Meet Lori Ruiz | Artist | Motivator

We had the good fortune of connecting with Lori Ruiz and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Lori, we’d love to hear about how you approach risk and risk-taking
My catch phrase is “Do it afraid”. I’ve used that term (not coined by me) to encourage those around me to pursue their dreams despite their fears. Many assume that, as a full-time artist, I am an enormous risk taker. I like to challenge that perception a bit. What we perceive as “risk” is really fear. And that fear impacts our mindset or belief around a choice. Choosing a creative career can feel risky because often the creative ones are the trail-blazers or the first to try something within their community. I latched on to the idea of “do it afraid” because I knew that importance of acknowledging, and also moving past those scary feelings. Taking any “risk” shouldn’t be dealt with lightly, you should form a plan, set goals, and set up accountability to execute whatever you set out to accomplish. It’s going to be terrifying but the more confidence you can muster in your endeavor, the less risky it becomes.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I create Western Art for the American Feminist. It’s taken me a while to develop that specific niche. I love painting western wildlife and found a definite gap in feminine representation in the Western art genre. My mission is to connect women to nature, their nature, their instincts, and dismantle old patriarchal ideas about how we are meant to function within this society. I love to juxtapose diminishing wild spaces/ wild life with the constraints placed on women in our current social structures.

Getting here hasn’t been easy. The biggest challenge has been developing skill (artistic and business related) while finding my voice as an artist. I don’t really know anyone in this modern/western/feminist genre and often feel like I’m making it up as I go. But that’s my job as an artist, to be unique and create something new.

I want the world to know, that I started this journey as a mom of three with zero financial support. I had very little experience painting, did not graduate college, and understood very little about business. But I was okay with failing and constantly motivated to show up every day and keep trying. And somehow I’ve made a career of it. Oh, and I’ve been terrified every day since I started. I just do it afraid.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I don’t actually live in Denver. I live in a smaller city west on i70, Grand Junction. I hop over to Denver frequently bc the bigger city provides numerous opportunities smaller cities cannot. I would take my friend on a weeklong trip down i70, starting in Denver. We’d visit the Dairy Block and stay at the Maven hotel. Then we would camp near lake Dillion and paddle board. We’d pass through Glenwood Springs and visit the hot springs. Then we would stop for wine tasting in Palisade. And finally we’d drive to Moab, Utah. We’d camp on blm land and explore the canyons. I’d take them hiking in Mill Creek. We’d eat fried doughnut chicken sandwhiches at Doughbird.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Nina Berenato, a fashion designer & jeweler out of Austin Texas was the first person to really believe in me. Her entire business model is set on empowering creative women, giving them a voice, and space to shine. That mentality has been a key component in my own business. Always keeping community and the growth of others at the forefront of my mind.

Heidi Ruckmann, is my one of my dearest friends who is also a full-time artist and mother. She has encouraged and collaborated with me on numerous occasions. I wouldn’t be here if I wasn’t for her.

Website: https://www.loriruizwatercolor.com

Instagram: instagram.com/loriruizstudio

Image Credits
AnnMarie Beach Kimberly Crist