Rachel Rowse shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.
Hi Rachel, thank you so much for taking time out of your busy day to share your story, experiences and insights with our readers. Let’s jump right in with an interesting one: What makes you lose track of time—and find yourself again?
It’s so important to find time away from work, even as an artist who blurs the lines between hobby and job. Lately, I’ve really been valuing my time in the kitchen. I’ll put on some music and take my time chopping, measuring, and being fully present as I nourish both my mind and body.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
Hi, my name is Rachel Rowse. I’m a visual artist based in Wilmington, North Carolina. I grew up in Vancouver, Canada, and earned my BFA from Appalachian State University in 2018. I’ve been working as a full-time artist ever since.
I’ve always looked to art as a form of education, exploration, and celebration. I was born with a visual impairment called Nystagmus — which is a fancy way of saying my eyes like to dance back and forth, just like I do. From a young age, I turned to art as a way to explore and celebrate how I experience the world: full of beauty, rhythm, and unseen details.
In recent years, I’ve been focusing on live painting and public art — bringing creativity directly into the community. My goal is to use art as a way to elevate shared experiences and create connection through color and movement.
This past year has been an incredible adventure. I’ve traveled up and down the East Coast bringing art to music festivals — from Casual Campout in North Carolina to Mountain Music Festival in West Virginia, Electric Forest in Michigan, Secret Dreams in Ohio, Firelight in New York, and Submersion in New Jersey. Between festivals, I also participated in the Carolina Beach Mural Project and created a vinyl wrap installation for Walmart in Greensboro, North Carolina.
Each project and place has deepened my appreciation for how art can bring people together — whether on a festival field or a city wall.
Amazing, so let’s take a moment to go back in time. What did you believe about yourself as a child that you no longer believe?
As a child growing up with a visual impairment, I often believed that the way I experienced the world was “wrong” — something that needed to be fixed. The adults around me were always trying their best to help me succeed, but as a kid, it was hard to understand. All the tools and questions meant to support me sometimes made me feel singled out, like I was seeing things incorrectly.
What I really wanted was permission to see the world my way — to feel that my perspective was okay.
As an adult, I’ve come to understand that I’m not broken; I simply experience the world differently. That difference is something to be celebrated, not corrected. Through art, I’ve learned to embrace that unique way of seeing — it’s become the foundation of my creative voice. I was lucky to have teachers who encouraged me to lean into my perspective and let it shape my style.
Now, I see what once felt like a limitation as a strength — one that allows me to bring a different kind of beauty and understanding into my work.
Was there ever a time you almost gave up?
When I first started out as an artist after college, I dove deeply into live painting — traveling from state to state to share my art at festivals and events. Because I don’t drive due to my vision, there were times I truly wondered if I could make it work. It was intimidating to realize that chasing my dream meant I’d have to rely heavily on others to help me get where I needed to go.
In the beginning, that dependence felt like a weakness. I wasn’t used to asking for help or trusting others to show up for me. But over time, I learned that art — and life — are deeply collaborative. When I started to lean into community, everything changed. Friends stepped in to help me get to shows, set up my art, and support my journey in ways I couldn’t have imagined.
It taught me that just because you can’t do something entirely on your own doesn’t mean it isn’t possible. I’m endlessly grateful to everyone who’s helped me and my art pop up in new places. That support reminded me that the dream is never just mine alone — it’s something we build together.
Alright, so if you are open to it, let’s explore some philosophical questions that touch on your values and worldview. What’s a belief or project you’re committed to, no matter how long it takes?
I believe deeply in making art accessible — both in experience and in spirit. It’s easy for people to feel like art belongs only to galleries, collectors, or those who can afford it, but I want to challenge that idea. Art should live where people live — in the streets, in parks, at festivals, in unexpected corners of our daily lives.
Through live painting and public art, I’ve made it my mission to bridge the gap between the art world and the public. I want people to see creativity not as something distant or exclusive, but as something that belongs to everyone. While artists absolutely deserve to be paid and supported, I believe there are meaningful ways to sustain ourselves while still keeping our work approachable and accessible.
This belief comes from my own journey. Growing up with a visual impairment taught me to see the world differently — and it also made me aware of how easily people can feel left out of experiences that aren’t designed with them in mind. Art, for me, has always been a way to include rather than exclude, to connect rather than separate.
No matter what it takes, I’ll continue creating and sharing art in ways that bring people together — in color, movement, and community.
Before we go, we’d love to hear your thoughts on some longer-run, legacy type questions. When do you feel most at peace?
I feel most at peace with a paintbrush in my hand. No matter what’s happening in my life or the world around me, creating allows everything else to melt away. Painting gives me a space to be fully present — to open up conversations, be honest with myself, and connect with others through color and expression. That sense of calm and clarity is something I’ve always chased, and it continues to be one of my biggest inspirations as an artist.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://rmrarts.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rmr.arts/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/arts.rmr/
Image Credits
Haiden Farrell of @photohaido ( colorful photo of me painting in front of the stage lights)
Matt Brinker of @brinkermediahouse (photo pf “Aspiring Azalea ” painting
Caleb of @lovescarsphotography (photo of me holding paintbrush)
Roger Gupta of @rogerguptaphotography (photo of me stage painting in front of crowd)
All other photos were taken by un named photographers with permission
