WFIM Features: Rachel Schultz
on the beauty of brief, insignificant moments and the idea that less is not more
Hello! It’s December! How!
Hoping that your holiday season is off to a drama-free, cozy, and low-pressure start.
I spent Thanksgiving in Brooklyn with some of my best friends and lived the same day over ~5 times in a row. Coffee, lots of walks, a bit of reading, writing, and scrolling for party planning inspiration. It nearly felt like we were house-sitting for the entire neighborhood while everybody was away — cute!
This week’s With Friends in Mind features Rachel Schultz! I met Rachel in New York a couple of years back through our mutual friend (hi, kirs!) and have been inspired by her work (and so much else) ever since.
Amongst many other things, she is an artist and part of the brain behind Idun, one of my favorite Minnesota shops. I thought she’d make for a great WFIM feature to talk all things art, inspo, hosting, and recent favorites.
JB: Let’s start from the beginning — how did you get into painting, and know that you wanted to be an artist?
RS: My mother worked for a painting backdrop studio in New York City when I was a little girl. She would haul all 4 kids from Tribeca to Union Square, and we would climb and play on the huge canvas backdrops at the studio. I was so small, but I have early memories of this, especially the smell of paint.
I’m guessing in my subconscious this affected my interest and love for painting. As a girl, I was always alone in my room creating worlds, using my imagination, making collages with strange magazine clippings, etc — I had an affinity for art and creating with my hands. Still, I didn’t get into painting until college. I took an oil painting course, and the rest is history. I fell completely in love.
JB: The voices of our early critics (teachers, parents, the random person looking at your piece in the 3rd-grade art show) seem to illuminate how we think we should feel about our work. Was there an early voice that you remember seeing you as an artist?
RS: I was always interested in art and admired drawing and painting. I never thought of it as “I’m going to be an artist” more that I loved creating something out of nothing. It was an impulse and a necessity to create rather than a vision to specifically become an artist. If I’m being honest, I tried hard to become anything and everything else but, in the end, I couldn’t stop painting.
In terms of critics, there will always be those who love your work and those who don’t. That’s the beauty of art, there is something for everyone. Don’t try to please others or make work you think people will like. If it isn’t coming from your own deep desire to create, it won’t be good.
JB: While I’m sure it varies so much, where do you find the most inspiration for your pieces? What is your creative process like?
RS: Daily life- usually very brief and insignificant moments that take my breath away. Literature- mostly philosophy, poetry, and short essays. I’m constantly flipping through books before and during my painting process. I underline and write little notes to myself while reading so, in a weird way, all of my books are like private journals; glimpses into what I was thinking or how I was moved by that particular piece of literature.
JB: So much of owning your own business includes risk — what advice do you have for people in regard to taking risks, both creatively and otherwise?
RS: If you don’t have the agonizing impulse to create and do something on your own, don’t do it. hahaha. I know that might seem negative but it’s not. I think current culture has washed us over with the idea that owning your own business or creative venture is everything. It’s also very admirable to work for something or someone you admire or feel excited by.
If the agonizing impulse is there, I think the next piece of advice would be to not let fear win, and trust your instincts while allowing yourself to fail. Know that it’s going to take much more time than you think. Also, know that you don’t have to only make money from the thing you love doing.
JB: You recently moved back to Minnesota from New York and recently moved into a new studio space! You are incredible at creating spaces. I’d love to know, when you’re in your studio, what are you listening to? How do you like to feel in that space?
RS: My studio is an oasis; it feels like a breath of fresh air. Having two small boys at home, it has been so satisfying to have a silent room where I can concentrate. I think because of this, I do work in silence a lot. However, if I’m working on a gestural or abstract piece, I will have my music on full blast. My studio gives me the freedom to choose concentration or chaos. It allows me to reflect and experience a range of emotions.
At home with small babies, you’re on their schedule and must acquiesce to the rollercoaster ride that is their emotions. Motherhood is a beautiful and sacrificial act, and I love it; I also love leaving and entering my own space. Read Virginia Woolf’s 'A Room of One’s Own.' She explains it much better than I do!
JB: And home! I can deeply relate to the understanding of space in Minnesota that is not available in NYC. What is your favorite room in your home? Why?
RS: My favorite room in my home is a tiny blue room that’s covered in windows. It’s filled with piles of my books on the ground, a fireplace, and my favorite vintage couch from Home Union. Cozying up on that couch with a book and a glass of wine or cup of hot tea feels like a hug from your favorite person.
JB: You seem to throw a kick-ass dinner party — what is your secret to hosting?
RS: Less is not more. Be generous – with food, drinks, flowers, candles, music, and hospitality. The more of everything the better!
JB: Quick-fire questions! At the moment, what is your favorite:
Song: fall by Oklou
Drink: Paper Plane
Dress: I’ve only been wearing skirts… currently a Julia Hueur one but if I owned a Cecilie Bahnsen dress I’m sure it would be that.
Designer: Cecilie Bahnsen, Julia Heuer, and my friends: Emily of Sibling Studios, Szeki (7115 by Szeki), Shereen Mohammed, Maria Stanley, Lisa Hackwith, and Yara (NOMIA)
Color Combination: Cherry red & light purple or green, brown, & black
Emerging Artist: Faye Wei Wei is a young painter from London I follow and love. Her works are so tender. I’m obsessed with my friend Hannah Sorrells Tyler's music, a classical violinist, and her husband Garrett P. Tyler’s music.
Thanks for taking the time to catch up, Rachel <3
You can find her work on view at Assembly Line Shop, Colbo, & Duo.
Such an inspiring and helpful convo!