learned that failure and unforeseen change aren’t the end; they are the teacher.

Have you ever had to pivot?

Pivoting from the military, which is a well-oiled machine of structure and order, to the creative world of freedom and unpredictability was a very hard change for me to make. I longed for freedom I didn’t have while I was in the Army, but once I had it, I found that the weight of responsibility can be very heavy. I had to learn how to be a better artist and run a business—how to market, network, and sustain a creative livelihood. But I’ve been blessed; my wife, a veteran as well, has extensive corporate management experience, and together, we are bridging and balancing the burdens of business and family life and have embarked on this second chapter of a full-time art career. Every success feels twice as meaningful when shared. This pivot taught me that resilience isn’t just about personal endurance but also about building a support system, loving your family, and growing through adversity. The Tampa area has a great network and culture that embodies these values, and I am glad to be a part of that and to share the beauty of the Arts with everyone.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://benruzicka.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/benruzicka/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ben.ruzicka.18/