A Spotlight On Ruth Oosterman – Visual Artist

Once a month, I’ll be directing your attention to people I feel are amazing examples of prolific creators. People who live busy lives, but carve out the time to create. People who put the excuses aside and do the work.This month, I want to introduce you to visual artist, Ruth Oosterman.

 I first heard of Ruth through an article about the creative collaborations with her daughter, Eve. Subsequently, Ruth is also responsible for the beautiful crow for the cover of my forthcoming book, Unfinished: A Guide to Dream, Complete and Repeat Your Life’s Work.

Ruth is a mother of two and still finds time to create daily. You may also have seen Ruth’s videos floating around the internet of her collaborations with her daughter, Eve.

I was curious to find out how she finds the time to work. Here’s the interview:

You recently had your second child. What was the process like getting back to creating after adjusting to your new life?

Ruth: It took at least 5 weeks for me to be able to start feeling settled enough to find the time to create. It was tough since all of our “genius” ideas seem to come to us when we are either in the shower or feeding a newborn at 4 am, without a paper, pen or extra hand in sight to write or sketch them down. I felt as if I was going through withdrawal not being able to create that at 5 weeks something just snapped and I knew I had to figure it all out. I had to ask myself what I was willing to sacrifice in order to get that creative time in the evening. I now sacrifice an extra half hour or hour of sleep every night and no longer watch TV or internet surf in the evening, with the exception of one or two nights a week. 

Was it a harder adjustment after the first or second?

Ruth: It was actually easier after the second one, whether that was due to a higher level of confidence in myself as a mother or Theodore is just an easier baby. 

You are most known for your co-creations with your daughter. Was this born out of trying to figure out how to create and be a full-time mother at the same time? How did this come about?

The first year of Eve’s life finding time to create was relatively easy. I would either wrap her up on me or place her in the playpen with some toys. It was when she became mobile that it became incredibly difficult so I began to look for ways we could create together. It started off with her having an art area stocked full of supplies in order to buy myself some creative time. However, all children just love to participate in anything they see their parents doing so soon enough Eve began to work on the same projects. It was through these off the cuff collaborations that the idea to collaborate on a more serious level, was born. 

I believe if you don’t have a sacred place to work, then getting to ‘complete’ is incredibly difficult. Do you have a dedicated space to create?

Ruth: I wish. I am slowly working on getting a studio area set up but at the moment I create wherever there is room. I think it is incredibly important to have a dedicated area as it only enhances the creative fire but also gives you an atmosphere that belongs to just you and your imagination. Right now I am on the opposite end of the spectrum where I will create either at the dining room table or office desk that I share, this means that at the end of the day I need to clean it all up. It is that much more difficult to find the motivation to continue the next day knowing I have to drag out all of the supplies and begin again rather than starting where I left off. 

What are a few things that usually hinder you from just dreaming about a project to completing it?

Ruth: Time. Before children I had plenty of it but I never understood the true value. Now that I am a parent and truly realize how precious that solo time to create really is, I have very little of it. Distraction is another one, I tend to have so many ideas that the concept of capturing them all overwhelms me so I will begin working on something unrelated to the my original goal. Doubt is another one. Sometimes the fear that the end result will fall short of my imagination prevents me from even attempting it, this is something I strive to fight every chance I get.

What tools do you use to get over those obstacles?

Ruth: To get over the obstacle of limited time I have had to rearrange my priorities. Would I rather catch up on my favourite TV show or focus on creating, go out for a coffee or create a painting, the choices can be hard at times but it comes down to what you value most. For the distraction I have created an “ideas” book, every time I have a concept I want to try out I quickly write it down. This way if I end up becoming distracted the idea still lives on for a future rainy day. As for the doubt, well that is just a daily battle but I am confident I will win the war through time and determination. 

What or who inspires you?

Ruth: My daughter, Eve, has become my muse and inspiration. Just having been given the gift of being able to witness the way she creates with a glimpse of her magical imagination has inspired me to completely change my artistic style. Her lack of second guessing and doubt is incredibly beautiful and I strive to be more like her in more ways than one, children are truly a gift. 

Are you the type that focuses on making your artistic weaknesses stronger or are you solely focused on your strengths?

Ruth: Before my daughter was born, I tried to play up my strengths and stuck with what I knew I could do. Since having Eve and being influenced by her lack of second guessing, I have openly embraced my weaknesses and have discovered an amazing amount about myself and what I cam capable of. I only needed to embrace the chance of making mistakes and see it as a way to grow instead. 

Todd Henry has a process he calls his ‘Dailies’ – A set routine of tasks he does in the morning before his day begins that help him be more productive and focused. Do you have daily rituals (even if you don’t always adhere to them) that if you do, set you up much more into the creating mindset?

Ruth: At the moment, I am happy if I get a chance to eat something or have a few moments of quiet to myself. Any previous routine has been thrown out the window with the addition of our second child, hwoever there are a few things I like to do that gets me into a productive mode. Maybe it is a creative person stereotype, but I am the most productive in the evenings. Once the kids are in bed, I turn off all technology (tv, cell, etc) and sit down with all of my supplies spread out, this way I have no reason to get up and become distracted. Last, but definitely not least, music. Having a playlist set up with the right music really helps to get into the mindset to create. 

What advice would you give to people struggling with the regret of ditching their passions because life handing them a difficult hand or busyness got the best of them?

Ruth: It is never too late. I remember I put off painting for almost a year just because the sight of a blank canvas was too intimidating. I lost an entire year to the idea of failure, that loss is something that can no longer haunt me because I have turned it into a lesson learned. The things that happen to you in life, whether tragedy or busyness, they are what moulds you into the unique and beautiful person you are. Those are the things that you can translate into your passion and create beauty that no one else will be able to. You should never let that go to waste.