Meet Ryan Anthony Martinez | Artist/ Muralist IllestRated””

We had the good fortune of connecting with Ryan Anthony Martinez and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Ryan, how has your perspective on work-life balance evolved over time?
My balance has always been in flux with where I am in life while trying to find discipline around my time and the work I may or may not have. Time and energy management can be a struggle; the repetition of work becoming life and finding identity within a job that I have to give more time to than advancing my own brand remains difficult, but then again I can’t always create when I have free time… the balance can be tricky. Ive always desired to be a successful artist and work from home but also long for consistent income, opportunities, education, structure and benefits without feeling stuck in one place. Choosing art for a career has been a challenge, often depending on how I’m feeling about myself, my confidence and consistency in putting my work out there to be judged and then answering the calls when they come. I have an MFA, but still don’t feel like I have an art career or a job with my degree that warrants me not to resent the debt I acquired in attaining it. My capacity for finding joy in creating art definitely shrank when it became solely dependent on making money. Currently I find myself having to balance much more than I have in the last several years after another failed engagement and recently getting back off disability amidst the pandemic. I have found that my balance can only be achieved if I stay moving, otherwise it is very easy for me to teeter back into dark and complacent spaces. Right now my plate is full again with work that all seems relevant but at times I feel that I might be taking on too much after being inactive for so long and can get overwhelmed and distracted easily. I know I am strong but my balance has also shifted as I have gotten older, having to pay closer attention to my mental and physical health. Ive discovered that finding success on this path has to come from multiple streams of income and sources of moral support.

Maintaining several workflows at once is challenging but it all really depends on the bandwidth and energy you are allowing yourself to receive in order to facilitate everything that life requires. Each day can be as full or limited as you make it, but you have to sustain and respond to everything you put out there in order to be successful. A healthy mindset is crucial.

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.
My art is rooted in my love for music, nature, and life. I seek to honor those who inspire me in life as well as through death by painting stylized portraits, tribute paintings, and murals of musicians, friends, and icons who have touched me. I’ve painted live at many notable venues in the Bay Area finding my niche within dj festival culture and the dance music community. Most recently I painted a tribute of CharlestheFirst, a very talented young dj & bass music producer from Truckee/ Lake Tahoe who notably passed. I decided to create a Gofundme to raise money to create prints of my original painting to have available at his memorial in Reno. Was able to exceed my goal, connect a grieving community through my painting and deliver the original along with a group donation to the mother and family of Charles. To me that is the greatest reward, helping a family heal when they look at my work and galvanizing community support for a cause greater than our own 🙏 This is what I hope my work can continue to do, but without me struggling to afford to do so. Each day is a challenge but the way you perceive yourself and your goals is very important. For me the business side of things is hard when you are not motivated by money but more through spirit. I just hope people can see that I always tried to be genuine in my work by honoring others and that my visions resonate with all sorts of people over time.

I’ve tried to shed light on social justice and honor people of color through my latest series of murals in downtown Oakland. One mural was inspired by the movie “Blindspotting” filmed in Oakland that addresses the recent rise in gun violence and depicts actors David Diggs and Rafael Casal from the Town. Shortly after Chadwick Boseman died I painted a mural of him as the trumpet player from the movie Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, as well as Viola Davis singing for racial equity. I try to draw from popular culture and incorporate other relevant imagery to create my pieces so they might strike a chord with people who may have already seen what I am referencing but in a new way.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Id take them to Lake Merritt by my place in Oakland and walk the Lake. Id drive them by all the great murals around the Town starting with mine on Telegraph and Broadway! Id also take them to San Francisco…Golden Gate Park, The Palace of Fine Arts, get dinner in the Mission and catch a good show at The Midway. Finally we would take a beautiful drive through wine country and and hit Harbin Hot Springs to refresh and possibly go camping depending on the season 🙌

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Adriana Marchione has been my mentor and creative counselor for over a decade. She helps artists dealing with addiction and recovery. Recovery comes in many forms and on different levels for all of us. Adriana has always offered me a path to walk as far as I am willing to go as I tried to recover from past relationships and trauma while honoring my fierce spirit and the road to my personal artistic success and freedom. As long as I have known her she has been working on the production and release of her inspired documentary “The Creative High” which features the unique stories of different artists in recovery. She has inspired me on so many levels to find my voice and community, to participate and share the love and talent I possess, most recently by using my art as a fundraising tool.

Website: www.ryanm.art

Instagram: @ryanm_artist

Facebook: www.facebook.com/illestratedvisionary/