SOULBASE Talk:

Chelsea Ruggiero -

Photographer and Painter

I feel that, as a creative, there is always a part of you that wants to branch out on your own and do your own thing. For me personally, though, I still had so much I wanted to learn from others so that I could be as successful as possible. I think it was partially imposter syndrome, but I also think there were several years where I was just all over the place and not ready to hit the ground running aimlessly in a direction that I wasn’t sure of. 

You worked for a long time in high-end photography and videography studios between New York and Portland and gained extensive knowledge from production to composition to direction. When did you know you wanted to branch out on your own and what is different about creating on your own vs. working for a studio?

This is a great question. I feel that, as a creative, there is always a part of you that wants to branch out on your own and do your own thing. For me personally, though, I still had so much I wanted to learn from others so that I could be as successful as possible. I think it was partially imposter syndrome, but I also think there were several years where I was just all over the place and not ready to hit the ground running aimlessly in a direction that I wasn’t sure of. 
At my last job, I was working in production and would constantly be trying to pitch ideas to my coworkers, and I was usually snuffed pretty quickly. Not being heard and having your creativity stifled really awoke something in me, and I wanted to start creating things on my own and show them what I was capable of. Working for a studio (depending on how the team treats you and if they let your creativity blossom) can be challenging because you have a certain role to do. Every place is going to be different, but for some there will just come a point where you think “I can’t do this anymore, and I’m ready to do what it takes to make my dreams happen, whatever that looks like.”

One of your mission statements is, “The best impression you can make on someone is to make them feel something.” What does “feel something” mean to you and would you say this motto is true for both your artwork and your photography?

In the world we live in today, where people are consuming an insane amount of imagery and art, if I can make someone stop for a moment to look at something I’ve created, I’ve done something right. Whether it’s a blurry film photo that sparks nostalgia or a landscape photographed in Switzerland that sparks wanderlust or simply a beautiful portrait of a colorful moment in time, I want people to feel connected to what I share. I’m not the kind of artist to pump out content and imagery on a daily basis, so when I do share or create something, it means something to me, and my hope is that it will capture someone's eye, even if just for a few moments.

You are based in Portland. Did you always live here, and if you lived somewhere else, what brought you back or drew you to Portland?

I’m not originally from Portland—I’m actually from the East Coast, and I have a long list of places I’ve lived prior to Portland. Somehow, though, I always knew that I wanted to end up here. When I was finishing up my commercial photography degree in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina, almost all of my professors told me I needed to go to New York City to be successful. I had told them I thought Portland was a good choice for both career and lifestyle preferences, and they continued to detour me to NYC. I ended up going for a year and a half and I hated it—it just wasn’t for me personally. I wouldn’t change my experience as I believe it helped get me where I am today, but I also learned a lot about myself and what I wanted. I ended up in New Hampshire for a bit afterwards where I met my now husband, Samuel, and with both of us being photographers and loving to travel and be outdoors, I pitched the idea of Portland, and he was in. A few months later, we packed up our lives into a small U-haul and drove across the country to start our journey out here. 

Can you share with us what you do for a living?

Absolutely! I’m a full-time freelance photographer. Prior to March of 2020 when I was laid off due to COVID, I was working as a post-producer at a large studio here in Portland. I’ve been shooting for over a dozen years, so I’m certainly not new to being a photographer; however, I’m still fairly new to being freelance and figuring out how to ride the waves of busy and slow times. The band-aid was essentially ripped off for me, and I had an opportunity to finally just start doing what I wanted to be doing and fulfilling my own dreams while everything was on hold and I had some time to catch up. 

Did you ever have an art residency? What do you think about art residencies? 

No, but I’d love one! haha. If I could have dedicated space to just take time to focus on this journey, it would be so incredible

If you could describe your style for your art and your photography, what would you say? Is there a common thread that runs through both forms of art for you?

I’ve been sitting here thinking about this question for quite a while, and I really don’t think I can give a solid answer. I’m always evolving and trying new things, and I don’t think my style is able to stay the same. I’m continuously gaining different interests, focuses, inspirations, etc. I know that my photography style now is drastically different than it was two years ago, and I hope it's drastically different in another two years. For me, that’s the fun of it—continuing to grow and be inspired by your experiences and seeing how that works its way into your creative processes. 
For painting, I’m still in a discovery phase and really learning how I like to create with this medium. I’m trying to play as much as I can and not limit myself to a certain type of art creation–just letting myself paint for the absolute fun of it, and hopefully that’s when my mind can just be free and create what’s natural and authentic to me. 
 

When did you have your first connection with art and when did you try painting something and sharing it publicly for the first time? How do you divide your time between painting and photography? It’s definitely really challenging to try and keep up with both. Anyone who is freelancing will tell you that there is no “off time” and it’s incredibly challenging to “turn off” for the day or let yourself take a break—there is always something you can be doing to find work, pitch to clients, editing, admin work, etc. There was a time where I had a slow couple of months with photography work and was gearing up to focus on an art launch and create a new gallery of work. I had bought all the canvases, paints, prepped my workspace, and then suddenly I had an influx of photography inquiries all at once. This was the first time in my photography career where I was having to navigate which jobs I actually wanted and which ones I had to turn away. Long story short, four months passed and I didn’t touch a paintbrush the entire time. I still have yet to work on that art launch, but I consider myself so lucky to be so busy with my photography passion that I can’t find the time for my painting passion? This life I’ve created is a work in progress, and I’ll figure it out along the way, but I have no complaints.

