Today we’d like to introduce you to Ryan Robinson.
Hi Ryan, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I’ve loved the arts for as long as I can remember. When I was growing up, it was all around me. Not only did I enroll in every art class imaginable in and out of school, but my mom, aunts and grandma had talents of their own that I grew up watching. I always looked up to them and their creative minds and always sought to have my own creative outlet. However, it wasn’t until I was in college when I started this business, pretty unintentionally actually. I began to paint a lot more in my free time, mostly for my mental health and to take my mind off the craze of college. I lived in a sorority house at the time and my friends in the house would see me working on a piece and want one for their dorm or apartment.
It was really just a chain reaction from there. More and more people started reaching out for custom paintings, and my little business became, well, not so little. I ended up selling about 300 paintings in my first year, which was completely unexpected.
A year later, I really started to take myself and my business more seriously with a website, business cards – the whole works. But even then, art was still a side thing for me. I got out of college, started working a 9-5 in the advertising/marketing industry and continued to sell my paintings on the side. I have dreamt of doing art full time since I was a kid and never thought it would be possible (until honestly this year). So at the beginning of October, I quit my job, and am officially pursuing art full time now. It is truly the love and support of my family and friends and clients that have got me to where I am today.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
One of my biggest challenges in my 24 years of life has been my mental health. I’ve struggled with depression and anxiety for as long as I can remember, and it was this that led me to start creating more in college. I desperately needed an avenue to escape the world and meditate, and luckily, I rediscovered art at one of the darkest times in my life. Creating became my medicine and I quickly learned to channel negative energy out with a paintbrush.
Since the start, it’s been difficult at times to not compare myself to other artists and where they are in their careers. However, I always remind myself I started this for me, not because I wanted to become a rich and famous artist or something of the sort. Art has saved me and painting does for me what words simply cannot. I know a lot of other artists can relate with me on this topic, and it’s so encouraging and heart-warming to see what the creative world can do for people and how it can bring a sense of understanding to life.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I specialize in abstract paintings for the most part, but I’m constantly switching up my style. A lot of artists have one unique style that they stick to, which I appreciate and respect, but for some reason, I can’t do that. And that’s why I love abstract art. Abstract art is unique in that it does not conform to one thing or essence; it isn’t concrete or physical, and it can shapeshift and transform at a moment’s notice. In abstract art, you can and should expect the unexpected. I like my fluid, colorful art to reflect this message from the inside out. Some of my most popular works incorporate LED lights or even plaster instead of your normal painting materials. I want people to expect the unexpected from me, because I’ll never stop discovering and evolving my work.
How do you define success?
For the majority of my life, I had a narrow definition of what success meant. It involved people knowing your name, or having a fancy, six-figure-paying job to buy an endless stream of designer handbags and big cars. It wasn’t a definition I had opted-in to. Rather, it was fed to me from childhood through movies, magazines about the rich and famous, and our education system. And I believed every second of it. The definition of success I grew up knowing was actually based on what other people consider most important in life, and not anything that I really cared about.
As I’ve gotten older, I’ve come to know a very different definition of success. Success simply means achieving what you want and only what YOU want. The reason our definitions of success are sometimes warped is because we’re comparing them to what other people want. Not what we want. But in reality, if you are being fulfilled, happy, safe, healthy, loved, etc. as a Starbucks barista, you are succeeding! Be true to yourself rather than simply conforming to societal norms. Discover what you want your life to center on. And then, evaluating how well you’ve accomplished your priorities will verify how successful you’ve been.
Contact Info:
- Email: ryanrobinsonart3@gmail.com
- Website: www.ryanrobinsonart.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ryanrobinson.art/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ryanrobinsonpaint
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@ryanrobinson.art?lang=en
