Interview with visual artist and creative specialist, Rachel-Marie Cleary
Papers: We see that you're an art student in Dublin—have you always grown up there? Can you tell us a little about your upbringing and what brought you to studying art?
Rachel-Marie: I’ve always had a very creative upbringing even though I might not have realised it at the time. I was always encouraged to be the best version of myself and explore every path available to me. My parents were young when they had me, so I got to experience growing up with them and was exposed to different forms of media, art, and music through them – which in turn made me a creative person through immersion. The likes of Kurt Cobain and Damon Albarn played a great part in my passion for writing and art, and because my parents supported every passion myself and my siblings had, it made being creative something that I felt was just as natural as having an interest in the likes of sport or science. I grew up in Mullingar in the Midlands of Ireland, which is known as a hub of creativity, so I was always surrounded by art and music. I never had any other desire to study anything other than writing, art or media and I’m just fortunate that Ireland has a wide range of educational paths available in those fields. Dublin was always a second home to me – most of my closest friends live there, and there’s always something creative to get involved in which I love! Dublin has been a big inspiration in a novel I’m currently writing; it focuses on three siblings living in the city and their journeys through their mental health, sexualities, romance, and addictions.
Papers: Once your novel is complete, you have to let us know what the name is! We see a lot of that creative Dublin culture translating into your artwork, and your poetry contains many raw and unfiltered elements—can you speak more of the surroundings that inspire those special qualities within your writing?
Rachel-Marie: For me I find my current situations help the most when writing something – I always start with a phrase or string of words and go from there. It’s easier to start with something abstract and piece it together in a way that makes sense in my own personal way, as well as appealing to others and similar situations they’ve been in. Some of my favourite pieces have actually happened by complete accident. I have a knack for getting myself in unexpected and unusual situations that always result in a story or feeling I never knew I’d have. Some people prefer to write in the comfort of their rooms, but in terms of poetry, I would say my surroundings create the tone of my poems – regardless of where I am, if I have something I feel the need to write about, I’ll always take note and expand on it depending on the environment.
Papers: The abstract quality within your writing is what drew us to your submission, and why we can’t get enough of the collection of poems we published by you. Now knowing that you are working on a fiction novel—which of the two genres do you prefer to work in, or how has one encouraged the other?
Rachel-Marie: Poetry and fiction go hand in hand for me, if it wasn’t for my poetry I wouldn’t have feelings or situations to expand into stories, and vice versa for fiction into poetry. If I have a story to tell and can condense it into spoken word while still keeping the meaning, then I will. Some days I’ll be ready to write a few thousand words worth of a short story, typically in horror. Other days I feel like talking about experiences and things more people will relate to, or I mightn’t have the motivation to write anything. Here and there I’ll jot down something small in the terms of a witty one line for a poem that can fit snuggly amongst something I worked on previously, or for a day in the future.
Papers: When using both fiction and poetry to compliment each other, your writing also incorporates subtle hints of romance, but we love how strong the narrator's voice is. Is romance and relationships something that has had a major influence on yourself - in and out of the creative world?
Rachel-Marie: Romance has always been a tricky one. I have stories to tell and also stories that I’ll keep to myself, but as someone who likes to see the best in other people and enjoys adventuring with others, it has made me a more loving person – which may not be the best sometimes! In the outside world I don’t have much luck in keeping romance, but I have met some people who have given me stories and feelings that I’ll channel through my writing, and it will always be part of my art! Creatively, I use these experiences for my own comfort, and for people who may not understand what they’re feeling to possibly make sense of it. A lot of my artwork also comes from a place of self love. I love to paint the female form in positions of power – my current acrylic on canvas collection features multiple strong female figures from Irish mythology, and gives a much needed feminine perspective on Irish mythology, and the stories that shaped our country.
Papers: Self love is so important, and you being a multidisciplinary artist really showcases that! Can you tell us what are the ingredients that make up Rachel-Marie Cleary, and how can others understand your individuality through your writing?
Rachel-Marie: Naturally, my writing has its own meaning for me, but I have heard back from other people on how they feel while reading it or what meaning it brings to them – both of which vary. The beauty of poetry is that it doesn’t need to be understood to be enjoyed if written from the perspective of someone who understands, or is trying to understand how they feel—the reader will always come to their own conclusion that tailors to their feelings. I would say a few of the many ingredients that make up Rachel-Marie are balance, curiosity, and the ability to turn negativity into comfort and peace.