Life, Values & Legacy: Our Chat with Carley Rangen

We’re looking forward to introducing you to Carley Rangen. Check out our conversation below.

Carley, it’s always a pleasure to learn from you and your journey. Let’s start with a bit of a warmup: What is something outside of work that is bringing you joy lately?
Spending time in nature is where I feel most at home. Whether I’m walking through the woods, exploring quiet trails, or riding my bike, being outdoors feeds my sense of calm and creativity. I’ve always felt a deep connection to the natural world, and that love naturally flows into my work. The textures, lighting, and colors I encounter outside often inspire the biophilic elements I bring into my design projects and artwork. Nature grounds me, refuels me, and continues to shape the way I see and create.

Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
Creativity has always been at the heart of who I am. I began as a young artist — curious, imaginative, and drawn to beauty — but like many, I was told, “You can’t be an artist; you’ll never make a living.”

So, I followed the practical path, building skills and raising my family while continuing to explore my creative side whenever I could. Over time, a friend of a friend saw what I created in my home and asked if I would join her in her design company. After a couple years working together, she moved out of the Okanagan , which led me to create Olive Tree Interior Designs — a business I enjoyed for over 17 years. Through that experience, I helped clients transform their homes into spaces that balanced beauty, function, and meaning.

After years in design, I felt the pull to pause and rediscover myself creatively. I stepped away from my business, travelled, and devoted my time to painting — exploring abstract expression and developing my voice as an artist. This continuing journey reignited my belief that art and environment are deeply connected: both can heal, ground, and inspire us.

Through personalized consultations, I helped clients simplify and elevate their spaces — from color palettes and art placement to lighting, flooring, cabinetry, and mindful decluttering. Every project is guided by balance, beauty, and intention.

I now am in a quieter space, still offering consultations when asked, painting and exploring nature as often as I can. I’m not sure what my next phase is but working on trusting the process and see what happens next.

Inspired by nature. Designed for living.

Great, so let’s dive into your journey a bit more. What did you believe about yourself as a child that you no longer believe?
As a child, I believed that everyone else’s thoughts and opinions were more valid than my own. I was often told I was “too sensitive,” so I slipped into shyness and spent a lot of time observing the world, trying to make sense of where I fit. Over the years, through personal growth, self-reflection, and life experience, I’ve learned to trust myself more. I now recognize that my sensitivity is actually intuition, strength, compassion, and deep awareness. I understand that we all see the world differently, and those differences aren’t right or wrong—they’re simply unique perspectives that shape who we are.

What fear has held you back the most in your life?
The fear that has held me back the most is the fear of not being enough—not wanted, not accepted, not worthy of what I have to offer. For a long time, that fear showed up as people-pleasing. I used my ability to observe and read situations to adjust myself to what I thought others wanted, instead of trusting my own voice.

This carried into my artwork too. I often adapted my style so others might enjoy it, matching aesthetics instead of honoring my own creative instincts. The interesting part is that this ability to shift and explore actually comes from a genuine love of variety and curiosity—not from a lack of identity. It’s not that I’m diminishing myself; it’s that I’m absorbing the world and staying open to possibility.

Like many people, I grew up with subtle messages that sensitivity, intuition, and creativity weren’t enough—that real success required being analytical, knowing math, or fitting into more traditional molds. So I spent a lot of my life trying to prove my worth instead of believing in the strengths I naturally had. That narrative shaped how I saw myself, and for years I filtered my choices through the fear that who I was just wasn’t quite enough.

As I continue to grow as an artist and as a person, I’m learning to see all of this differently. I’m realizing that this journey isn’t a weakness—it’s evolution. I may eventually move toward a more defined artistic style, but instead of seeing that as a reaction to fear, I’m choosing to view it as growth, exploration, and an expansion of who I’m becoming.

So a lot of these questions go deep, but if you are open to it, we’ve got a few more questions that we’d love to get your take on. What truths are so foundational in your life that you rarely articulate them?
One of my deepest, most unspoken truths is my belief in possibility. I think our culture, beliefs, and media can unintentionally narrow our vision, making us feel as though our options are limited or predetermined. Humans can get stuck in routines, rigid thinking, and familiar patterns, and it closes off so much of what could be.

At my core, I believe the world is a miraculous, ever-changing place and the more I learn, the more I realize how much I still don’t know. That humility, that openness, feels essential. If we collectively set down our old programming, softened our egos, and stayed curious, I truly believe we could create and experience so much more.

Thank you so much for all of your openness so far. Maybe we can close with a future oriented question. What is the story you hope people tell about you when you’re gone?
I’m not entirely sure what I want to be remembered for, but I hope people say that I tried—that I kept learning how to trust, not because I ever mastered it, but because I stayed committed to the journey. Trusting the process and trusting myself long before I had proof has never been easy. It’s something I’m still practicing. Letting go, choosing flow over worry, believing that things can unfold in ways I can’t yet see… it sounds simple, but in real life it’s often hard. I just hope people remember that I continued to show up anyway.

I also hope people remember me as someone who listened. Someone who made others feel heard and understood, who asked questions, who cared enough to truly see people. Encouraging others to look within for validation—not outward—has always felt important to me, because that’s where clarity and peace begin.

If my story reflects anything, I hope it reflects growth, learning, and staying open to possibilities. We come into life with so many ideas about what it “should” look like, and we think happiness depends on certain milestones. But sometimes the unexpected paths, the detours, and the challenges end up being exactly what we needed.

If people remember that I tried my best, stayed curious, kept softening, and encouraged others to accept themselves… then that feels like enough.

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