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

Hi Rachel, thanks for joining us today. When did you first know you wanted to pursue a creative/artistic path professionally?

I grew up on a farm, and learned to work hard at an early age, but I never expected to have a career in the arts. I didn’t really know it was possible for me. I did a number of jobs after college, and learned that I REALLY do not like to sit around and be paid when I have nothing to do. I think we learn by trying and doing things so much more than we learn by watching, and sometimes trying and failing can be crucial in helping direct us where we need to go next. I have always loved painting and did it consistently through high school and college, but never considered that I could do it for a career. In my first years out of college, I had several jobs at coffee shops and retail stores that taught me a lot about myself: namely that I need to be BUSY, that I am motivated by helping people and working with my hands, and that I extremely task oriented and driven by productivity and setting goals. I had always had jobs in the arts, but I had to get to a breaking point to realize that I HAD to do something different or I was headed down a bad emotional path. I think part of our job as humans is to figure out what our gifts are and then use those gifts to make the world a better place. In this case, working the wrong jobs helped me realize these gifts. When I considered free-lancing, the right person encouraged me at the right time, and as soon as I started painting, I was hooked. Now, 17 years later, I have painted hundreds backdrops and murals and I can’t even imagine doing anything else.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers

My name is Rachel Downs, and I am a free-lance artist and the owner/operator of PAINTology, a company that does custom painting solutions for all surfaces. I studied theatre at Sterling College in Sterling KS. Graduated in 2011 with a BA in theatre arts and communications. I designed and built scenery for the theatre all through college, worked on the side as a free-lance set designer after college, and started painting full time in 2005. PAINTology specializes in all things custom. We paint and design murals, do custom faux finishing, stain concrete floors, trowel plaster, (both modern and old world finishes), apply foil, epoxy, embossed stencil patterns, finish cabinetry and furniture, paint signs, create kid’s rooms, pour countertops, paint scenery for the theatre and much more. If you have a unique project that needs a unique painting solution, we are your gals. For example: a concrete floor in an aquifer exhibit for a science museum that needs to look like flowing water, or fluorescent murals in a Halloween haunt, or hand painted signs for a turn-of-the-century Western exhibit, a custom finish on a hotel pool room wall, or simply a beautiful custom finish for your home that reflects your personality and is compatible with the style of your home. We do all of that. About the only thing we don’t do is paint your walls or your cabinets one color. We leave that to the larger painting companies. I love working with people to meet their specific needs, and I love creative problem solving. We really listen to our clients, and do our very best to bring them joy by transforming their spaces with love and paint. Creative problem solving and collaborating is what sets us apart from others. We work with clients to come up with specific and meaningful solutions to their creative problems and needs., and we are all about durability and finishing details. We also love to teach! I have had the privilege to teach scenic painting and faux finishing classes all over the state and country, and have done over 20 workshops teaching high school students how to paint full stage backdrops (40’x20′).
PAINTology is all about people. We strive to create custom solutions that meet the individual needs of our clients. And we bring a smile with us everywhere we go.

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

It is extremely rewarding to be an artist if you keep an open mind. If you have the right attitude, you never stop growing, expanding and improving. Each year I continue to meet new talented people, and all of them influence my work in a meaningful way if I let them. Every year I learn a new technique, I discover new products, I expand my ability to execute, and to teach and to share. Every job is a stepping stone to another one. I feel like I am on a wonderful journey and I discover more of myself each time I tackle a new project and do something I have never done before. Each time I meet a new client or colleague, I expand my knowledge and understanding. Almost every single week I am working in a new place with a new person, and I love that so much. The brain craves novelty, and my job affords me to be able to keep my brain occupied and sharp most of the time.

I would encourage young artists to continually seek out people who do what they do, only better. Ask questions, seek to expand. Don’t let jealousy or insecurity close you off to a learning opportunity. Seek mentors, seek opportunities to share what you know, seek out different ways to do something, and seek always to grow. You will be fulfilled your entire life if you do.

: Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

My MAIN goal is to (and I tell my kids and students this all the time) is to FIGURE OUT WHAT MY GIFTS ARE,
and then TO USE THOSE GIFTS TO MAKE THE WORLD A BETTER PLACE.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: PAINTology
• Facebook: PAINTology or Rachel Downs
• Other: 316-452-1600 [email protected]

Image Credits
Kyla Mansfield