We were lucky to catch up with Ariana Page Russell recently and have shared our conversation below.
Ariana, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. What did your parents do right and how has that impacted you in your life and career?
My mother and grandfather both taught me that empathy is essential in life. They taught me to put myself in other’s shoes and go the extra mile to help someone if possible. I learned to listen to people’s wants and needs, to hear them and accept them. This has been huge in my own work because it’s helped me to share my vulnerabilities with others. Sharing these supposed flaws has connected me to people all over the world!
Ariana, 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?
My artwork is inspired by my skin condition dermatographia. It’s a condition where light, painless scratches leave dramatic welts on my skin. Instead of hiding this weird thing about me, I’ve been photographing and writing about it to share with others. In doing so, I’ve helped people all over the world accept and heal their own skin.
Skin and the body have always fascinated and inspired me, so when I realized what I could do with my dermatographia it made sense to turn it into art.
What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?
The most rewarding thing for me is connecting with people. I love the kinds of interesting conversations my work provokes! People are so fascinating and inspiring, great conversations and exchanges light me up.
Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?
Once I tapped into making art with/inspired by my dermatographia, my goal was more than just merely to connect with people. It became about helping people heal, share and accept their skin instead of hiding it from the world. There is no cure for dermatographia but with dietary and lifestyle changes the annoying parts of dermatographia lessen. The annoying parts are the visibility of it, along with the intense itch that sometimes accompanies the welts.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://arianapagerussell.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/arianapagerussell/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ArianaPageRussell/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@ariana_page_russell
Image Credits
Ariana Page Russell