You guys! Happy Tuesday! Happy summer! You are in for a BIG TREAT today! The effervescent and colorful being, Rachel Awes, has stopped by the blog to visit us this morning! She is a psychologist of 28 years, an author, and all around sparkly being based in St. Paul, MN! Rachel adds so much color, enthusiasm and joy to the art community and beyond! It's been great fun for me to get to know her and follow her work through the years. Very few people do what they do with as much heart and humility as Rachel. She has a way of just making you feel at home and at ease. Know what I mean?
I had the opportunity to ask her a few questions about her life, her outlook and what inspires her......
1. Rachel! I’m so happy to be able to chat with you here! Thanks for joining us! First off, can you tell everyone a little bit about who you are and what you do?
I work as a psychologist, author, art playgroundist, and speaker out of St. Paul, Minnesota. My deepest passion is listening to the beauty within people and reflecting it back through affirming words and vibrant colors.
I work as a psychologist, author, art playgroundist, and speaker out of St. Paul, Minnesota. My deepest passion is listening to the beauty within people and reflecting it back through affirming words and vibrant colors.
2. You are one of the most colorful people I know! Your personal style is so joyful and inspiring! Did your personal style develop over time, or have you always been so sparkly?
Over time, my personal style has evolved back to the freedom, colors, and joy I naturally gravitated to as a child. The colors came into fuller bloom as an adult in my 40’s, when I began creating art daily. I found that as I created art, art created me. Three illustrated and written books later, I found my favorite clothing store in New York City, Gudrun Sjoden, felt my illustrations had magically come to life, and now am an ambassador for them and I can’t imagine dressing in anything other than my true self.
3. Are you ever discouraged? How does that affect your creativity? 2020 was a tough year for so many, your family included. What keeps you going? (sorry that’s 3 questions)
I would describe my heart as both strong and tender and my senses as highly sensitive. I also share much of my life force/love in all areas of my professional and personal life. Given all of this, my energy can wane and with it, sometimes my mood can feel more melancholy and vulnerable. When I am conscious of this, my response is to rest. Additionally, this has indeed been a tough year for many, as it has in my own home with the loss of both of my husband’s parents to COVID-19. In specific response, I found I had let my body go with not eating well nor exercising. The last two months and still, I’ve made radical changes with eating clean and recumbent biking and walks, which feels revitalizing.
4. What do you do to get into a creative zone? Any rituals or habits that clear the way for magic?
Sometimes I schedule a weekend for creativity, or a window of a day, just like I would use my calendar for other appointments. If I’m really in the flow of creating something, I will naturally awake early before my work day begins and get busy alongside the singing birds.
5. What are you currently inspired by, and/or what are you most excited about right now?
I’m illustrating and writing my fourth book and also creating a new website. I’m quite excited about them both!
6. Where can our friends find you? (web, social media, etc)
Rachel's Website
Rachel's Etsy Shop
Rachel's Instagram
Rachel's Facebook
Rachel's Pinterest
Sometimes I schedule a weekend for creativity, or a window of a day, just like I would use my calendar for other appointments. If I’m really in the flow of creating something, I will naturally awake early before my work day begins and get busy alongside the singing birds.
5. What are you currently inspired by, and/or what are you most excited about right now?
I’m illustrating and writing my fourth book and also creating a new website. I’m quite excited about them both!
6. Where can our friends find you? (web, social media, etc)
Rachel's Website
Rachel's Etsy Shop
Rachel's Instagram
Rachel's Facebook
Rachel's Pinterest
Rachel is generously offering an art download to all of you! See below! This would be a great one to print off and send to a friend who needs some encouragement, or just a reminder to keep staying true to themselves!
Big thank you to Rachel for stopping by the blog today!!!! Friends, please take a moment to visit her AMAZING new website (I mean, WOW!) and her Etsy shop (links above) for more juicy goodness!
Have a wonderful day! Talk soon, Dori