Ellen Rutt’s creativity knows no bounds. From painting to murals and installations to wearable art, if it’s art-related, Rutt is sure to dip her toes into it. “Art feels like my whole life because through art I am able to envision a world that doesn’t yet exist,” she once remarked in an interview with Playground Detroit. “I’ll admit I am not great at the work/life balance and if an artist’s job is to notice, if you’re awake, you’re on the clock.”
Fully immersed in her artistic lifestyle, her creations are celebrated both online and offline, with more than 30k fans on Instagram and exhibitions around the world as well as murals in cities like Detroit, New York, Chicago, Canada, and France. But like most creative spirits, it took her some time to embrace her calling.
“Honestly, I always wanted to be an artist but it somehow felt like an impossible dream,” she admits. It wasn’t until she worked at a big agency (“a windowless cubicle”) designing what seemed like pointless ads, that she realized she would rather fail at being an artist than succeed in advertising.
“I wanted to quit right then and there but instead worked tirelessly during every hour spent outside of that cubical until I was able to support myself independently,” she says. Luckily for us, she eventually took the required leap of faith. Watch as her art slowly, but surely takes over the world.
