Rebecca Butler is a vibrant artist and entrepreneur from Gainesville, Florida in the US that just joined our community this past year.
**Q: Rebecca, give us a day in your life!**
**A:** Day to day is a balance between my two passions- fashion and art- not necessarily mutually exclusive, but sometimes a balancing act. I take local commissions as an independent artist working in a variety of mediums.
Most of my focus goes into running a fashion brand I started last year called [Everyday in Retrograde](https://everydayinretrograde.com/). I am always filled to the brim with new ideas for my business and artistic practice; especially ways to combine the two!
**Q: Tell us about the work that you do. How does creativity extend into your professional life? And does it ever feel like “work” for you?**
**A:** One of my favorite creative aspects of my fashion business is styling scenes and scouting locations for photoshoots, collaborating with a variety of models and photographers to produce alluring, avant-garde, and dreamy retro images. I create stunning scenes that accurately represent my brand while portraying women in empowering ways.
Sometimes my art practice can feel like work-because it is work! I’m being paid to create something that fits someone else’s expectations- which can be stressful sometimes. I think anyone can experience burnout doing something that has become their livelihood. Particularly as an entrepreneur, the pressure can be intense at times. But I wouldn’t trade it for anything else and I feel really lucky to be able to do what I love while simultaneously making my living.
**Q: What has your creative practice taught you?**
**A:** In terms of the bigger picture, it’s taught me that it is no small thing to gain the attention of an audience of people noticing and supporting my attempt to share important messages about social change, gender equality, racial equality, and raising awareness about things like breaking down the barriers of socioeconomic class.
**Q: If you could give one piece of advice to a brand new artist or someone who’s just recently joined SBS, what would it be?**
**A:** My advice to anyone starting their journey as an artist is to just start making art. Start somewhere. I definitely encourage people to get the education they feel is needed to make themselves better at their craft but I also think it’s important to avoid getting hung up so much in research that one becomes fixated on how something is done rather than being bold and willing to take risks to just try things through artistic practice. Also, the more you create, the happier you’ll be with your creations. Practice. Show up. Make art! Show up even when you don’t feel like it and put in the work and I guarantee that sooner or later, you’ll be continuously content with the results the longer you work at it.
*Rebecca uses her art to tell stories, create whimsical environments, and communicate about topics that matter to her (you can see more of her art on [Instagram](https://instagram.com/everydayinretrograde) too!).*
