We were lucky to catch up with Rhia Black recently and have shared our conversation below.
Rhia, appreciate you joining us today. When did you first know you wanted to pursue a creative/artistic path professionally?
I have always known that I wanted to create. I have been drawing, painting, crafting, etc. for as long as I can remember. If you look through all of the school stuff my Mom saved, there is drawings on almost all of my schoolwork. But, it wasn’t until high school when I thought I could really do this. I felt like my skills were growing every year, and my friends asked to keep my art all of the time. I started my first online store with a friend and I just kept adding to it.
Rhia, 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 Rhia. I was born and raised in Colorado, and I was introduced to art and crafting by my two Grandmothers. The credit should really go to them. They both were happy to teach me and encourage me to be creative with whatever I was doing. And of course my biggest cheerleaders are my parents and close friends.
I try to create artwork of all kinds that represents the world I lived in as a child. My whole life revolved around fairies, dragons, and magic. As well as the darker things like vampires, werewolves, and witches. I feel like I am at a point where that really comes through in the jewelry and accessories I make.
I think my paintings and drawings are different because those themes and creatures are my main muse, but I try to put a symbolic American traditional style twist on them. In the past, I have also done graphic designs and logos for other friends starting their own endeavors.
Overall, I just try to make things that would make younger me happy. I try to pull my imagination out of my head and bring it to life to share with others. I feel like I have to create to survive, and I am so incredibly grateful that others like my work and support me when I try new things.
We’d love to hear your thoughts on NFTs. (Note: this is for education/entertainment purposes only, readers should not construe this as advice)
I think originally, NFTs were cool. It was a way to own a piece of digital art. But, at this point in the game, I think they take the heart out of artwork. The most popular NFTs are just randomly generated images of the same thing. I don’t really get it.
Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?
The only goal I have is to live my truth magically and freely. I would create even if nobody was interested or if I couldn’t sell anything. Creating is therapeutic to my inner child and it the way I can effectively communicate my emotions.
Contact Info:
- Website: skeletonsmakethings.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/skeletons.make.things`
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/skeletons.make.things/