Conversations with Rayna Stem

Today we’d like to introduce you to Rayna Stem. 

Hi Rayna, so excited to have you on the platform. So, before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I was born and raised in Oklahoma and was always drawing. My studies in school never interested me much, I would rush through classwork to draw, and because of that and some attention disorders, I struggled a bit. Art class always came easy though, it became the place I could shine the most. I felt I had value. By the time I was in high school, I started struggling with mental health issues that caused me to alienate myself a bit from my peers. I found solace in art class there as well, would spend my lunch hour working on projects and spending time with my art teacher, Mr. McConnell. I never would have made it through high school without that art teacher, and I am forever grateful. I attempted a semester of college in Oklahoma but failed out because I never attended classes, and truthfully, didn’t want to be there. At that point in my life, all I could think about was leaving Oklahoma. So, I did. I spent the years 18-23 traveling back and forth from Taos, NM and Williams, OR, doing seasonal work. I enjoyed Oregon, but New Mexico got to me. I fell in love with its people, culture, and landscape. At 23 I decided I needed a major life change, and had decided I was ready for school. I moved to Denver in 2017 at started school at CCD with the hope of becoming an art teacher. There, I met some amazing educators, specifically Charles Parson, who made me realize that my creativity was something special. I dropped the art education pathway and focused on illustration and studio arts as a whole. I was beginning to imagine the idea of making art being enough, that possibly, maybe, that’s all I really needed to be truly happy. But then I found therapy, and through that, a love for psychology and mental health began to grow. This was taking place during the 2020 pandemic lockdown, and I began to realize that I had another gift, empathy, and kindness towards others. I received a scholarship to Western State in Gunnison and moved there in December of 2020. There I continued my studio arts degree but decided to also take on a clinical psychology degree as well. Making art is personal, and I realized that I needed a way to be connected to my community and to use my talents for others as well. So I moved back to Denver November 2021, continuing my degree remotely. Since moving back to Denver, I’ve been working on art at home and starting my small business, Ray Lady Ray Arts, making prints, taking orders, and shipping. I’ve also started tattooing and hope to find an apprenticeship as well as mural work, a true passion of mine. After I receive my bachelor’s this spring, I’ll be qualified to start working with the community to help those struggling with addiction, the youth, etc. I’ve been struggling with the idea of self, how it feels there are two parts in me that have to potential for both financial and emotional success, and up until recently, I thought that my passion for mental health and love of the arts had to be separate, but I’m hopeful that through this community, I’ll be able to find my niche using both of my talents and hobbies to better what we already have or create something new entirely. 

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
I have been extremely lucky to have had supportive parents throughout my schooling, I didn’t have to worry about juggling a full-time job and school with their help, I am grateful for that. I’ve also had some extremely supportive people, that remind me of who I am in the days when I don’t feel my best self. I do struggle with depression, anxiety, ADHD, and trauma on an almost daily basis, and some gaps of time are heavy. Some days feel impossible, but when I come out of that headspace and remember how strong I’ve been and am, I’m reminded all over again why I’m here and how thankful I am to be alive, experiencing, and creating. 

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
Painting and digital illustration is my first love. After my move from Taos, I started becoming really homesick for the place, and the New Mexico landscape took over most of my work. And then I did one self-portrait and started combining the two. I’m currently interested in the idea of the cowgirl and what it means to be one. I’m interested in this idea of the feminine self, creating a world of girls for girls. How to be vulnerable, confident, strong. I’m mostly known for large-scale paintings on wood and digital illustrations. I’m most proud of my large-scale pieces and am always searching for a wall to practice on. I am also proud of picking up the machine and needles and trying my hand at a new medium, tattooing. I think what sets me apart from others is my focus on process and mental health. I love being a cheerleader for others within their creative process, and I love working with other creative women, I hope to do more of that in the future. Growing within the community to make a better one is probably my biggest dream, not necessarily “making it” as an artist, though obviously, that would be a bonus. 

What’s next?
I mentioned this before, but community involvement. I have some really great things to offer but am still seeking where would be the best fit to use those talents and traits. I would love to do a mural, or fifty, and I would love to find a way to help kids or at-risk youth through art. I know the artists that helped me changed the course of my life, and I’d like to be that for somebody else too. Also tattooing. This seems like a really solid way to make a steady income so that I can focus on other ways to grow.

Contact Info:

• Email: rayladyrayarts@gmail.com
• Instagram: ray_lady_ray