Framing advice

The calling to create art started very early for me, in fact, my earliest memories I remember creating, drawing, and crafting in all forms, and I even formed my own artist community ‘Ruth’s Art Club’ at primary school. Every birthday and Christmas had a long list of crafting supplies, and I was lucky enough that my father encouraged my passions. The first artwork I saw that viscerally moved me was Van Gogh, Cafe Terrace at night (1888). 

Growing up in an unconventional family, with a single-parent father raising me and my brother, I experienced feeling left out of normal family life and society’s expectations. This life experience since led me to always lean into empathy, and being comfortable with unconventional ideas and celebrate differences. But as a child it was challenging having to navigate growing up without a mother. I had to become very independent sooner than I should, and also became a people pleaser.

I was lucky enough at school to have a very supportive art teacher, and my dad always encouraged me to create. But even as I was pursuing art at college, I had a wobble. Can you believe I considered going to university to study law? I enjoyed the subject and got good grades in my final A Level exams. Looking back it was a crisis of confidence, that I couldn't possibly follow my dreams AND have that as a sustainable career.

Having been selected to a top university at Winchester School of Art I couldn't believe my luck. But I was about to be in for a big culture shock. Having grown up in Walsall, in the West Midlands, a working class town moving to Winchester surrounded by affluence, different ideals and honestly people who had no understanding of how their financial heritage gave them an unfair advantage. Whilst I was watching every penny to ensure I could do the basic things, my flatmates ate sushi and went to yoga class. This is honestly no joke! Once again I felt alienated and less than.

Once graduating in 2008, I felt lucky to have got through 3 years of university on a small budget and came away with a small group of good friends. The next step was gaining work experience in textile design, but soon found again, to be pushed out. Design houses expect you to do unpaid work experience in London, something I couldn't afford. So I worked my way up in the retail world, starting in coffee shops, and eventually becoming a shop manager. Ambition and hard work was never lacking for me, but I have faced challenges.

I spent several years trying to get into the design world, but found it to be a case of who you know rather than talent leading the way. After years of trying I became depressed, hopeless and frustrated. That's when I decided to go back to what I love, painting, and just do it for the enjoyment. I had no idea it would lead me to becoming a full-time professional artist and co-leader of an Art Community.

So looking back if I could give that insecure, passionate, talented, confused young woman some advice it would be..

• Follow your passion and heart, you don't need to have it all figured out
• Your challenges and hurts will lead to purpose
• Trust your intuition
• ‘Normal’ people are boring (lol)
• Be proud of who you are and your background
• Mindset is the most powerful tool you can leverage

It’s all too easy to think (as an artist) of all the reasons it won’t work, and label yourself as a dreamer for wanting to follow your passion as a career. Our economical system that’s driven by ‘hard work’, we are conditioned to believe as a working class adult the best we can hope for is enough money for a holiday once a year when we can finally relax and enjoy ourselves. You can however, choose to step out this paradigm like I have and follow a purpose driven by making the world a better place, through art.

I’m really passionate about inspiring and supporting other artists to unleash their creativity and believe it’s never been a better time to be an artist. I’m living proof, as a working class female, that it’s achievable and also necessary that our voices are heard more in the art world, as our experience yields important truths.