We were lucky to catch up with Ruthie Matanky Skaist recently and have shared our conversation below.

Ruthie, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Have you ever had an amazing boss, mentor or leader leading you? Can you us a story or anecdote that helps illustrate why this person was such a great leader and the impact they had on you or their team?

I currently work for the best boss I have ever had. Daniel Weslow is the principal at the high school where I work. Daniel creates so much space for teacher autonomy and creativity. He’s a “yes, and” kind of boss – he is more inclined to say yes every time and problem solve if an issue arises. He’s a true advocate for me and my colleagues and is always looking for ways to improve our working experience. He takes the time to check in with me both professionally and personally. I just know he’s got my back, always. This kind of psychological safety at work is one I’d never had before and it’s amazing what it can do for the entire experience of going to work.

Ruthie, 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’ve been an artist for as long as I can remember, but my professional career started in education. I taught Jewish studies for six years before pursuing art in a professional capacity. I love learning with people and I learned so much as a teacher, but I needed a break. An educational mentor of mine commissioned five pieces the summer of 2016 and that kickstarted my art career. Creating artwork for other people, art that lives in their spaces, is a humbling experience – one I am grateful for each time someone contacts me to work with them on their dream art piece. Commission work has pushed me tremendously in a creative capacity, because while the work is mine, it is truly a collaborative experience. There’s a fair bit of problem solving in the process and I really enjoy it. Starting a business was a whole other skill set that I had never encountered before and there was a pretty big learning curve – I’ve learned a huge amount since I started.

Weaved throughout my commission work I’ve also created much of my own work, experimenting with different materials and styles that still play into the vibrant energy I try to capture. Becoming a mother in 2020 stalled my personal art practice in a lot of ways and I’m still finding my way back. Connecting with other artist-mothers has been really helpful and makes the process feel less daunting.

This past August I returned to education as a high school art teacher and it’s been an incredible experience. I’ve poured my creative energies into the development of the courses and their different aims. The position plays to my strengths and I’ve been able to bring my own education and experience successfully into the role. I love working with my students; helping them deepen their existing art practices or introducing them to art for the first time since they were small children. It’s fulfilling work and it’s inspired much of my journey back to my own artistic practice.

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can provide some insight – you never know who might benefit from the enlightenment.

I think the terms “non-creative” and “creative” actually create a divide between people and reinforces a myth that creativity = the arts. Creativity is like a muscle; it exists in everyone and if it’s used often – and intentionally- it will become stronger. But people typically have their creativity squashed in early years by people who want them to conform. I find this especially true amongst my high school students in the required art classes. (Sir Ken Robinson’s TED Talk and books on this subject completely changed my life and my understanding of creativity.)

It can be challenging to teach someone to open their mind and heart to creative/divergent thinking because ultimately, for the “muscle” to get stronger they have to meet you halfway in the process. They have to try to get to a place of playfulness and joy, and they have to practice. That can feel really daunting for someone who already carries the label of “non-creative.” It’s in the early stages of developing that type of divergent thinking and playfulness that I think people who have less experience with practicing creativity struggle to understand people who have developed it more. But in my mind, that struggle can be short-lived, with a shift in perspective.

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

My Intro to Drawing class in college was made up mostly of students who were pursuing Fine Arts degrees, maybe a couple Art History majors. But there was one student who was a pursuing a Biology degree and she decided to take Intro to Drawing for fun. She obviously enjoyed it enough to want to spend her time in the studio, but I remember looking at her work and thinking, “Wow, her skill doesn’t come close to anyone in the class. Her drawings are wonky and strange.” They weren’t my most generous thoughts, but at the time I was in a mindset that good art exclusively meant accurate observational representation. At that time in my life, good art was something that was beautiful. It was a narrow and immature understanding.

A lot of time has passed since that Intro to Drawing class, and I’ve been continuously learning that art is a tiny word for a massive concept and practice. Art is significantly more expansive than accurate drawings and paintings. I think back to that class and I remember the most talented and skilled student and the absolutely mindblowing still life she created…and how jealous I was. And I think back to that Bio Major’s still life and marvel at how I now attempt to create things that are as interesting and weird and un-self-conscious.

This has actually become one of my main goals as a high school art teacher. So many of my students hold tight to the idea that good art is exclusively a beautiful painting or drawing and therefore they are not “good at art” because they can’t do that (yet), so opening their eyes to the depth and breadth of art that exists and can be created by them is really important to me.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.rmsartwork.com
• Instagram: @rms_artwork

Image Credits
Image credit for headshot to Abbie Sophia photography