Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Rachel Rivera. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Rachel, appreciate you joining us today. Are you happy as a creative professional? Do you sometimes wonder what it would be like to work for someone else?

I often wonder if there is happiness in being a creative. Sustainable happiness. I find the creation of something new highly satisfying, but to become successful as a creative you have to adapt your creativity to fit within a marketable box. And by successful I mean, actually make a liveable wage. I decided at 21 when my father gave me an ultimatum to go into the creative arts. He said, “Pick something, or else you are cut off.” I had been in the military, it was my way to see the world (I only saw Texas), so I came back home and enrolled in “real college” as an English Major and also Court Reporting School because I didn’t want to be a teacher – so I thought let’s see what stuck. When I was only doing mediocre at both, the dad intervention happened. So, I had to ask myself, “What do I like most?” And answered with computers and art. Who enrolled in Computer Graphic Design a week later as my last ditch adult career try? — This girl. I made it through that school, became a Graphic Designer, specialized later in web and online marketing, and thought, well this is how I can have it all. Marketable art creation.

It took about a decade to burn out, to realize that I wasn’t fulfilling my creation needs. Marketing for orthodontists and retail conglomerates who wanted their logo bigger and the stock photos displaying the exact right amount of diversity wasn’t a creative outlet for me. It was how to make money, but it wasn’t how to be happy as an artist or creative. Which is the wall I always hit as a creative. Because, as a creative, if I’m not creating ideas, if I’m not relieving my headspace of the built-up energy, I’m not happy, or really content. I’m itchy. Restless. So, while working for Corporate America, I was going home. I was painting my walls with insane murals until 3 am. I was writing books about kids being whisked away to parallel universes. I was getting about 4 hours of sleep a night. Insomnia seems to be my superpower. But, the thing was, I wasn’t finishing anything. Paintings were half-painted. Murals were abandoned. I had about 50 WIPs (works in progress) that got to Chapter 10. I never finished anything until the day I walked into my corporate job and got replaced by a 22-year-old and had to roll out my “creative brainstorming plushy chair” while holding my little box of cubicle decorations.

In the first six months, I finished the series I had been writing. I finished the mural. I began designing websites for authors. I finally could sleep at night. But, after a few years, I hit that wall again. The books didn’t sell unless I wrote what the readers wanted to read or did the right marketing. The authors started requesting the same thing as everyone else as far as websites, and I found I was up again to 3 am and this time it was making little statues, 3D art, and jewelry. My writing room became a craft room, I bought a laser, some saws…and realized. Oops. It’s happening again.

There was a question and point here, right? Am I happy? Yes. I enjoy creation. But there is a time within that creation process where to make money I have to adjust my creativity and produce sellable items, and that is where the creativity gets in the way. That is when my creative brain is not happy and I flounder. That is where I wonder what it would be like to be an accountant. To not have to constantly be creating or run the risk of fun things like depression, anxiety, and 3 am laser purchases. Grass is always greener, right? I have had so many people pick up a piece that I created and say, “I wish I could do this.” Do they say those things to accountants? Probably. Math is hard.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

What we discussed via the last question kind of sums up my origin story, but to expand on who I am and what I do, or what I have become is I’m an Author and I’m an Artist. I write under the pen name Gillian Zane and my books are usually about the end of the world, or romance, or both. My first series is still my best-selling series and it is all about the zombie apocalypse hitting New Orleans. It’s called the NOLA Zombie series. As an artist, I still create digital art and will work for freelance clients to create their websites, help them publish their own books, and create digital content for marketing purposes (this is all through Parajunkee Design & Publishing), but I’ve also branched out into creating physical artwork, and mixed media pieces that utilize my skills as a graphic artist as well. 3D wood pieces that I digitize and use a laser to cut out and then put together and hand-painted. I turn these pieces into wall art, home decor, jewelry, and much more. You can find those pieces at my storefront which I call NOLA Books & Baubles. Inspired by my love of reading and the fact that I sell both my books and random baubles that I create when the mood strikes me.

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

Support the artists by not expecting them to discount their art. You’ll pay $5 for a cup of coffee that will last maybe an hour from a nameless chain, but you’ll balk at a $3.99 eBook, that supports a starving artist who spent possibly a year creating. You’ll drop $200 at a fancy restaurant and remark on the quality and taste, but will pause and think it’s too pricey over a painting that could stay within your family for generations. If you would like to support artists and creatives, always consider the perspective. There is nothing wrong with a tasty cup of Mocha Awesomeness, or an amazing shrimp dinner, but there is also nothing wrong with an artist selling a piece they put their entire soul into for the same price.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

The completion. Holding it up. Typing the end. It comes full circle. I gave it life. There is nothing more gratifying.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.nolabooksandbaubles.com
• Instagram: @gillianzane
• Facebook: @nolabooksbaubles
• Twitter: @gillianzane
• Other: Etsy nolabaubles.etsy.com

Image Credits
All images I own the copyright.