We caught up with the brilliant and insightful John A. Rice a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

John, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Do you wish you had waited to pursue your creative career or do you wish you had started sooner?

Hi! This is a great, important question. I hope you permit me to give a little backstory…

I have always been a creative person and knew from a young age that I wanted to pursue a creative path. As a kid, I drew and painted prolifically, wrote stories, and performed skits at my local youth group. In high school, I played in the band, sang in musicals, and even attempted to produce a show myself. I’m fortunate that I was allowed to explore these interests freely—perhaps because they didn’t come at the expense of my grades.

Still, like many aspiring artists, I was raised with the belief that art was an unsustainable career. I was told to pursue a “fallback degree,” “just in case.” Looking back, it’s an absurd concept. No one tells an aspiring doctor or engineer to divide their focus by pursuing something unrelated. But without mentors in the professional art world, I bought into this advice and started college as an Undeclared major, eventually settling on English with a focus on Creative Writing—a choice that, in hindsight, was probably my subconscious steering me back to creativity. I also made sure to study in New York City, knowing it was the epicenter of opportunities in the creative fields I was passionate about.

For years, I set aside the English degree to work in theater as an actor and then in film and TV as a writer, producer, and actor. I’m proud of the work I did during that time, but through it all, painting and drawing remained a deeply personal hobby I used to unwind. It wasn’t something I ever planned to share professionally. I would come home from a project or whatever survival job was consuming my days, and paint into the wee hours of the night, purely because it felt right.

Then, the pandemic changed everything. As TV and film projects dried up, my partner encouraged me to share my visual art online. At first, I was hesitant—it felt too private, and I worried that monetizing my happy, no-pressure pastime might taint it. But the need to connect through art became overwhelming. I began posting my work on Instagram, which was much less gatekept at the time.

The response was surprising and affirming. My art gained traction, eventually going viral. A Tarot deck I created, “Mindscapes Tarot,” became incredibly popular, funded multiple times over on Kickstarter. This success led to publishing deals, including an illustrated edition of “A Christmas Carol” that was released this year. Selling paintings and illustrations has become my bread and butter—a gift I don’t take for granted. Meanwhile, I continue to write, act, and produce films. My most recent feature, “I’m Okay, We’re Okay,” performed well on the festival circuit and just premiered on Amazon Prime.

You might wonder how all this relates to the question of timing. It comes down to this: I never really had a choice about when my artistic career “started,” and I imagine not many people do. Our art is a product of our lives, and no matter how much we may want to focus on one area or another, it is completely circumstantial. Creative careers are an organic, nonlinear process—one that requires us to abandon preconceived timelines to define success on our own terms. Sometimes the path doubles back on itself; however, it feels like I’m viewing it from a slightly higher vantage point, with more knowledge and resources to navigate it.

My advice? Nurture whatever creative paths interest you. Don’t label yourself too narrowly to make others more comfortable. Allow your creative pursuits to intersect and inform one another. For example, as I explored the mystical archetypes of Tarot, I found that my writing and acting took on a more fantastical dimension as well. Often, when we are stuck, working on a different, unrelated creative outlet is what frees us up and allows us to move forward.

Let the starting and stopping points of your career be dictated by living your most authentic life. Certain projects will rise to the top as others wane. Look for “green lights” and open doors. Contrary to conventional wisdom, the path of least resistance is often the right one. Don’t stand in any one place too long, shaking the gates and waiting for someone to let you in. Start when you’re ready, however imperfectly. Trust that the various paths of “you” run in parallel and will eventually find their way to one another, like rivers meeting the ocean.

Now, as someone others turn to for career advice, I strive to be the mentor I never had. Looking back, I wouldn’t change the timing of my journey. It’s pointless. Every step, whether it felt like a setback or a breakthrough, enriched my art and shaped the artist I am today. Creative careers, like art, don’t adhere to rigid timelines—they unfold organically. The key is trusting yourself and making what demands to be made.

