Today we’d like to introduce you to Jennifer Barrett of Ruthy’s Metal Works.
Jennifer of Ruthy’s Metal Works, please kick things off for us by telling us about yourself and your journey so far.
I have been married to my husband, Nathan, for 10 years and we have a six year old little girl named Frankie. I graduated from Baylor University with a Radio, Film, and TV degree in 2000. Afterwards I worked behind the scenes on the production side of different small films, network and cable TV shows, and lots of corporate videos until about 2008. Around that time, my husband and I both ended up helping out with his dad’s business for about 8 years until it was sold.
Then my life became this blank slate. I felt like I was given a fresh start and I could go in any direction I wanted to, which was exciting. I had taken a couple of metal sculpture classes at the Creative Arts Center of Dallas a few years prior and fell in love with metal work. I was making different things on the side over the years and really enjoying it. After giving it some thought, and with some encouragement from my husband, I started Ruthy’s Metal Works.
Can you give our readers some background on your art?
I make things that excite me. And for those that hire me, I look for their original inspiration, apply my own creativity to it, and hopefully produce something truly unique and beautiful. Since it is spring I have been making a lot of modern steel wall planters for succulents and air plants. I also make metal sculptures and furniture with reclaimed wood and steel. Right now I am really excited about a wall sculpture that I have been commissioned to create. It is exciting because it gives me the opportunity to try something new and experiment with different techniques.
Artists rarely, if ever pursue art for the money. Nonetheless, we all have bills and responsibilities and many aspiring artists are discouraged from pursuing art due to financial reasons. Any advice or thoughts you’d like to share with prospective artists?
Financial challenges are always a reason to delay or to not take a creative or artistic path and understandably so. It is scary to take the financial risk. But I also think that there is not any shame in having another job if necessary. When you are creating art it is really easy to get caught up in the negative conversations in your head. I am not good enough, I am never going to make money at this, and I am not really an artist or whatever the narrative may be for the day.
I know for me this is the biggest challenge and I call this the Resistance. I read Steven Pressfield’s book The War of Art a couple years ago and it really helped me to look at my life in a completely different way. At the beginning of the book he says, “Most of us have two lives. The life we live, and the unlived life within us. Between the two stands Resistance.” I have to battle that resistance in my head every day. I think we all do in one form or another. Every day that I am able to overcome that challenge and act in the face of fear and failure…then I win.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.ruthysmetalworks.com
- Email: jennifer@ruthysmetalworks.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ruthysmetalworks/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ruthysmetalworks/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/ruthysmetalwork
Image Credit:
Jennifer Barrett, Nathan Barrett, Bruce Deelaney, Susan Hersey
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