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

Ruby, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today 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.

For over a decade, I focused on creating and promoting a series of children’s books I had become known for. I had built a large, worldwide audience for my kids’ titles through media coverage, blogging, vending, and speaking engagements around the nation. But in 2016, after leaving a 14-year identity defining relationship, my art changed, parallel with my station in life. Suddenly, I was no longer a step-mom, no longer packing lunches everyday, no longer child-focused. I was dating at age 34 for the first time since I was in my 20s, experiencing my body and needs and desires in a new way—and the art that I poured into my sketchbooks reflected the shift in my life. I was at a crossroads in my career and needed to find new channels of income to support myself. So I took a risk and launched the feminine, figurative art I had always kept to myself to the only audience I had—my children’s book audience—and hoped some of them would find it interesting and come along for the next chapter. I felt vulnerable, but I leapt and grew wings on the way down. It took a few years to find a new audience, to land connections with galleries, and for me, most importantly, to let go of all elements of the business I had built up before, trusting that I would be successful once again with new content. Last year, I released my first adult art book—Boss Inside: A Reclamation of the Feminine, a collection of journal entries and the art that poured out of me as I left that longterm relationship and reclaimed my life.

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 a figurative artist, writer, designer, and author-illustrator of a series of leading children’s books. My newest release, Boss Inside: A Reclamation of the Feminine is my first adults-only art book, an illustrated memoir. It chronicles the life change I experienced when I left a 14-year identity defining relationship and shifted my career to my feminine figurative artwork, reclaiming my life, my career, my sexuality, creativity, and relationship to men and masculinity itself.

My artwork—original drawings and paintings, prints, and the merch I make—has a spiritual side. My collectors are not the kind not looking for something to match the couch. They pick my work because it is a reminder—about who we are at our cores, or how we manage our inner and outer worlds, or how we create peace and sanctuary around us. The women I depict are often solitary, making use of their solitude, communing with nature, finding strength in taking the road less traveled.

Some of my favorite works are the Custom Body Portraits I offer. Women come sit for me, or send me a set of photographs of themselves and share something they want to mark—something they’re celebrating or grieving, something they’re growing into or letting go of. I synthesize the images into an original drawings and share the outcome with my following. The intimate details and personal stories that are usually kept hidden are “drawn” out, and everyone benefits.

I run a creative house with several branches: fine art (original art, prints, and merchandise), children’s books (a series of 5 titles), and commercial design (graphic design, book design and layout, branding and identity, editorial illustration, etc). Between the 3 channels, I am always occupied, always busy, and never bored. I get to work with a variety of brands, organizations, individuals, and businesses on a wide range of design assets. My specialty is elevating a clients’ aesthetics using whatever assets they have, and building upon them without requiring major budgeting. Whether I’m designing or creating original artwork, the goal is elevation—of a brand, or a spirit.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

Just before I released my memoir, I got spooked about the legal ramifications of telling one’s own story. I had anonymized anyone I wrote about, of course, and regardless didn’t feel that there was anything included that could be damaging. But legal counsel nevertheless cautioned me that anyone can sue anyone at any time for anything. I realized at that moment that I had come up against a reckoning—with centuries of women’s history, in particular; that we’ve been ostracized, deemed “ruined,” scarlet-lettered, even burned at the stake for revealing our true natures. It was an internal battle for about a week, but then my worry turned to anger. And anger can be a useful and energizing force. There was no good reason for me to be questioning my project. I was confident in my truth, thoroughly felt that the book was a crucial project for my mind, heart, and career path, and came to realize that the worst thing that could happen would be NOT releasing the book and continuing to be controlled by fear. Women have been controlled by fear for centuries and I refused to be part of that legacy.

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

Stop buying everything on Amazon, and find an artist, craftsperson, or local store who makes/carries what you’re looking for. If you’re buying a book, see if the author carries it in their online shop. If you need a gift, find an artist’s work you like and everyone benefits. We’ve all started to become groomed to using “fast, easy” technology that we don’t even really enjoy, and know is bad for small businesses. It might seem like no big deal, but every order, even the small ones, make a big difference to an artist or craftsperson.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.rubyroth.co
• Instagram: @ruby_roth
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/rubyroth
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ruby-roth-97428915/
• Twitter: @ruby_roth
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@ruby_roth

Image Credits
@theelouu