We recently connected with Rachel Marie Prince and have shared our conversation below.

Rachel Marie, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Did you always know you wanted to pursue a creative or artistic career? When did you first know?

I was always a creative child, but never imagined I’d have an artistic career. I thought adults lived in high rises and worked in offices. I assumed that was my future, too. I drew all the time. I wrote stories. I was always imaginative. My family was nurturing in that aspect and allowed me to explore my imagination and creation throughout childhood. I always loved to draw and create things in a two dimensional space. I didn’t seriously consider it as a career until a family friend took me to an Andy Warhol exhibit at the Frist Art Museum in downtown Nashville. It was the first serious art exhibit I had been to. One of my most vivid memories from the show was one of Warhol’s Shirley Temple magazine in a glass case. Right then I realized this was a real artist who was into pop culture. I’m into pop culture! The celebrity magazines that cluttered my childhood bedroom suddenly felt validating. The whole exhibit, from the films to the mylar balloons to the album covers to the gigantic self portraits, it has never left my mind. That day I realized that art could be fun. I can make “celebrity art” and it still be considered serious art. I vividly remember seeing his work and getting a feeling of, “I could do this. He’s like me.” I walked out of the exhibit by his gargantuan self portrait and felt seen. I’m not sure how my friends who were with me felt, but man, that show has comforted me for over a decade.

Rachel Marie, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

My name is Rachel Marie Prince. I am a native Nashvillian (we are unicorns these days) and lover of all things creative. I have been an artist my whole life, even though I didn’t fully recognize myself as that until my late teens. I have a BFA from Austin Peay State University in Clarksville, TN. My work is inspired by music and other creative arts. I am endlessly inspired by the world around me and human stories I steep myself in via books or podcasts. I am always “researching” and paying attention to my surroundings because I believe inspiration can strike anywhere. In order to survive financially at the moment, I am a full time manager at an art store. My creative practice is exercised in my free time. This free time is what keeps me trucking along and helps me feel alive.

All that said, my truest love is creating portraits. I love the dynamics of a human face and I love being able to bring a soul to life on a piece of paper or canvas. I am very invested in musicians and public individuals I admire. Drawing, painting or collaging them is cathartic to me and feels like my version of a thank you to those who inspired me to create in the first place. In the past, my work has been dubbed “fan art,” but I’d like to express that it’s much more than that. Yes, I’d love for the subjects to see my work and enjoy it. But my biggest reason for creating? It keeps me sane. It makes me feel connected to something. I don’t draw people willy-nilly, when I do I believe it shows in my pieces. I try to only create work where I have a personal connection to the subject. I am driven by music and the arts, so many of my subjects are individuals in these areas. My personal work mainly consists of public figures, but I also offer commissions of loved ones or beloved pets. I’m all about capturing some sort of soul or emotion in a person down on a two-dimensional surface.

I also create one-of-a-kind pieces of jewelry. I source most of my materials for jewelry secondhand. Creativity can be a very trash-heavy practice, so being able to reuse something in a wearable fashion is rewarding.

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

Open their ears and eyes. It is nearly impossible to look around your surroundings and not see some sort of art living with you. We support celebrities we haven’t met, they are creatives. So why can’t we support little Timmy down the street who is into musical theater? We are all here for a different purpose. Not all of us are meant to be on Wall Street or a mechanic or a rocket scientist. I think being open and nurturing to our differences as individuals would be supremely beneficial. If you notice a loved one is really interested in the arts, support them! Go to their shows. Get them that sketchbook or set of paintbrushes. Speak to them in an encouraging manner. See if there are programs around you can help enroll them in. Be present for them and show up in some capacity. A little truly does go a long way. The smallest effort on your part could be the one thing they remember and be what keeps them going.

We’d love to hear your thoughts on NFTs. (Note: this is for education/entertainment purposes only, readers should not construe this as advice)

Let me preface my answer by saying, I have no knowledge of them, so my answer is going to be clearly biased. I understand that our world is moving into a more technological sphere and there is very little we can do to stop it, but there is absolutely nothing that compares to holding a tangible piece of art in your hands. Having that piece on your wall that you know someone poured their soul into is such a wholesome feeling. I can’t stop the NFTs, (I googled it just now and couldn’t even comprehend the definition), but I have accepted they aren’t for me. I will gladly huddle in my studio and paint for the rest of my life. Maybe one day I will understand it and embrace it. As for right now, my mind is still stuck in the early 2000s.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.rachelmarieprince.com
• Instagram: rachelmarieprince