Next to your beautiful artwork and imagery, we stumbled over your bio on IG that stated: “Part-time photographer. Part-time painter. Full-time artist trying to figure it all out.” Having multiple passions, when did you know you wanted to pursue painting as well as photography and would you say they complement each other or is it a challenge to keep up with both passions?

Oof. This is going to be a long answer, haha. I’ve always loved painting and have been creating with the medium since I was a child. I was actually an art major before I found out about the photography program where I ended up. When I switched gears to really focus on photography in college, painting got put on the back burner and was more of a thing I did for leisure in my free time. Fast forward seven+ years, I found myself already getting burnt out and losing my creative energy with photography. Creating constantly and trying to make a passion into a career can be exhausting because you’re so emotionally connected to every little thing you’re doing. To be fair, I had just gone freelance in the middle of a pandemic and was overwhelmed…nonetheless, I wasn’t shooting for myself much anymore. I needed a creative outlet outside of photography to let my inner child just be free and not put so much pressure on what I’m creating and be excited about creating again. 
One day, I laid a tarp on the floor of our tiny apartment, got out my paints and brushes and just painted for fun. It was like a floodgate had opened, and I remember the feeling of being free and fluid and just letting my hands move without thought—something that had become so foreign as I tend to overthink everything with my work. I realized how much I needed this in my life, and basically since that day, I’ve tried to incorporate painting into my schedule as much as I can. It has allowed me to take a step back and rethink how I approach photography and even my day-to-day—it’s been a reminder that what I do is a passion and is something that provokes joy for me. So, when that feeling goes away, it's time to take a step back and think about the changes I need to make to move towards that feeling again.

Nature and travel belong to your life. When you travel, what things make you feel at home from the first moment? 

Moments of silence and overwhelming peace. When we travel, we often are drawn to places that are expansive and open. I think that’s why I love the desert so much. Because when I’m just sitting there in the dirt, letting the sun consume me and listening to what’s around me, what’s typically always buzzing with constant noise and distractions is now peaceful and silent. I can feel calmness overcome me. I feel connected to nature and more so myself. It’s in these moments that I fully come back to myself and feel grounded in who I am, and I am inspired to continue creating a life that fulfills moments like these often.

Do aesthetics play a role for you when you look for places to travel or do you separate work and your personal travel? 

I would say that this is a little bit of both. My husband and I like to travel a lot, and we like to balance our trips with a little bit of grit and a little bit of leisure. We like being immersed into wherever we are in a way where we feel like we really experienced it— usually leaving with some dirt. But we also really enjoy taking time away from the world and going somewhere vast or staying somewhere that we don’t need to even leave. Often, we’ll book a place where he can read for hours on end with a view, and I can look at the same view and paint or walk around taking pictures. It just depends on the kind of get away that we need at the time. Sometimes it’s camping and sometimes it's a nice Airbnb. 

Do you take your camera with you while you travel and do you take sketch books for inspiration with you? 

I almost always bring my camera. Even if it’s just my little 35mm point and shoot, I always have something. It’s always for me and my own memories though. Most of these images are never shared with the world or seen by anyone but me. But I want to remember it all—every place I get the opportunity to see, I want to remember the details and the moments that made these journeys so special. 
I don’t often travel with a sketch book because I don’t want to be so distracted by trying to document with two mediums that I forget to enjoy my time, but I always shoot images with the intent of using them for reference or inspiration later – things like the movement of water or a gradient in the sky or the way two patches of different color sand meet. I have a lot of pictures of sand and dirt. I will bring my paints/sketchbooks if we have somewhere that we are hunkering down for a few days, and I can allow myself to ease into a groove and allow time and space to be inspired without rushing.

What places do you want to visit and what places have a special place in your heart? 

Another really tough question. As someone who wants to see and experience everywhere, it’s hard for me to list just a few. I’m the kind of person who plans out an entire non-existent trip just for fun because MAYBE I’ll have the opportunity to go one day. I’m going to Italy this fall and that’s been on my list for a really long time, as my family is originally from Palermo. I’d really love to visit Norway and Sweden, Portugal and Spain, and we really want to do a van trip through Alaska one summer. 
I have so many places near and dear to me, but at the top of that list would be Iceland and Grand Teton National Park. My first international trip (that was also my first travel experience with my husband) was a two-week van camping trip around Iceland. It absolutely changed my life and how I view everything. I know that sounds dramatic, but it was the experience of a lifetime and I will forever be grateful for my time there. 

How can people see your artwork or work with you? 

You can follow along with my painting journey on IG @chelsearug. To work together or see my photography work, you can go to my site www.chelsearuggiero.com or my professional IG page @chelsearuggiero_