We recently connected with Cassie Rhoda and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, Cassie thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. If you could go back in time do you wish you had started your creative career sooner or later?
My creative career took a detour in my early twenties. Before I even got the chance to start, I had become a young disabled wife and mom from a severe, chronic illness. For twelve years, most of my days were spent homebound, unable to drive, and suffering with no answers or treatment. Sickness had progressed to a probable stroke at the age of thirty-two, and I thought my days were coming to an end.
Little did I know God had a different plan for me. Four years ago, my miracle happened and that chronic illness vanished after the stroke. The mysterious stroke had healed on its own, leaving no damage and miraculously healed the spot of my brain that had created the chronic illness. From that day on, there has been complete healing. A true miracle that no doctors could explain except that it could only be from God.
Today, I have a new perspective on life and the legacy I choose to leave behind. This life is not about me but who I can help along the way, giving glory to my Father in heaven. My painful story opened a door for me to start a unique ministry helping others find hope in suffering through Jesus inspired art and writing. Opportunities have flooded in to tell my story and share my art that I never could have dreamed of. “More than I could ever think of imagine…”
I got that second chance in the creative world. Now, I’m creating and painting with purpose to bring life, hope and pour in blessings into the chronic illness community.
If I would have started my creative career earlier it could have been great, but because of the detours, I believe God created a beautiful story through my life to share with others. A story of hope, redemption, and encouragement that I get to share with hurting people. My suffering created the content and character I needed to move forward in purpose. When you see my art or even hear my voice through writing, I pray you feel joy, peace, hope and know that there is beauty being revealed even in the broken parts of us.
Life is full of challenges, but I can attest that the trials aren’t necessarily the end but a chance for growth and a new beginning. I’m grateful for mine!
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?
I create joy-filled art and write to shine beauty and hope into the lives of suffering and heart-broken people. As I stated above, I know what it’s like to suffer a lot in life, and we all need some beauty, hope, peace, and joy to come alongside of us in our darkest and weakest moments. That’s my mission…to lead people to true hope and healing in Jesus’s name through art and my story of redemption to help others through the dark and lonely parts of life.
When I’m not creating…I’m usually outdoors hiking in the Colorado mountains with friends and family or alone with Jesus, browsing through the flower and art shops just for fun, serving with my friends at my local church, on a “coffee walk and talk” date with my Hubby, or curled up watching a mystery movie with my teenage daughter.
In the art world, painting is my thing. Watercolor is my favorite medium and what I do the most of currently. Marbling with watercolor is one of my specialities. Most of the art I create is inspired by the beauty in God’s creation—especially flowers. Flowers just make me happy! Lately, I’ve been experimenting with different textures mixed in with watercolor so you can expect these collections soon.
Though watercolor became my first love in art, murals have launched its way to the top, too. I have a current goal to paint encouraging, joy-filled murals in hospitals and doctors offices as a way to spread love to the chronic illness community.
A portion of all proceeds coming in through my business goes to a prayed over ministry or individual of God’s choosing to help with basic needs in the chronic illness community. (contact me if you want more information)
You can check out my website for more of what I do, my portfolio, pricing, and a link to my Etsy shop.
Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?
I never even picked up a paintbrush until two years ago. I’ve always known I was artistic and loved the arts, but didn’t have a chance to explore it until a couple of years ago when the persistence of God prompted me to pick up that paintbrush. Next thing you know, here I am with a full-blown ministry and business. Many times I almost gave up out of frustration with the process, but my friends and family encouraged me to keep fighting for this God-given dream. Many paintings were ruined, or so I thought, but I kept working diligently on them until the beauty was revealed. So many of my most successful paintings were the product of a “happy little accident” that I kept working through, choosing not to give up.
The former life of being homebound and sick created some obstacles I had to work through, too. Retraining my brain and body to help handle the capacity of a workload was an unexpected step along the way. Mentally and physically, I would get so overwhelmed because everything I once knew was now different, new, and changing all at once. Instead of allowing myself to get overwhelmed or stay anxious, I’d open my watercolor palette, throw on some worship music, pray, and just paint. I kept moving forward despite every obstacle that stood in my way, pushing through the setbacks and the roadblocks asking God for wisdom at every unknown step. When I didn’t know how to move forward with a project I was working on, God always provided help, often in the form of another person to collab and share ideas with. That is one reason I LOVE collaborations so much.
Moral of the story: don’t give up, keep moving forward, and don’t be afraid to ask for help.
What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?
Getting to do what I love for a purpose and to make a living doing it is a huge blessing. Being able to spend lots of time with my family and teach my daughter my craft makes me smile daily. Art has been such a useful tool in helping me heal and I look forward to promptings to just worship and paint. It’s my happy place! The most rewarding part of being an artist though is when I wake up in the morning with tears in my eyes knowing that someone out there is going to find peace and freedom today because I kept going and didn’t give up. My hard work is helping others and that is more than I could have done on my own. I’m grateful for this God-given talent and the motivation to keep going.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://cassierhoda.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cassierhoda/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CassieRhodaMinistry/
- Other: Etsy Shop: https://www.etsy.com/shop/CassieRhodaArt
Image Credits
Photos by: Sydni Nicole Photography https://www.instagram.com/sydninicole.photography/ https://www.facebook.com/sydninicole.photography