We were lucky to catch up with Rachael N. Blackwell recently and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Rachael N. thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. I’m sure there have been days where the challenges of being an artist or creative force you to think about what it would be like to just have a regular job. When’s the last time you felt that way? Did you have any insights from the experience?

I am definitely happier as an artist and creative. Like many, I’ve had “regular” jobs and the odd job both before I was fully immersed in the theatre world and even when I was still coming up in my craft. Every non-arts job I ever had taught me a life lesson that I still use to this day and for that, I’m forever grateful to have had those experiences.

The last time I considered a regular job was around four years ago in 2021. The country was still navigating COVID-19 and I was still 100% freelancing as a Lighting Designer and Lighting Supervisor; it was a grind. Amazingly, work was there for me but it involved a lot of time, energy and travel. It got to the point where I was on the road more than I was at the apartment I was paying rent for every month. I wasn’t a huge fan of this realization and I was physically reaching a point of burnout with all of the differing schedules, time zones and time away from my family. I considered pivoting into a sector of the IT world. I’ve always been interested in electronics and at one point in my childhood, I wanted to be a Computer Engineer when I grew up. There were obvious pros: steady work and income, a consistent schedule, *some* travel required, and there were hybrid and remote opportunities available. I didn’t personally feel that a certificate or two-year program would have been enough even for an entry level position somewhere, so I would have had to go back to school for another four years and essentially start over.

I’ve never shied away from furthering my education, but at this point I had just gotten married and moved to a brand new state so I wasn’t remotely interested in another four years of school at that time in my life. Needless to say, I decided to stay in the arts, but I still wanted something different career-wise. I liked the work I was doing as a Lighting Supervisor/Director and during my short stint touring the previous year, I got the opportunity to work alongside other Resident Lighting Supervisors of various theatres and performing arts centers and saw that I could potentially do the same- work as a Lighting Supervisor for just one theatre full-time. The prospect seemed to tick all of the boxes for me that I had considered while looking at IT, so I began my search. The following year, an opportunity at the Alliance Theatre in Atlanta, GA came my way. The job description for the Lighting & Projections Director read almost one-to-one to my responsibilities as a Lighting Supervisor with the touring companies.

I am currently still with the Alliance and this job has been the perfect mix of a “regular” job and a creative one. My schedule is primarily a 40-hr workweek, yet I get to work on a different project and a be a part of a new solution every day. I cross paths with old friends in the industry and make new ones on every show. Outside of my work at the Alliance, I’m still able to maintain my Lighting Design work in and around Atlanta which fulfills the creative in me deeply.

Rachael N., 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 a freelance Lighting Designer and the Lighting & Projections Director for the Alliance Theatre. Originally from Hampton, VA, I began my design career in 2014 as a junior in undergrad at The Alabama State University. In 2020, I took my MFA in Lighting Design & Technology from the CCM-University of Cincinnati and have been on the go since. I have designed for dance, opera, musicals, dramas and live concerts, but my favorite works have been centered around women, queer artists and POC.

One of the projects I’m most proud of is my co-production of an original piece entitled “Four Women & An Artist.” It was staged and produced in 2020 at the Zeiders American Dream Theatre in Norfolk, VA and I had the opportunity to work with my mom, my best friend and solo pianist/conductor Donald Allen Lee III and other women and artists in my community to create a mixed media production highlighting the more positive aspects of Black history juxtaposed against America’s current and present media portrayals of black people. This piece is still available on YouTube and a project I will always hold close to my heart.

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

In order to best support artists, creatives and a thriving creative ecosystem, we (society) have to show up. We have to go see our colleagues’ work and promote it to others in order to boost exposure. In the world of social media, it’s so easy to support an artist simply by interacting with the art, especially if you are not able to support the work financially. This can be as simple as a “like” or a “view” or a “share” of the content.

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

Being a black woman in a predominantly white leading field, it has always been a goal of mine to create more opportunities and exposure for other young black women however I can, whether they shadow me during a load in with my Lighting Director hat on or assist me on a musical I’m designing with my Lighting Designer hat on. Representation is so important and seeing other black women in the roles I aspire to hold made a world of difference for me as I continued my creative journey.

Contact Info:

• Website: [email protected]
• Instagram: @therealbnrlight
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachaelnblackwell
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i3fWyvwGQTI

Image Credits

Casey Gardner Ford
SJR Photography
Traveling Lemur Productions