We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Rachael Eldridge. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Rachael below.
Rachael, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. What sort of legacy are you hoping to build. What do you think people will say about you after you are gone, what do you hope to be remembered for?
When it’s my time to go I hope to leave behind a legacy of faithfulness. Life can take you down many different avenues, changes in career, friendships ect.. but through it all the one constant I have in my life is my faith. At the end of the day when I meet my maker, it’s not going to matter how successful or talented I was on earth, what will matter is how I honored the Lord with my life and glorified him with the gifts that he has given me. In the end maybe people will remember Christ in me.
Rachael, 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?
The craft I specialize in is Illustration. Right now I am specifically working on creating illustrations that can be sold as prints as well as be produced on products such as stationary, mugs and other household items.
My work is very whimsical, I love to incorporate elements of nature and organic shapes into my imagery. I enjoy very ethereal, other-worldly styles and I try to some extent, carry that over into my work.
Right now I am very inspired by Art Nouveau and I’m currently working on some illustrations that reflect that. I have had a love for illustrating for as long as I can remember. It all began with falling in love with children’s book illustrations.
Growing up I would be so inspired by the artwork in the books, that I would just want to dive into that imaginary world that the artist was able to create. I believe book illustrations can really help make a connection with the story and expand a person’s perspective on the world.
My goal is to still one day illustrate for a children’s book, but right now as I focus on creating single illustrations, my hope is to create artwork that others can connect with.
I think what sets me a part from others is what I bring to the table. In that, every artist/person has their own story that they carry. What we have experienced in life can unknowingly (sometimes intentionally) find it’s way into our craft. It is almost like a finger print, because not one person’s story or perspective is exactly the same as the next person’s. When you come across a piece of artwork it can almost be like meeting a friend for the first time.
The longer you spend time observing it the more you learn about that piece. Just like with people, the more you observe them, the more you learn about that individual.
There have been many ups and downs, it is easy to get into a downward spiral and want to give up. Sometimes the flame in you that started this artistic passion can grow dim, and if you let it, it can stay dim for a long time. The danger can be forgetting why you became an artist in the first place. It’s good to have people in your life to support and encourage you when you see yourself start to go into “auto pilot mode”. think it can be a normal part of the process, but if your craft is genuinely important to you, you need to fight to “get back on the saddle”. I believe that mentality can be applied to just about any discipline in life.
I am thankful for the journey. As I continue in my craft, I grow more and more as an artist and for that I am grateful. Even when it is done imperfectly.
Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?
A lesson I had to unlearn is that I don’t have to follow a specific timeline in life. Each person’s timeline in looks different for everyone. I think it can be easy to get stuck with an idea on how we all thought life would be. I have found that it is always helpful to hold your hopes with an open hand.
Have your dreams and passions but when life blows you into a different direction, don’t beat yourself up over it. Adjust to what is new. It doesn’t mean that the game is over, or that you’re a failure -and if you did fail, maybe in a big way, get back up and move forward. You will paralyze yourself with the mistakes of your past if you let yourself. Learn, grow, and keep working towards your goals, even if those goals change over time. A lot can happen in life that we cannot anticipate and that is ok.
Have you ever had to pivot?
Once I graduated college I made the decision to stay in Savannah Ga. I had become close with the members of a church I had been and still am attending today. The people there became my family and it was important for me to keep that community.
I needed a job, so I took a position at an orthodontist office answering phones, verifying insurance and scheduling appointments.Though it was outside of my field, and came with some challenging moments, it was one of the most valuable experiences I have had. I met some of the most kind, caring and generous people there. I learned a lot of valuable life lessons working at that office and now have a new appreciation for the people who work in that industry.
Maybe this story would be considered a pivot in my plans but I believe everything happens for a reason and I am thankful for that “pivot”.
Contact Info:
- Website: Eldridgestudios.com
- Instagram: @eldridgestudios
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/me?trk=p_mwlite_my_network-secondary_nav