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

Ruben, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. It’s always helpful to hear about times when someone’s had to take a risk – how did they think through the decision, why did they take the risk, and what ended up happening. We’d love to hear about a risk you’ve taken.

After 24 years of working in the same restaurant, I decided to call it quits. It was during the pandemic, when everything closed, that I started to feel a force inside me wanting to come out. It was my soul unfolding. I loved the place I worked and the people there, but after the pandemic, when we reopened the restaurant, I realized that managing a hundred people was too much for my soul.

At that time, I had a diary. The first day back, I was positive—we were going to open up and make something beautiful, which we did. But as I looked at my journal over time, I saw my mental state deteriorating. Page by page, I was losing energy. Eventually, I wrote that the only way out was to surrender and quit. So, I did.

I went to my owner—my friend, my mentor—and gave him the news. He was upset for a while, but he eventually understood. I had to leave to find my soul. So, I went to Oaxaca, Mexico, for a month to rejuvenate and recover. I didn’t know what I was going to do besides being an artist. I was in a place where my ego was dying, and an artist was being reborn.

Oaxaca has always been a place where I come to rejuvenate myself—my soul and my energy. During this time, I visited several artist friends, shared my story, and we exchanged experiences. We found common ground in our souls. I didn’t know what I was going to do or how I was going to do it, but I trusted that the universe would take care of me as I opened that door and walked through it. Yes, I was scared, but I felt I was getting better and stronger. I was ready for whatever this journey had in store.

During that time, I got a phone call from the Mexican consulate in Sacramento, inviting me to be part of a cohort of Mexican artists living in the USA, working to build a bridge between Mexico and Sacramento. I said yes, when I normally would have said no because of work. It was part of the journey.

Returning home, I was still scared, but I had some money saved up, so I wasn’t too worried. I had a couple of weeks between coming back from Oaxaca and heading to Mexico City to join the other artists at The Palacio de Bellas Artes. We talked to the government, explained our experiences as artists here in the states, and discussed the importance of showing the beauty of Mexico and our responsibilities as artists. I didn’t know why I was there, but because I said yes, it felt meant to be.

Meeting these artists and participating in these discussions led to a tour across the United States, showing our works at many of the Mexican consulates here in the U.S. . It was a tour of artists showcasing our love for our culture.

Back home, I was running out of money, so I had to do a show. With help from my friend Yaya, who acted as curator, mentor, and guide, I held an exhibition at a coffee shop called Classy Hippie Tea. The community came out and supported me immensely. There was so much love that I knew I made the right decision.

But now, like a funeral, after everyone comes and supports you, the real work begins. I was on a journey to seek the answers within me. It was a beautiful, yet challenging time—recovering myself after 24 years of identifying a certain way. For the past two years, I’ve been doing shows here and there, including one at Los Pinos, the presidential palace of Mexico City.

During the transition from leaving my job to the show in Mexico City, I had many beautiful and hard conversations, many sleepless nights, and many moments of questioning what I was doing. Success is measured by what? I don’t know. But I regained my purpose, my life, and my mind. I manifested my way through this life. It was a hard decision, but it was worth it.

As a futurist artist, I see toward the future, live in the present, and smile toward the past. After two years of financial and emotional struggles, I can now call myself an artist. I’ve done my suffering, and now, no matter what happens, I know I can create anything I want.

Ruben, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I first started playing music by working with samples. Back in the day, we only had 12 seconds to sample and record. My journey of experimental sound began when a friend pulled me out of my bedroom and invited me to play in his goth metal band. With my sampler in hand, I went on stage, and in that moment, I became a musician.

After that band, I joined a couple of electronic bands, including Homo Erectus, where I played electronic music and opened for rock bands. The technology wasn’t quite there yet, but we made it work. I then formed an electronic band with one of my best friends, who I still remain close with today. He used to build our computers for live performances. This period marked my love for experimental and sound music.

I transitioned to banjo and electronic music, exploring more sensitive electronic sounds. I even got signed to Sony for one album before deciding to focus on my visual work. My journey into photography began when I bought a camera and headed to Mexico to connect with my roots. I wasn’t a trained photographer, but I wanted to capture enough images for my family to see our homeland. I traveled to Zacatecas, seeking to feel my heart, my blood, and the places where my ancestors lived. I took thousands of pictures, listened to stories, and felt the land, unknowingly starting a new chapter in my journey.

A couple of years later, I decided to visit Oaxaca. I chose it almost by chance, pointing to a spot on a map with my eyes closed. Oaxaca healed my broken soul. I traveled there for Day of the Dead, walked its magical, mysterious streets, met many artists who became lifelong friends, and understood that Oaxaca shaped me into the artist I am today.

Year after year, I returned for Day of the Dead, wandering through cemeteries, communicating with spirits, absorbing the energy, and bringing it back to Sacramento to create art. I aimed to showcase Mexico in its true beauty, highlighting its people and culture, rather than just iconic symbols. Being a digital native, I began to transform my photos into something more dynamic. I saw my images as energy and altered them to reflect what I saw. Eventually, I started printing on alternative surfaces, honing my craft, feeling the earth’s energy, and evolving my art from there. Merging many works into immersive projections where the colors and sounds heal.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

Besides creating an art piece. To me, it’s not just about the art but it’s actually the interaction between two souls converging on that moment in time. I see this quite often in people trying to express themselves, but they don’t have the words until they see an art piece and then they find it and in that moment, in that connection is what I truly love about being an artist

What can society do to ensure an environment that’s helpful to artists and creatives?

I believe society is beginning to recognize the vital role art plays in our lives. Art heals, and creativity heals. As we share our experiences and artistic journeys, we can help others see the healing power of art and its importance in our lives. Whether it’s writing, painting, photography, or filmmaking, art transports us to spaces that are both hard to access and easy to reach.

People can support artists by sharing their work, attending their shows, and spreading the word. It’s crucial for both individuals and the business community to understand that art is essential in the world, and so are the artists who create it.

Contact Info:

• Website: rubenreveles.com
• Instagram: @rurevel
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/ruben.b.reveles
• Twitter: @rurevel99
• Youtube: @RuRevel