Richard Newkirk shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.
Richard, a huge thanks to you for investing the time to share your wisdom with those who are seeking it. We think it’s so important for us to share stories with our neighbors, friends and community because knowledge multiples when we share with each other. Let’s jump in: What is a normal day like for you right now?
Right now, a normal day for me follows a pretty simple script. Working full time, and trying to be a creative is a bit of a challenge when it comes to finding time for things, so I try to stay fairly structured, in order to make time. Usually I’ll start my day with a basketball workout, I’m currently trying to fix my jumper. After that, a little bit of writing in my journal, reading a book, and making breakfast. I try to call every morning my “lock-in” time as that’s when I’m at my most productive. After work, I try to go full steam ahead on creative projects I may have started. My normal days aren’t the most exciting, or crazy, but they are very productive, which is something I’ve been placing an emphasis on in my life.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
My name is Richard, but I usually go by Rich. I like to call myself a creative with a focus on fine art, such as painting, drawing, and more. If I were to explain my work in one sentence to a new person, I would say; “I create outlandish surrealist paintings and creations, to emphasize dreaming and imagination.” My use of colors, unique compositions, and familiar themes is something that really brings a spirit of individuality and freshness into the contemporary art scene, if you were to ask me my opinion. Recently I’ve been lucky enough to have a creative showcase with several of my best friends, and show my art to new crowds in the Raleigh – Durham area. Currently, I am working on a new collection of surrealist takes on popular creatures, plants, animals, and ideas. While it’s still very early in the works, I can assure, this will be some of my most polished displays of artistry and creativity to date.
Appreciate your sharing that. Let’s talk about your life, growing up and some of topics and learnings around that. What breaks the bonds between people—and what restores them?
I think this will be a fairly cliche answer, but I’d like to say that life breaks and restores the bonds between people. As in, people grow and change, which is an inevitable outcome of the act of living life. Throughout my life, I have learned that people will come, and people will go, whether because of a broken bond, or otherwise. Growing older, becoming busy with work, building community, they’re all parts of life, that, given the wrong or right circumstances can lead to bonds being broken, created, or restored. I think, if you were to ask me to pinpoint something precise, or less broad than the idea of life as a bond-breaker or restorer, my answer would be redundant, as I believe that in the end, it will lead back to the overarching idea that life can be fickle, and with that comes those bonds that can be just as easily created as destroyed.
What fear has held you back the most in your life?
Once again, here I go with these cliche answers, but sometimes, the most cliche answer is also the most relatable. And for me, my answer would be the fear of failure. As much as I am quite confident in my work, my ethics, and my ability to create, there has always been that nagging idea of failure in my head. Saying that fear has held me back would be a stretch, however, as I believe if anything, fear has pushed me to do things I would never do. I don’t know how good my art would be, or if I’d be the creative I am today without that fear. I don’t have many examples, but I’ll put it this way. The fear of failure has always been like being chased by a rabid dog. Everyone runs faster than they knew was possible when there’s danger chasing them. Not only do I subscribe to the idea that I have to outrun my fear of failure, I also know that in my personal and creative life, while failure is necessary for growth, it is not a concept I want to become familiar with. Fear has worked for me in several ways, being an unconscious catalyst that makes me desire the grind.
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. Is the public version of you the real you?
In a literal sense? Yeah, it’s the real me. But I mean, how much does that really mean? Public life can be confusing and social media isn’t real. Everything is a projection of what they want people to see or interpret. I try to be a genuine person regardless of if it’s public or private, and what I say is what I think, but in today’s day and age, it’s hard to portray genuineness in an age of curated profiles and projections. To be honest, I’d say that I portray myself just as I am, what you see is what you get. To a new friend, that Rich they met on day 1 is the same Rich as the one they know on day 720. Obviously there are parts of my life I embellish, or portray differently as they appear online in photo dumps, story posts, or random tiktoks, but that’s the nature of social media. I don’t think anyone is going to publicize those moments of being down bad, can’t get out of bed, sad, etc. I always like to remind myself a quote I read long ago by an author who’s name I’ve forgotten, but it goes: “to be me, is to be free”.
Okay, so before we go, let’s tackle one more area. When do you feel most at peace?
I feel most at peace when I’m in the park with a good book to read, a joint, and a sketchbook (plus a 0.7lead pencil). Going to sit at the park, playing a little music, and just giving into my creative whims, is my form of zen enlightenment. I try to limit my phone usage while I do this, and just live in the moment. Being able to see the world for what it is, hear sounds of music that bring me happiness, and stepping away from the world contained within a cellphone is pure tranquility. Sure, I could do any of these things in my own time or in a different space, but something about this specific set up feeds my soul in a way that sitting inside wont do for me. I try to find peace in everything I do, whether that be playing basketball, walking around the neighborhood, or just enjoying the sun.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.thenameisrich.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thenameis.rich
Image Credits
Travis Richardson
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