We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Orit Reuben. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Orit below.

Orit, thanks for taking the time to share your stories 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 am an impressionist pastel painter and paint landscapes, mostly outdoors, as well as figures from life. I love painting in pastel because it’s a combination of drawing and painting. Maneuvering a stick of pure pigment without the aid of a brush allows me the control I desire in the painting process. I also love oil painting but for now, I choose to focus solely on pastels because I believe I must focus on a single medium to do it well.

My foray into being an artist started while I was working full-time as a commercial interior designer. I was inspired by a talented work colleague who was painting in his spare time and thought “Why not me”.

I started by taking classes at Crealdé School of Art in Winter Park to build my skills and foundation. I wasn’t new to drawing and painting, as I grew up in a family of artists. My grandfather was a prolific painter and my mother still paints. I drew and painted throughout my childhood and even took art courses in college and it always came easily to me. At a very young age, I told people I would become an artist when I grew up, but as an adult, I never thought of an art career as a viable career option and chose a more practical path.

I was making a comfortable living as an interior designer. When I lost my job during the pandemic I used my time to hone my painting skills through workshops and daily painting. When the economy opened back up, I could have easily continued with my interior design career path but chose not to. Pivoting to being a full-time artist was a gut decision that didn’t follow sound logic. At the time I felt that going back to my previous career would have “killed my soul” regardless of financial common sense. I still feel this way now and don’t regret my decision. I also want to stress that I’m not a risk-taker by nature.

After I started painting full time I found my paintings greatly improved. While I was very dedicated to my painting when working full time, and used all of my free time to paint, it just wasn’t enough. After eight hours of working, and having to cook, clean, exercise, and just do life, there wasn’t enough time left.

I have done a lot of self-work to overcome the fear that comes with not knowing what comes next, with the lack of a structured salaried career. Additionally, I have found that fear and worry can be debilitating and unproductive and can keep me from reaching my goals. Fear can be paralyzing and can stop me from taking the action needed to move forward. I have learned that the role of my subconscious voices are there to keep me “safe”, but they can also keep me from succeeding. So far, taking a big risk has allowed me to advance quickly in my artistic career. Being able to be a full-time artist has required me to put my “hustle cap” on and think like a businesswoman and entrepreneur.

Finally, taking a risk also requires a bit of blind optimism. I have accepted that I don’t need to know the complete path to my final goal and success. By taking the required obvious steps today, I trust that I will know what future steps I need to take tomorrow.

Orit, 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?

I am an impressionist pastel painter and paint landscapes, mostly outdoors, as well as figures from life. I love painting in pastel because it’s a combination of drawing and painting. Maneuvering a stick of pure pigment without the aid of a brush allows me the control I desire in the painting process. I also love oil painting but for now, I choose to focus solely on pastels because I believe I must focus on a single medium to do it well. I come from a family of artists and I feel painting is in my bloodline. I love being outdoors and am inspired by the beauty of nature. Painting outside allows me to see light and color as it truly is while being challenged by ever-moving light and dealing with weather conditions. I find traveling to paint an inspiring adventure that provides me with endless fresh scenes and landscapes.

How can we best help foster a strong, supportive environment for artists and creatives?

I am honored that many of my collectors are everyday middle-class folks who value my work and have purchased paintings with their hard-earned money and am thankful that my paintings enrich their homes and lives. While original art is not a necessity for many who need to make ends meet, there are many who can support the creative sector. It would be wonderful to foster a society that is informed about the value of creativity, and what it takes to gain the skills needed to produce quality work.

It would also be wonderful to encourage collectors to buy art from living artists to sustain a thriving arts community. I would promote and encourage adorning a home with original art rather than mass-produced pieces if possible. Most of all I would teach people to buy art because they fall in love with it rather than as decor.

Are there any books, videos or other content that you feel have meaningfully impacted your thinking?

have had the good luck to have benefited from my sister’s life coaching help, where I learned to quiet my worrying mind to be able to be more productive to take the actions needed to reach my goals. In the modality she uses, she helps shifts negative subconscious beliefs developed in our childhood to keep us safe but are no longer needed in our adulthood and can hold us back. Through this modality, I have also learned to constantly asses my end goals and break them down into smaller monthly, weekly, and daily doable steps. I have learned to keep myself accountable and focused while recognizing my achievements. This is a shameless plug for my sister, Galit Reuben and her “I am Superconcious” coaching services. As I mentioned before, I am not a risk taker by nature and without this system, I would have probably never made the jump into being a full-time artist.       0

Contact Info:

• Website: www.oritreuben.com
• Instagram: @oritreuben
• Facebook: @Orit-Artist Reuben
• Other: Email Newsletter / Blog: https://mailchi.mp/6e6f74b8d81a/monthly-artist-inspiration-11622476