Today we’d like to introduce you to Lauren Rushing
Hi Lauren, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
From an early stage in life, I knew I wanted to be a creative. I’d wander my yard with a camera at hand and didn’t put it down until 2019. Due to the pandemic and not being able to take portraits of people, my inspiration with one medium ended, and sparked up a new one: rugmaking.
Being stuck in my own thoughts during a lockdown was one thing, so to keep my hands busy (and my mind calm), I began creating embroidery artworks. After exploring several different art techniques, one thing led to another and that is how I fell in love with creating fibers artwork.
Since 2023, I have left teaching art and have taken on creating rugs and other forms of textiles full time. There’s nothing I love more than being able to wake up and create right away.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It was a huge risk to leave a stable income like teaching. To do something “non traditional” was terrifying!
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I feel like a lot of people knew me for my self portraiture photography, but have stayed to see the abstract rugs I create, now. At the beginning, a lot of my rugs were created out of self expression. So most of my works were not planned and I based it all off of emotions. My inspiration comes from nature, surrealism, abstract expression, and everlasting life.
Since my fathers passing in 2020, I find myself being spiritually connected to my works in a sense. There’s something about losing someone and gaining something that makes you feel half yourself again. With every artwork I create, I create with purpose for myself.
Can you share something surprising about yourself?
I can do the “worm” dance move forward and backwards! I also use to compete in DDR (Dance Dance Revolution) competitions as a means for spending money at the mall when I was 14.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.laurenrushing.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/laurenrushingart
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LaurenRushingArt
