David R3y shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.
Good morning David , we’re so happy to have you here with us and we’d love to explore your story and how you think about life and legacy and so much more. So let’s start with a question we often ask: What are you being called to do now, that you may have been afraid of before?
Lately, I feel called to fully embrace the artist I’ve always been—beyond the canvas, into sound, words, images, and even the poetry of numbers. As a mixed media abstract painter who also creates music, photography, and writes, I’m realizing that creativity isn’t just what I do—it’s who I am. But I’ve been afraid to step out of the comfort zone, to let go of the steady rhythm of a job and the illusion of safety that comes with it. My heart has always known that I was born to create. Now, I’m learning to trust that knowing—and to break free from the rat race to live a life that’s fully mine.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I’m a mixed media abstract artist with roots in painting, but my creativity spills into music, photography and writing. I see art in everything: in sound, in color. Since I was a child, creating has been my way of understanding the world. My work blends emotion, movement, and texture—it’s raw, layered, and deeply personal. I’m currently exploring how different forms of expression—visual, sonic, and written—can live together as one voice. I believe art is a form of freedom, and through my journey, I’m learning to live more boldly and honestly in that truth.
Great, so let’s dive into your journey a bit more. Who were you before the world told you who you had to be?
Before the world told me who to be, I was a curious, fearless boy with paint on his fingers and music in his head. I saw stories in colors, patterns in numbers, rhythm in silence. I wasn’t worried about fitting in or making sense—I just wanted to create. I was free, wild, and deeply in tune with beauty. The world tried to dress me in roles and routines, but deep down, that boy never left. He’s still here—pushing me to return to that original truth: I was born to create, not to conform.
Was there ever a time you almost gave up?
All the time. Every day is a quiet battle between who I’m expected to be and who I truly am. There are moments I feel like giving up—when the weight of survival, the pressure to conform, drowns out the voice that just wants to create. But even in those moments, art keeps pulling me back. It’s not just what I do—it’s how I breathe. The impulse to create is stronger than the doubt, even when it hurts. That’s what keeps me going.
I think our readers would appreciate hearing more about your values and what you think matters in life and career, etc. So our next question is along those lines. What are the biggest lies your industry tells itself?
One of the biggest lies the art world tells itself is that you need to be rich and famous for your work to matter. That your art only has value if it’s hanging in the right gallery, priced high, or validated by the right people. But real art isn’t about status—it’s about truth. The ability to create, to express something real, is already priceless. Art that lives only for recognition loses its soul. I believe the most powerful work often exists in silence, unseen, but still alive.
Okay, we’ve made it essentially to the end. One last question before you go. If you knew you had 10 years left, what would you stop doing immediately?
If I knew I had 10 years left, I’d stop trading my time for money—immediately. No more punching clocks or chasing security. I’d give everything to my art, fully, without hesitation. Every brushstroke, every sound, every word would be a piece of my soul. I wouldn’t hold back. I’d finally live the way I was always meant to—creating like time was running out, because it is.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @DavidR3y/Instagram
