Meet Miss Rae www.rae-alistic.com: Artist, Model, Comedian & Writer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Miss Rae www.rae-alistic.com and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Miss Rae, we’d love to hear about how you approach risk and risk-taking
When it comes to risk taking, I think people immediately correlate risk with reward as a reflex that stems from a collective societal standard. While I find value in this old adage, the risks I have endured are much more complex than a simple juxtaposition such as this. In my experience, risks have been quite costly even when they are simultaneously accompanied with rewards. For example, I have found that even my failures have perpetuated catalysts that inevitably stemmed into my success. Not many people know this about me but failure is something I’m very familiar with. I am technically a high school dropout, as well as a college dropout. However, neither of these (societal) ‘failures’ have hindered my ability to be successful as a business woman. Before starting my own business I worked on obtaining a double major in Business and Sociology while simultaneously managing four dispensaries and three grows for one company in the marijuana industry. All of this knowledge and exposure to business management helped me recognize what I find valuable about how I want to make money, and more specifically my career. Life is not a dress rehearsal, give it your full attention. I think it is extremely important to do something that fuels your soul, every day. I scratched ‘my plan’ and decided to do what makes me happy. I dropped out of college, for the last time. I was tired of working for other people, so I quit to work for myself making art. Surprisingly in this process I picked up a semi successful hobby of preforming stand up comedy across Colorado. That was the best professional decision I ever made. Being an artist has also proven to be the best use of my time, capabilities and favorite way to show up for my community/other beautiful strangers across the country. From creating commissioned pieces where I’m hired to make another’s vision come to life, to creating pieces from my heart, nothing has been more rewarding. Being successful with my art business has been worth every risk it took to get here. Ten out of Ten would recommend 😉 

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
Follow you heart, art is my heart so I am always learning ways to perfect my craft. Listen to yourself more than anyone else, you know what you need and it’s possible with planning. believe in yourself. I know that sometimes showing up is half the battle and other times it’s unforeseen things outside of my control but I need to stay focused and keep going so I can keep growing and getting where I want to go. What we tell ourselves everyday is where it starts. Feed your mind like your belly…. consciously. My art can be found on my website www.rae-alistic.com as well as Etsy, Society 6, Instagram and Facebook. My art has also been featured on www.newyorkart.com and in other local businesses around Denver. My story is my brand which I am getting used to however, I love what I do and I am proud of all I have been through so I’m ready to be less introverted and share these details with you 🙂

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
My favorite places in the city include Avanti’s, that’s a great place to meet people that have different dietary needs or Ace Eat Serve for food and ping pong – talk about a good time. Benny Blanco’s is my favorite pizza in town and I love to walk through the oldest neighborhoods in Denver and end up at City Park. You are likely to catch me at the Botanic Gardens, Denver Art Museum, The Marijuana Mansion, and the Denver Selfie Museum because those are my favorite places to go.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
My life story is a realistic clique” to the idea the ‘it takes a village to raise a child.’ Since the young age of 15 I have been extremely lucky to have mentors that have poured into me. As they say in eastern philosophy “when the student is ready the teacher appears but, when the student is really ready the teacher disappears.” It would be disgraceful to attribute my success to one person or chapter because my life has been kind of unique. Many people have walked in to teach me different lessons, sit with me through my discouraging times and teach me my own strength in order to harness the tenacity to get up and keep going amidst everything I’ll ever endure. As a teenager I was in near fatal car accident that left me in a coma, with a severely broken body and traumatic brain injury to express the gravity of it all. If it weren’t for all the beautiful medical professionals that helped me re-learn how to read, write, walk, and talk…. I don’t know where I would be. Using other skills they taught me, such as neuroplasticity, breath work and mindfulness I have recovered. As of August 2020… 13.5 years of hard work,re-building and not giving up I have officially been cleared of extensive brain damage. So HUGE thank you to all the medical professionals including but not limited to, Cynthia Aspromonte, NP, Jennifer Anderson PT, DPT, OCS / owner of Rise Yoga & Wellness and Molly Matthews PA that have assisted in my recovery, I love you ladies, thank you for making me feel my age for once 😉 I’ve lost a lot of spectacular people along my journey, showing me ‘there are all types of love in this world, but never the same love twice’. The older I get the more grateful I am that I have experienced what it is to be truly seen for who I am and loved all the while. If you find people that see you – I mean really see you, remind you of who you are, even when you loose sight of it yourself, and consistently show up for you…. cherish them and keep them close. Christopher Alm, This ones for you. Dad, you’ve become one of my best friends I wouldn’t be who I am today without you. To my mother and all the other mothers that helped raise me along the way and didn’t have to – thank you. Especially you Kathi Hill, Louise Sparks, and Vickie Gregory. Kayla Infante- you are the most loving, consistent, and supportive woman I have ever known. Thanks for being the person I can count on for over 25 years. I will never be able to thank my business partner Clint Heinen enough – but this is a start. Thank you for believing in me, always being there and supporting my dreams – you are the real MVP. My son, EZ, I am so proud of you that it makes me proud of me. We are really growing up together kiddo; In the most amazing way. I love who you are and the life we live. Okay, now that was a lot…. all of those were absolutely necessary and I’m certain…. so last but not least….. I’d like to thank myself. I’m dope. I keep growing and showing up, no matter what and it hasn’t always been the easiest. Like the poem ‘The Rose That Grew From The Concrete’ by Tupac, I have come to see that life is not about the circumstances you’re placed in as much as how you choose to grow through those environments. As well as what you’re gonna do with your life, even when it feels like it’s against all odds.

Website: www.rae-alistic.com
Instagram: @rae.alistic
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/miss-rae-2a96115b/
Twitter: @rae.alistic
Facebook: Rae-alistic Creations
Other: Tik Tok: @rae.alisitc

Image Credits
Ele Hart