We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Rachel Camacho a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Rachel, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Do you wish you had started sooner?

I wish I had been able to take chances on my art as a paying gig WAY sooner! I started taking commissions and offering my services as a designer and an illustrator in 2012, after graduating in 2008 and being thrown into THAT recession. However, it was slim pickings and I didn’t have any decent opportunities in my chosen field. At that time I was working a customer service job and could not get my foot in the door as a graphic designer or illustrator anywhere in the area. No one would hire someone without experience, and I had bills racking up and student loans were about to be real life. So I needed a real job to pay those real bills. It would have been awesome if I – A knew where to go for support/networking, and B had the confidence to pursue those opportunities. But, I do believe that I went through all of this to grow, learn, and understand my response to everything I encountered.

Rachel, 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?

My name is Rachel Camacho-McKee and I am a New Mexico native living in Arizona, just trying to make a living on my art and creativity. I currently work as a graphic designer full-time, but my side hustle, and what I hope to continue to grow, is illustration. I am working on several children’s books currently, but I am always on the lookout for publication illustration and other commission-based opportunities! My style of art tends to be weird but also cute… sometimes funny, but always interesting! I have been using digital tools a lot more lately, and I am happy to continue learning/growing with the technology. However, I do love some good old-fashioned paint on canvas or ink and markers on paper! When I hear about a new project for the first time, if it resonates with me, then I am 100% on board! If you are excited, then I am EXCITED. I will always be on board, but I will also bring the expertise you hired me for to give you constructive feedback on creative decisions. I am not here to tell my clients they can’t shoot for the moon, but I will definitely measure the distance and calculate the fuel we need to get there. I don’t expect my clients to always know what goes into some of their requests, so I will bring any concerns I have with compassion and an attitude of knowing we can get things done, with the right mindset!

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

The goal I strive for with every brush stroke, both digital and traditional, is to bring my light to those who may need it. That may be to future clients or a growing audience through my social media presence. I love lifting people up and will do what I can to offer whatever help is in me through my art. Sometimes that looks like bringing a book to life with my designs, and sometimes it is just in the messages I put out through my pages. I want my art to mean something to people, even if it’s a silly character on a silly background, it may speak to someone else as it spoke to me when I created it.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

The most rewarding aspect of creating is the freedom I feel while creating. Even working within certain constraints, I still have creative decisions that only I can make. I am consistently excited about each project I take on, and maintaining that attitude motivates my progress even through time constraints and any other challenges that may present themselves.

Contact Info:

• Website: http://www.rencartllc.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/renc.art/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RencartLLC
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachelcamacho/
• Other: https://www.behance.net/rencart

Image Credits
Colin McKee