We recently connected with Rachele Holt and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Rachele, appreciate you sitting with us today to share your wisdom with our readers. So, let’s start with resilience – where do you get your resilience from?
By being raised by my mother; the most resilient person I have ever met. I remember at a young age she was putting herself through accounting school, raising me byherself and working two jobs. In the very early mornings I would come along with her to help on her paper route, and then in the evenings I rode along in the backseat to help along with her pizza delivery job. (unfortunately for the patrons, I would sneak a couple of their toppings here and there)
Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?
Right now I’m in the process of getting a few pieces professionally scanned and preparing prints for sale through my Saatchi Artist profile. I’m also currently working on three new paintings that I’m genuinely excited about. They’re evolving in ways that feel both unpredictable and intentional. I think that is my favorite thing about creating artwork; what happens through the process of creating something with your own two hands.
On the marketing side, I’m still strategizing. I’ve been considering launching a dedicated Instagram account just for my studio, since my current audience is mostly made up of friends and fellow artists. I like to joke that we the artist/crafters community are just passing around the same $100 bill back-and-fourth to each other hahaha.
What excites me most about my work is how it explores personal mythologies, emotional distortion, and modern symbols through surreal animal forms. I’m deeply inspired by medieval iconography, alchemical diagrams, and the absurdities of contemporary life.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
Looking back, three qualities that have shaped my journey the most are observation, curiosity, and a deep interest in emotional intelligence.
As a kid, I was more the quiet/odd-ball type. Always watching, always trying to decode what made other people “normal” and me “weird.” I bonded more easily with animals than people, and that taught me a lot about nonverbal communication, intuition, and body language. I still believe animals and humans experience emotions in very similar ways, and I try to bring that emotional complexity into my work.
The second big one is insatiable curiosity. I’ve never been content just hearing the final answer. I need to understand the why behind it. What makes the world go round, what makes us tick, why is our society organized the way it is? What other possibilities are out there? I think that kind of curiosity is the engine of a long-term creative practice.
For anyone just starting out: Being an artist is tough without having any funds to back you up but don’t let anyone talk you out of your practice over economics. You can have a full time office/food service/ retail job and still call yourself an artist. Never stop practicing, and work towards your goals daily.
Any advice for folks feeling overwhelmed?
When I feel overwhelmed, it’s usually because I have too many ideas bouncing around my head at once. I work across oil painting, printmaking, and digital art, so I often suffer from option paralysis when it comes to creating my next piece.
The best strategy I’ve found is to immediately write the idea down with a rough sketch or thumbnail right when it hits. Then I let it sit for a while, usually a month or so. When it’s time to start a new piece, I flip back through my notebook and see what still excites me. Most of the ideas are total duds in hindsight…after a month or so I could care less about them. But the ones that stick, that still have a spark after time has passed are the ones worth pursuing.
This process helps me stay focused and intentional, rather than reacting to every flash of inspiration.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.saatchiart.com/racheleholt
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/carvesteady
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