We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Rashaad Black. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Rashaad below.
Rashaad, we’re thrilled to have you sharing your thoughts and lessons with our community. So, for folks who are at a stage in their life or career where they are trying to be more resilient, can you share where you get your resilience from?
You have to keep moving. Stopping cannot be an option. Over the past few years, I have struggled to find my identity in the art world. I knew that I would have a chance to be on the walls of a gallery, or featured in an international art show, but I would never get there if I quit. My resilience comes from years of not allowing my failures to define me. No heroes were coming to save me, so I had to keep going.
Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?
The ability to create something from nothing is remarkable. Something pops into your mind and you fight and struggle to shape it in the real world. The journey of creation is what I find most satisfying because it is there that you discover new things about yourself and the world. I am a self-taught artist who is originally from Chicago but now calls Miami home. Years ago I picked up a paintbrush and dipped it in paint and immediately fell in love with painting. There was a peace that I found there amidst the chaos of life. I would paint the sounds of music, whether it was classical, jazz, or hip-hop. As the music would play, I would let go of everything and allow the emotions the sounds evoked guide me.
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
I would have to say that the most important quality was patience. When I began painting I was frustrated because my skill did not match my passion. Things did translate so well to canvas and this almost made me want to give up. However I decided that this was something I loved, so I taught myself to be more patient with the process and enjoy the journey more. The second most important quality was learning my identity. It is one thing to say that you are an artist, but it was a journey learning what type of artist I wanted to be. You have to know in your heart who you are so that you do not allow others to define you. You can evolve and grow, but even then you must know who you are. The third most important quality is being fearless. Do not be afraid of the word no, because you will encounter that word a lot. You have to be willing to push through the rejection and know your worth. It is truly difficult to do, but a necessity to excel in the art world and any other industry.
I am not sure where you are on your journey, but the one piece of advice that I would give you to develop the qualities I have mentioned is to step outside your comfort zone. You will find that there will be times that after the first bump in the road, you will want to give up, but you cannot. That discomfort you feel is a part of the process.
How can folks who want to work with you connect?
Collaboration is one of the many keys to success and I am looking to collaborate with other artists and even fashion designers. I believe that by collaborating with other artists on events and projects more exposure will be gained which will translate into opportunities. A dream of mine is to have one of my paintings featured on a high-end luxury bag from a designer or one of the major fashion houses.
If you are interested, let’s connect.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://rashaadblack.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rashaadblackart/
