An Inspired Chat with Rebecca DeGroodt of North Raleigh

We’re looking forward to introducing you to Rebecca DeGroodt. Check out our conversation below.

Good morning Rebecca, it’s such a great way to kick off the day – I think our readers will love hearing your stories, experiences and about how you think about life and work. Let’s jump right in? What do the first 90 minutes of your day look like?
Our dogs are early risers so the day usually starts around 6:00 and the first 30 minutes or so (I try to limit it to 30 minutes but sometimes it’s longer) of the day find me on the couch with the dogs and a cup of coffee. I also check the New York Times and my Apple News feed, and then swear off news for the rest of the day. I’ll go up stairs to the bonus room for a couple of sun salutations and a few minutes of centering prayer, and then I have yogurt, empty the dishwasher and figure out the plan for the rest of the day. This is maybe the ideal scenario, and more often than not I do follow this routine. When I do it always makes for a better day.

Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I’m a mixed media artist — I work in collage with painting for two-dimensional pieces, I create shadow-box assemblages, and I art journal. I’ve lived in Raleigh for 30 years and most of them were devoted full time to raising our two daughters. But we’re truly empty nesters now — my oldest graduated from NC State in 2024 and is working in Raleigh, my youngest is a rising Junior at UNC. So for the past few years I’ve been focusing more intently on making art.

Okay, so here’s a deep one: What breaks the bonds between people—and what restores them?
We’re suffering from disconnectedness, despite and maybe somewhat because of all our sophisticated technology. We’re living through a plague of political polarization. individual loneliness and isolation, decreased civic involvement . . . you don’t have to look far or listen too closely to find evidence of society breaking apart. Truly seeing and hearing each other — recognizing our common humanity and our symbiotic connection to all of creation, brings us back together. I think that art is one of the most powerful tools we have for encouraging us to see more deeply into our relationships with each other and our world and fostering connection.

What fear has held you back the most in your life?
A fear of not being “good enough” has been my worst enemy. That, along with its friend — perfectionism, and just a generally tough time with focus, has often kept me from even trying. Life experience (age) and listening to/reading about other artists has helped me a lot with this. I’ve adopted the mantra: just doing it is ‘good enough’ and accepted the reality that most things have to be done many times before we’re really comfortable with the process.

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 do you believe is true but cannot prove?
Something I believe but can’t prove: a divine power connects us all and everything that has been, is now and will be. I don’t discount material reality, but I don’t see an either/or equation between science and faith. There are things that can be known empirically and there are truths we know intuitively. This thought has been at the front of my mind lately, I’m not sure why. Maybe because. I’ve been studying the women in the Abstract Expressionism movement of the mid-20th century and its challenged me to let go of the idea that “good” art is realistic representation of a subject. Maybe I’m struggling with recognizing the validity of felt versus observable truth?

Okay, so let’s keep going with one more question that means a lot to us: Are you doing what you were born to do—or what you were told to do?
I’m doing what I was born to — I’m a maker, a storyteller, a finder of meaning, a “creative”. I tried really hard in my younger days to shove that energy into a role that conforms to an easy label and comes with a salary and benefits. That never worked out. Then I became a mother — a massively important, very consuming and (I found) satisfying role. Now I happen to be in a place where I can focus on creating and I feel very fortunate.

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