We recently connected with Olivia Reckert and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Olivia thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Can you open up about a risk you’ve taken – what it was like taking that risk, why you took the risk and how it turned out?

I took a risk in 2020 by moving to Chattanooga, TN during the beginning of the pandemic. I was an artist living in New York City, and relocated because of a relationship and looking to escape the maddens that was NYC at the beginning of Covid.

I came to Chattanooga and painted my then boyfriend’s entire house. I quickly became obsessed with murals and would change out the themes constantly. He was a photographer so we documented it as well. It was a really old house in need of repairs so he let me paint the walls, floor, ceiling, bathtub, microwave, EVERYTHING. During this time, I really developed my immersive style and everything became a canvas.

I didn’t know anyone in Chattanooga, but soon some people were taking notice of this funky house. I started doing a few art markets and pop-ups and that lead into meeting more people and businesses. My first murals in Chattanooga were holiday windows. Temporary, but had a nice little impact on the spaces. After the holiday seasons, some shops had me come back and do more permanent work inside. I started getting some business and growing my presence in Chattanooga. Unlike NYC, word of mouth is very popular and leads to more jobs and more opportunities in the city. I was doing really well during that time.

About a year and a half into moving to Chattanooga, I started getting frustrated with my artwork. I have a impressionist mixed with pop-art loose style, and I felt like I could grow as an artist, I looked internally and decided that my creative blocks were coming from medications I had been still taking since high school. I was on a slew of anti-depressants, anti-anxiety and ADHD medications. I didn’t feel that I needed them anymore, so once again, I took another risk and weened off of them until I completely stopped taking them. It was the hardest thing I have ever done. For a few months, I didn’t want to make art. I really did not want to do anything, but I started journaling and sketching, and for the first time in a long time, I felt more connected to my actual self. I felt like I was truly living. Things were inspiring again. It was like a film had been removed.

I still wasn’t able to work for myself at the level I was at before I made this big change, so I worked as an executive assistant for a marketing agency. I had to show up and preform for someone else, and I was more included to hold myself responsible when someone else depended on me, I was in an office doing nothing creative and often felt like I was betraying myself, but I stuck it out. I knew I needed to do this to get myself back on track with having a regular schedule and being able to preform at a high level again.

Slowly, I started to pick up mural projects on the weekends. About 6 months into working for the agency, I landed two large jobs. I was feeling energized and intensely creative. I decided that it made more sense to quit and put all my energy towards these two large projects. It was a 9 cabin Airbnb “camp” and a large honky Tonk style bar. I knew there was no guarantee of work after those projects, but I took a risk and bet on myself. I felt physically great and mentally sharp. I felt that I could do this so I went out and did it. I soon painted a large nightclub after that and started doing other residential and commercial spaces. It’s been two years since I made that change and I have never looked back. The risk is always to follow my gut, and it has not been easy, but it has always been right. I bet on myself everyday, and I have learned that I can count on myself to wake up everyday and make something happen. I can count on myself to do great work and to make things people love and come back for.

Olivia , before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I do large funky murals and art pieces, I paint on clothes, furniture, walls, canvases and a lot everything. I recently started a leather jacket company called Wet Leather Co. and painted a jacket for Dolly Parton, Tanya Tucker, Kid Rock, and Paula Abdul. I paint everyday and film the process and post on instagram.

My tenacity and obsession probably sets me apart from other artists. I am fascinated with the amount of output I am capable of creating. I also played sports my entire childhood and have always been competitive, so I now use that with art. I always want to be doin the most, doing the biggest, wildest, funkiest work possible.

My work is also very collaborative. I LOVE working with the visions of my clients. I love making their visions come to life. I see myself as a vessel to help others actualize their creative ideas. I love making spaces look and feel like a particular business or reflect their personality.

We’d love to hear the story of how you built up your social media audience?

I started to just be myself. I never bought followers or inflated numbers because I would rather have a small amount of real people than a large amount of fake placeholders. I just show up consistently and let people into my world. I treat it as a personal diary. It’s a visual journal and it seems that the more authentically weird and true to myself I am, the more people relate. I am also positive. I don’t curse or spread negativity. I think that is important too.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

Being an artist is very hard because you are constantly carving your own path. It takes a lot of believing in yourself, overcoming mental obstacles and constantly showing up for yourself. It has made me become a much deeper person. I learn more about myself and the people around me. I am able to not only dive into my own mind, but I can also dive into the thoughts and feeling of others and create work based on it. It is extremely rewarding to be able to commemorate someone’s experiences through a mural or art piece. Creating work of significance for someone else is one of my greatest pleasures about being an artist,

Contact Info:

• Website: Oliviareckert.com
• Instagram: @Oliviareckert
• Facebook: Olivia reckert art

Image Credits
Sarah Mixon