John A., 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?

For those who don’t know me, I’m John A. Rice—an artist, writer, actor, and Tarot creator based in Astoria, NY. My career has been a nonlinear but rewarding journey through different creative disciplines.

I specialize in oil pastels, a medium that is both vibrant and temperamental—qualities I think lend themselves beautifully to capturing the mystique and emotion of landscapes. My work has reached collectors in over 35 countries, and I run my art shop, J.A.R. Studio, NYC, right out of my workspace in Queens.

One of my proudest projects is the “Mindscapes Tarot” deck, which draws on my background as a Tarot reader and features my signature landscape style. I’m thrilled that it’s being published internationally by Hay House and Penguin Random House. Another milestone has been illustrating “A Christmas Carol” in a hauntingly atmospheric style for Abbeville Press, now available as a collectible edition.

On a more experiential level, I’m also the creator of “Beyond Words,” an immersive exhibition developed in collaboration with psychic mediums from historic Lily Dale, NY. It blends art, spirit, and storytelling to create a one-of-a-kind, reflective experience for viewers.

Ultimately, my mission across all my work is to help people rediscover their own mystique and see themselves as the hero of their story. Whether through a Tarot reading, a painting, or a film, I aim to foster healing, introspection, and creativity—empowering people to embrace their internal worlds to enrich their external ones.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

For me, the most rewarding part of being an artist is knowing that what I create has the potential to make a difference. Maybe it inspires someone, challenges a long-held belief, or sparks some transformative change. Art has that power—it can cut through the noise of daily life and offer a moment of clarity, enlightenment, or shared human connection.

I think a lot of people go through life wondering about their purpose, but I’ve always felt that mine is to bring beauty, joy, inspiration, wonder, and mystery into the world. To contribute to the universal process of creation and, in my own way, make the world a little better—leave it a little brighter—than I found it. It’s a simple idea, but one that keeps me grounded.

As turbulent as the artistic life can be—juggling responsibilities, finances, and all the usual insecurities—I can always come back to my “why.” That sense of purpose is my guidepost, something I think a lot of people struggle to find. My hope is that, through my art, I can help others discover their own “why”—their reason for being, their spark—and that it might inspire them to create something meaningful in their own lives.

How did you build your audience on social media?

Social media is such a double-edged sword. I was incredibly fortunate to get into it during a time when it felt more egalitarian. Back then, my posts organically reached the people who cared about my work, and they spread the word. I focused on posting art that resonated with me and letting it speak for itself, while also making an effort to engage with every comment or message. I treated it like a digital extension of a gallery, where each interaction was personal and meaningful. With minimal advertising, I was able to grow an audience that felt authentic and invested in what I was creating.

But social media has changed a lot since then. Algorithmic gatekeeping now dominates—your content is only seen if it meets certain criteria, most of which are more about trends and profit than about creativity or connection. For young creatives building their presence today, I’d suggest recognizing what social media really is now: a pay-for-play advertising tool. It’s better thought of as a portfolio or a way to stay connected with people you’ve already met than as the primary avenue for growing your audience.

If I were starting out today, I’d focus more on getting my work into real-world spaces—art fairs, community events, or even a local coffee shop—anywhere people can see your art without having to battle algorithms. Those spaces allow you to foster genuine, in-person relationships, which you can later extend online. Building a network in real life first is so much more effective and fulfilling than trying to reverse that process through social media.

That said, social media still has potential, especially on newer platforms. They’re often less monetized and offer a more level playing field to reach a wider audience. Keep an eye on emerging platforms and take advantage of the opportunities they provide while they’re still free from heavy gatekeeping. But ultimately, the best way to grow an audience is by focusing on making the art you love and finding ways to share it in spaces where real connections can happen.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.jarstudionyc.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/john.a.rice
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jarstudionyc
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@thegarageproductions9897
• Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@john.a.rice