Today we’d like to introduce you to Ryan Stewart.
Hi Ryan, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I am an only child, and I was the only grandchild until I was about 25, so outside of school, I didn’t really have anybody to play with, so I turned to books, writing, and drawing. My mother and aunt were always showing me different kinds of art, also. When I was in elementary school, I was convinced that I was going to be a ballerina, a gymnast, and an ice skater when I got older, despite never having taken a class in any of those things.
I maintained an interest in art all the way through school, even joining the school newspaper in high school, which I became the co-editor of and then editor before graduating. Doing each issue of the school paper led me into a love of graphic design because we had to put each issue together by hand (doing things like cutting out pictures from other places and gluing them to another piece of paper and then making copies).
While attending Jackson State University, my original intent was to major in English with a minor in Art and become a professional writer/author, but somehow the Art minor got left off of my paperwork, and I didn’t realize it until I was going into my junior year. Not wanting to start over or add extra years before I could graduate, I decided to just take design classes (in hindsight, I should have just stayed and changed my major). After I graduated from Jackson State in 2006, I spent a significant amount of time looking for a job in Mississippi and surrounding areas.
During this time, my aunt and then my mother moved to Memphis, and they told me that I should come and see if I could find a job here. I came to Memphis in the summer of 2007 to just stay for a few weeks, but I ended up applying to Memphis College of Art because I couldn’t find a decent Design job without a “proper” Design degree.
Being at MCA really opened my eyes to the possibilities of what I could do in art. I explored all kinds of techniques and materials and learned about artists that I had never heard of, and I was fascinated. The Holiday Bazaar at MCA is what really pushed me into selling what I made because I had never done that before and didn’t even fathom that people would buy anything I made — but they did! That is where my business, PrettyPurpleElephant Creative Works, was born. I do a lot under the PrettyPurpleElephant (PPE) name: graphic design, photography, hand-lettering, jewelry-making, painting, and whatever other art-related tangent I’m on at the moment.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It has absolutely not been smooth. In addition to those bumps and bruises that everyday life gives, my biggest hurdle has been myself. Despite being an Honor student my whole life and being able to teach myself quite a few things, I struggle with believing that my work is good enough and if anybody will care about what I do or make. And then there is always the money issue. I never seem to have enough money to execute an idea the way I REALLY want to and I find that a lot of my fellow creatives have that problem too.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I have been trying for years to find a good “title” for myself. I usually either say I am a Multidisciplinary Creative or I just say I am a Graphic Designer/Photographer.
I just love art. I get excited when I’m working on something and it gives me an idea for something else In a completely different medium. Like, if I’m doodling and it gives me an idea for a bracelet or a t-shirt.
I believe that I’m mostly known for making jewelry but I like to think people know about my design and photography work too.
I am most proud of myself for starting PrettyPurpleElephant and maintaining it, in some form, for the past 14 years because I never saw myself owning my own business but here I am.
I think what sets me apart is how much I love all kinds of art. I love music, visual art, dance, and everything in between. I see beauty in almost everything. I also love bright, bold colors and I’ll throw a pop of color anywhere. I also embrace the fact that I’m a little weird (lol).
Can you talk to us about how you think about risk?
I am not a major risk-taker when it comes to work but I am working on changing that. I tend to study something in great deal before I attempt it. But on the other hand, in everyday life, if my friends or cousins popped up and asked me to do a 24-hour roadtrip, I’m 80% sure I’d go.
I feel like I have become slightly less adventurous as I get older and part of me doesn’t like that so I have to do something about that soon.
Being a risk-taker can be really great and produce some amazing results. Some degree of calculated risk is necessary in life and business. I don’t believe in taking the safe choice every time. That gets boring and stale. Being too safe is uninspired. You have to do something occasionally to get your blood pumping.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://RyanDStewart.com
- Instagram: https://Instagram.com/PrettyPurpleElephant
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PrettyPurpleElephant
- Other: https://linktr.ee/RDStewart1983
