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

Hi Rozalyn, thanks for joining us today. Did you always know you wanted to pursue a creative or artistic career? When did you first know?

I have a vivid memory of walking with my elementary classmates from our little school to a grand two story house in downtown Broussard, Louisiana, when I was about six. An older woman with gorgeous red hair greeted us at her door and she seemed to glow. As we toured her home studio I was in perpetual awe. There were paintings covering every wall. She was fascinating. I listened to every word she said as my friends chattering seemed to disappear into the background. I’ll never forget consciously deciding that I wanted to be just like her when I grew up. I recently asked my mother about this portrait of her that has been hanging on her wall since I can remember. She told me it was done on Main Street when she was little. She said every family in town would dress up and sit for portraits in that old house.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I am self-taught and use art making as a therapeutic intuitive practice. I was raised by musicians in South Louisiana, and have been surrounded by beautiful revelry my whole life. The Cajun culture, history, and landscape of my homeland is an unending source of inspiration. Covid ignited a metamorphosis on many levels and I’ve fully transitioned from the jewelry world back to my first love of painting. The work has become a mirror, constantly cycling through new styles every couple of months, changing right along with me. I was recently exposed to another form of self-discovery called Le Petit Jeu from the 18th century . I have designed and launched my own Oracle Card deck inspired by the infamous Parisian Cartomancer, Madame Lenormand. My Cajun Belle version of the Game of Hope is a vibrant collage of the iconic thirty six symbols using pieces of my paintings and photos. I crafted a complete online reference guide to offer more information on the cards and their combinations when playing. I’m currently creating a daily draw dream journal to accompany daily card pulls. Matching merch is also available, quenching my desire to remain in the fashion world. I love the fact that I can once again see my community walking around wearing my art, but mostly that it is now used as a tool for introspection. My Rêverie Collection can be found on RozLeCompte.com, as well as original paintings on paper and wood canvas.

Have you ever had to pivot?

As a small business owner, pivoting is almost a dance. I am in the midst of a complete personal and business life pivot and it has been quite the emotional journey. In the past year I have let go of the small business that I created and have run for over ten years. It became part of my identity. Simultaneously grieving this and the end of a twenty year relationship has birthed a serious self-discovery process. I’m at the point where I can appreciate the beauty in it all as a whole. Even the pain. Life is never boring and it comes out in the art!

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

The freedom. It feels good to have an outlet for expression. In a chaotic world, choosing to create is a way to have some sort of control over your internal world. Painting is how I self soothe. The ultimate reward is when I see someone wearing my art or hearing people discuss how it makes them feel or what they see in it. It’s the greatest honor to affect another person’s internal world in some way.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.rozlecompte.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rozlecompte
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rozlecompte

Image Credits

Reagan Simon