Sam Rueter, Figurative Painter, S.Rueter Art
Growing up just north of New York City, most of my childhood consisted of learning to draw and paint alongside my Dad. Decades later, I completed a bachelor’s degree with a double major in both Fine Arts and Education. Implementing a passion for the creative process into other's lives allows the gifts of interaction, interpretation, connection, and most importantly, reflection. After five years of being in the classroom, I left education behind to dive headfirst into my career as a painter. Working primarily with acrylics and mixed media, my work focuses on a figurative and expressive style. I enjoy using my creative voice to represent authenticity, femininity, and emotion.
What is your favourite social media platform?
Instagram, for the intriguing visuals. Clubhouse, for the unfiltered connection.
Tell us about you and your current role or area of interest.
I am a figurative painter currently located in Charleston, SC. My work showcases the way one holds one body in space, an insight into a raw storyline. This communication can be a glimpse into our emotional state, a deeper understanding of who we really are.
What do you like about your career or area of focus?
The sharing of stories through paint mediums, finding connections throughout humanity.
What is the best advice you have ever received?
"Hard work beats talent that doesn't work hard."
What inspires you, motivates you, or helps you to move forward?
Connection with others. I believe it's the driving force for most areas of my life: my creative practice, my work, spirituality, the persistence to move forward. Hearing, connecting, and seeking out the essence of community. Connection is also what allows fear to dissipate, pushes growth, and formulates a strong bond for humanity.
What are you proud of in your life so far?
Remaining dedicated to a career that fulfils and empowers who I aim to be.
What is your preferred way to meet new people/network?
As an introvert, I've found it can be tricky to approach strangers, especially at events designed for networking. Pushing myself to strike up a conversation in places of comfort, my favourite coffee shop, an art opening, etc., has made all of the difference. Social media has done this for my personal life and career advancements as well.
What skills or qualities do you feel have helped you?
Knowing I won't always have the answer, allowing myself to feel fear and vulnerability, and utilizing my empathy for the betterment of those around me.
What do you wish you had known when you started?
You won't ever feel “ready.” Take the plunge.
Who do you most admire in business, academic, or creative circles, and why?
People who are able to remain true to their inner-most selves and grounded in their values. Knowing who you are and what you stand for is a feat all on its own; staying in line with these as you reach new levels of success has the power to change the world for the better.
Outside of your professional/work area, what hobbies or interests do you have or what other areas of your life are of real importance to you?
Body movement is a big part of my life and health. Yoga, dance, hiking, exploring the outdoors, all things I cannot really live without. Reading, writing poetry, and baking are also things that ground me but keep my hands, mind, and body active in other ways!
Has the pandemic had a positive or a negative effect on you and/or your business, and how have you managed it?
There are always positives and negatives to every experience, and I do think it's the same for COVID-19. It has taken a great toll on our mental and emotional health, but I am extremely fortunate in not having lost any loved ones to the pandemic directly. I think we are all grieving in different ways and for different things, but I like to think we are finding connection and empathy like never before, retreating back to what is truly important and readjusting our lives in order to do so. A shock awakening. In terms of my painting career, it has allowed me to truly drop into my creative practice, take new risks, and re-align with a healthier life-work balance.
Do you have a mentor, or have you ever mentored anyone?
I've been very fortunate to have a strong sense of community with other artists and creatives who help to educate, challenge, and ignite my spark. My dad has also been one of those people from a very young age, where I first learned to see colour, composition, and texture at his drawing table 20 years ago.
What advice would you have for someone looking to get into the same area of work or interests?
Get out of your own head. Don't take your work too seriously, but also do the proper work to make things that you are proud of. Don't overthink your ability to make work that is true to you; your work is already an extension of yourself; therefore, it is innately complex, unique, and authentic to who you are. There is an audience, connection, and opportunity out there for everyone.
What do you feel is the most common reason for people failing or giving up?
The discomfort of the unknown. Nothing in life is secure, and once we surrender to that notion, another world opens up for us.
Is there a phrase, quote, or a saying that you really like?
“You can only lose something that you have, but you cannot lose something that you are.”
What companies, brands, or institutions do you like or think are getting it right?
One of my favourite brands right now is CUUP, a women's lingerie brand. They're a women-owned company that is redefining body standards and giving women back the power to have measurements as a real body. Shifting the narrative within a patriarchal society is possible through the dedication we see through these real-life, everyday brands.
How do you define success, and what lessons have you learned so far that you could share with our audience/readership?
My definition of success has always been equated to freedom. The freedom of choice within your life, the freedom of time. These freedoms allow room for growth, dedication to others, living a life of service, formulating new ideas and ideologies, exploring yourself and the world around you. I think the most important aspect of success is defining what it means for you, not others, and remaining dedicated to that. There will always be a want for more if we aren't careful. How can we utilize what we have now to be the best version of ourselves and change the way we show up in the world for others? Having the freedom to be the most authentic version of myself is the ultimate goal of success.