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

Alright, Rell thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. When did you first know you wanted to pursue a creative/artistic path professionally?

I had to stop attending art school due to lack of money and mental health issues. A period of 4-5 years went by where I was convinced I would never design clothing or make art again, and instead focused on working low wage jobs to survive. Around 2016 I started participating in annual student-run fashion shows at the university I was working at which inspired me to pick up drawing pencils and gouache again. I spent the next few years leaning into acrylic painting with no intention of showing my work, but in 2017 I applied to a local art market where I could sell my work as prints. During the art market I not only sold art prints, but I ran out of business cards. From 2018-2019 I was to participate in roughly 25 group shows, invited by the many people who took cards from my table at the art market in 2017. In hindsight I think the artist path pursued me. I took one step out of my safety bubble and the local arts community helped to keep me pushing forward, allowing me even to have the dream of becoming a professional painter.

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 work uses paint and/or fiber as mediums to process, reflect, and respond to daily life and happenings in international pop culture. Making commentary about beauty standards, existentialism, daydreams, and the representation of Black people in global media.

My most recent paintings consist of portraits of loved ones and myself, layering images of past and present self and of existing places to create dreamscapes, some images portray us looking towards an unknown future, and some display our younger selves overlapping with our present selves — as a representation of all the people we have been throughout the timeline of our lives. This work is visual dialogue about being the person your childhood-self dreamed of, community, and the fluidity of time. In this body of work, I contemplate existence and imagine an escape from the realities of adulthood, misogynoir, and anti-Blackness around the world — in addition to thoughts about displacement and the double consciousness of being both Black and American. In this work I imagine a place where “We” (both self and community) can thrive and exist without harm.

I still dabble in fashion occasionally showing pieces or collections in local fashion shows. My fashion practice primarily revolves around upcycling plastics and old clothing into wearable art. Fashion is my first love and my childhood experience of upcycling old clothes into Barbie clothes was my introduction to creativity, as well as the main motivation in my decision to attend a fashion design program at an arts college.

I am an active member in both Women of Visions PGH and the San Francisco based artist cohort The Invisibility Collective. My work has been exhibited in museums and galleries across the United States.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

After a second shot at an undergrad degree, I decided to pause on any academic goals. I spent a decade working a staff position at a university but the day-to-day workload and the constant change in management/ lack of support were detrimental and prevented me from my initial plan to make use of the free classes and tuition benefits for employees. Throughout this I had been producing small quantities of work each year to keep my momentum and participate in the many group-shows I was being invited to participate in.

The pivot came when I stared questioning myself about my future plans and what I wanted to gain from making art. My city isn’t exactly a buyer’s market and very often artists are not taken seriously until they graduate from university or make it big elsewhere and come back. So for me the focus was on how to sustain, how to expand my audience, and how to reach my goals without a degree or a traditional route.

I have been able to cultivate the success I have though alternative methods such as joining two artist cohorts, participating in a residency, two creative business accelerators, public arts projects, and other development programs sponsored by local arts organizations. These experiences have allowed me to expand my portfolio, grow my network, learn basic entrepreneurial skills, have four solo exhibitions, exhibit my work nationally, and win a creative development award from the Heinz Endowments.

Although I’m still not exactly at my end goal I have gained so much professional and life experience during this journey. I am definitely experiencing some of these things a bit later in life than some artists who may have taken a traditional route, but I think the timing is perfect for me. I hope to participate in an esteemed artist residency in the US or abroad, show at an art fair, and have solo show at a museum of well-known gallery in the near future.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

For me, one of the most rewarding aspects of being an artist is looking back at all of the projects I’ve participated in and all the people I’ve met along the way. There was once a time where my reality involved learning how to exist without creating art, but now I’ve come so much further than I could’ve imagined. During this journey I’ve been able to find myself, fulfill my childhood dreams, and realize new possibilities. Most importantly, being an artist has allowed my younger family members to create new experiences, be exposed to different walks of life, and also have access to my network and knowledge of creative and entrepreneurial resources to help them pursue their goals.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.lostandopinionated.com/
• Instagram: @cindynwndrlnd
• Facebook: @cindynwndrlnd
• Twitter: @cindynwndrlnd
• Youtube: @cindynwndrlnd
• Other: Pinterest: @cindynwndrlnd

Image Credits

Images of Ecolution fashion show credit: Wendy Jean Hacker