We recently connected with Rachael Nerney and have shared our conversation below.
Rachael, thanks so much for taking the time to share your insights and lessons with us today. We’re particularly interested in hearing about how you became such a resilient person. Where do you get your resilience from?
Knowing that every day is a blank slate helps me put my best foot forward every day. The most important piece of advice my Dad has given me is to show up and be the best at whatever it is you are doing. My resilience comes from believing in myself. I wouldn’t be able to pursue self employment if I didn’t trust in my core that I have what it takes to succeed. In addition to working hard, I am extremely passionate about the work that I do. There is so much work that is part of this path that doesn’t involve painting. From bookkeeping, to taxes and proposals, much of it is really hard work. However, every minute of that work is worth it to allow me to paint for a living. When I paint I feel completely electrified and fulfilled. It’s an honor and a privilege to do this creative work. A strong support system is also essential to maintaining my resilience. I am blessed with a supportive family, partner, and friends who are all first to congratulate me on my successes and offer a hug when things are hard. I know not everyone is this fortunate and I am extremely grateful. Believing in myself and my community believing in me is the essential foundation to maintaining my resilience.
Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?
I am a Charleston based muralist, artist, and designer. I specialize in colorful illustrations inspired by food, flora, and nature. I love creating impactful spaces through the installation of my large scale artwork. Whether you need custom design or installation of existing branding, I am here to help!
The nature of my artwork is happy, uplifting, and colorful. I am most energized by play and experimentation, especially with scale. I create fine art, murals, and illustrations. The goal of my work is to serve as a moment of respite, joy, and contemplation for the viewer. For my fine art mediums, I typically use various acrylic paints on wood panels, canvas, and paper. I create in a variety of scales, preferring to paint large in order to offer a new perspective to the small and mundane. It is a means of expression, celebration, and preservation of a moment in time.
What makes my business unique is my ability to connect with the client and understand what makes their business one of a kind. This creates an authentic result for the finished designs. Through my artwork, my goal is to spread joy, instill hope, and foster connection in communities.
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 think it’s important to simply get to work because you never know what the work will lead to. It’s overwhelming when you are fresh out of college, thinking you are supposed to immediately land your dream job and sail into the sunset. I knew I had to get a job immediately and was fortunate to find one that allowed me to slowly focus on gaining new skills while making a decent living.
That same job with Whole Foods Market is what initially got me into painting food and creating murals. We would paint large scale fruits and vegetables on windows, large chalkboards, and the floors to create a seasonal feeling throughout the store. I absolutely loved creating on a large scale. The turnaround was always quick. It taught me to plan, design, and execute quality work efficiently. I felt valued in the workplace and knew the work I was doing was directly connected to the success of the store. Feeling valued is what instilled a small bud of confidence that I have been nurturing ever since. It helped me take a leap of faith and change industries after 4 years with the company. Another five years later, it affirmed my trust in myself to leap into self employment.
The three skills that were most important along the way were hard work, patience, and persistence. When I first started working at a contemporary art gallery after Whole Foods, I was extremely intimidated. I didn’t feel worthy to have my work on the walls. One day the owner agreed to hang some of my watercolors in the back of the gallery. That boosted my confidence. Two years later I had my first art exhibit. Fast forward to now, I currently show in three art galleries and am about to have my first solo exhibition. I say it in my head all the time, though not original in the least, it’s a marathon not a race.
One of our goals is to help like-minded folks with similar goals connect and so before we go we want to ask if you are looking to partner or collab with others – and if so, what would make the ideal collaborator or partner?
I am excited about working with people who are also passionate about food, sustainability, nature, community, and of course color. I love working with small businesses and helping them create unique facets for the space or brand. If you are interested in connecting or collaborating, you can reach me by email at [email protected].
Contact Info:
- Website: rachaelnerney.com
- Instagram: @rachaelnerney
Image Credits
Kate Blohm Photography
