We were lucky to catch up with Reeti Narayan recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Reeti, thanks for joining us today. Are you happier as a creative? Do you sometimes think about what it would be like to just have a regular job? Can you talk to us about how you think through these emotions?

I believe that being an artist comes with both opportunities and obstacles. Being a freelance artist on most days I am thankful for the work life balance I have. I get to take a break when I feel like. I am my own boss. But there are days of frustration with long unemployment periods when I wonder if I would be better off finding a stable job like most people. But that feeling i get when I see a design of mine come to life, or when I get excited about a particular project that involves doing something completely crazy or challenging, I know I wouldn’t find that if I’m sitting behind a desk and having a monotonous routine. I have a lot of respect for people who do that, but I’m not cut out for that. I don’t think I can imagine myself having a regular job and my life being just about that.

Reeti, 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?

Growing up in India I was always fascinated by the Hindi film industry. I did my bachelors in architecture back in India and always dreamt about being a full time set designer. I moved to the US to study production design and quickly realized the struggle that comes with being a freelance designer dealing with immigration issues as an international artist. My goal at the time was to build my career and make my way into the big network television and film industry. I designed a bunch of short films and music videos and simultaneously worked my way into the Tv show network and started as an art assistant. Working as an assistant was the best path I could take to get into the Art Directors Guild so I could design one day for these shows. Eventually, after about a year of being an assistant, I finally got to be a set designer in the Union. Since then, I’ve set designed for shows like All American, Homecoming, All Rise and The Consultant. These jobs have given me a little more stability in my career. Working on these shows introduced me to so many talented and experienced people in the industry and each of them have had something new for me to learn or discover about myself.

Another domain in which I’m trying to build my network in is music. I have been training in Indian classical music since I was a kid and I never had the confidence to put myself out there. Thanks to social media today, I have a platform today to showcase my love for singing. This is something I would love for people to see on my instagram and I would love to collaborate with independent music composers some day.

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

Getting into the union has been one of the biggest achievements for me. When I moved to the US to study production design, I knew nothing about unions or even the basic difference between different roles within the art department. All I knew was that I loved to design and that I had to make it in the industry someday. Now that I look back, I know I’ve come a long way and I can keep aiming higher. A lot of times I imagine colors and designs that I might think are impossible to achieve. When I see those things executed beautifully, my soul is fulfilled. When my family watches something on TV that I’ve designed, the excitement I see in their eyes, I absolutely love that feeling. It motivates me to do more. I want to explore bigger horizons now with my design and not just within the film industry. I have a newfound love for wedding designers and event planners and I’m working towards that journey. It genuinely makes me happy when I can make someone’s special day look beautiful for them. There is so much positive energy when the client appreciates and loves your work and that helps me stay motivated.
I think social media is a great medium today to express and make your work more visible today. The appreciation I get from people keeps me going. I finally feel more confident about myself.

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

I think a lot of people don’t value art. In todays world where everything is done digitally or by AI, there area lot of us still trying to make a living out of our art. People should support independent artists instead of buying mass produced items. People don’t question the price tag on things that come with a big brand name or if they’re sold at ridiculous prices at a fancy store. But they don’t think work that doesn’t have a big commercial brand name associated with it is worth the same money. It’s the sad reality. It takes a lot to express creatively, lots of resources and materials, and when somebody even just appreciates that work, that’s a good start to supporting creatives.

Contact Info:

• Website: http://www.reetinarayan.com/
• Instagram: reeti12