We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Ricky Terrell a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Ricky , 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?
My resilience comes from the understanding that life will never stop and we have less control than we think over our circumstances so we should focus on what we can control like our daily regimens, our responses to adversity, and keeping a level head when things may seemingly be unfair.
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?
My name is Ricky and I’m a Visual Artist & Designer from Chicago now living in Texas. I feel like being an artist is exciting and special because it’s almost like having a superpower. You get to generate these ideas in your head and bring them to life and share them with the world. I think it’s dope when you can take a concept, or several concepts and create these different worlds from your brain for people to see. The art that I create derives from my vivid imagination and the ability to tap into past experiences and bring them to life. I’m also a designer, i design clothing and apparel. I’m currently in the process of rebranding so I’m excited to share the rebrand with my followers.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
Three areas of knowledge I feel have been the most impactful in my journey have been, silence, perception, and gratitude. For anyone who is just starting their journey on whatever endeavors they may be currently pursuing, my advice is to stay grounded, sit in silence sometimes so that you can hear yourself and also block out negativity, keep your perception open but do not let your perception of another person’s journey allow you to compare yourself because as they say, comparison is the thief of joy and always remain in a state of gratitude. Being grateful that you have the mindset and the means to do whatever it is you’re called to do in this world is a blessing in its entirety, so stay focused on what you have and push that further.
Looking back over the past 12 months or so, what do you think has been your biggest area of improvement or growth?
My biggest area of improvement has been slowing down. I wear many hats and although I work well constantly on the go, sometimes that can hinder the learning process. Learning to slow down has been really uncomfortable for me but I’m starting to get used to it because it allows me to take in more information and improve my craft, it allows growth. Slowing down also helps me separate myself from the rat race we see on social media which gives people anxiety or the fear that they don’t have enough time to be who it is that they want to be.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.abstractedbyricky.bigcartel.com
- Instagram: @visualsbyricky / @sorryimlatebrand
