Meet Rodney King

We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Rodney King a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Rodney , you’ve got such an interesting story, but before we jump into that, let’s first talk about a topic near and dear to us – generosity. We think success, happiness and wellbeing depends on authentic generosity and empathy and so we’d love to hear about how you become such a generous person – where do you think your generosity comes from?

Growing up we didn’t have much. I was raised by my mother and four sisters. We pretty much only had each other as my mom moved from her immediate family in St. Louis to Seattle, Washington in 1980 searching for a better life for her young family. We struggled, with no help from my father my mother was on welfare and section 8 for my elementary years and we had to count on the help from others to survive. We were fed at times by church members, food banks and close family friends. My spirit of generosity is me giving back for all that was given to us.

Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?

I am a artist that realized that this was my life’s calling in my fourties’. I could always draw but I never could imagine how much joy my art could bring to myself and others. Who knew that images I sketched in a notepad could lead to a full 30×40 painting that would be sold in some of the finest galleries in Seattle, Washington? I created Kingspen LLC in 2021 in order to showcase my art professionally to the masses. Since that time I have built lasting relationships within the local Seattle art community and have become a voice in the local art scene. I have had four solo art exhibits and multiple
Group shows and o have recently become a art commissioner for the city of Seattle.
I create images celebrating black culture using acrylic primarily as my medium transcribed on canvases. My work has been shown at Taswira, Base Camp, The Labour Temple, Axis Gallery at Pioneer Square, Slip Gallery, Arte Noir, Gallery Onyx as well as many other venues. I will be featured in city hall for the city of Lakewood in January of 2025 in additional to Arts West in Weat Seattle early next year. You can view my work currently at The Station on Beacon Hill, the Virginia Inn, Black Arts Love, Intentions Juice Bar, Gallery Onyx and Taswira.

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

As o look back on my like I think I gained the most important qualities and or skills from my childhood and early adulthood. Number one being compassionate. Compassion is something that was instilled in me as a kid, going back to be me being raised by a single mother she taught me to treat others like I wanted to be treated. Number two would be integrity. This is a tenement that was instilled in me by my upbringing and enlistment as a Marine in 1997 after high school. I was taught that you must be honest at all times and that honesty is the best policy. Finally, the qualities that I most cherish is a way of life expected by all United States Marines, honor, courage and commitment. I try to live by these three words on a daily basis.

Before we go, any advice you can share with people who are feeling overwhelmed?

When I feel like the weight of the world is on my shoulders and I have no answers for what the world demands of me at the time. I turn to the word of God. When I know that I cannot do it on my own I read the Bible and pray for His direction. My faith in God has always gotten me through.

Contact Info:

Image Credits

Images taken by Rodney H King

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