Conversations with Rachel Vandevort

Today we’d like to introduce you to Rachel Vandevort.

Hi Rachel, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I was a weird kid and now I’m a weird adult. Every day I’m grateful for the opporitunity to be my creative self. My name is Rachel, some people call me Rainbow Rachel. I was born and raised in west Los Angeles, and I moved to Studio City about 10 years ago. I’ve loved art and bright colors my whole life. I started as an illustrator in middle school, and then I got really into painting for a few years, and then I came across a little amigurumi kit in a book store in high school and fell in love with crocheting.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
I know I’m my own harshest critic. It’s hard to look at something for 30 hours and not notice at least a few mistakes or things you’d want to change. I tell myself no one else can notice it, and if they can, I can fix it.

I also have aphantasia, which basically means I can’t picture things in my head. It’s a spectrum, so I occassionally get flashes of an image that last a fraction of a section that I can’t focus on or get back so that has to be enough to go off of.

I think as long as I’m creating something nothing can go wrong.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
Crocheting allows me to work with colors in a different way. My favorite part of the process is the beginning when I go to my yarn shelf and pick out the colors i’m going to use. For some reason one of the constants in my work is sweaters, I love making them. The idea of wearable art really tickles something in my brain. I like wearing a lot of colors and want to make things so others can wear fun things too. I got into making tapestries a few years ago and that really feels like I’ve found my “thing”. I have a repetitive strain injury, and all the color changes and complicated patterns force me to slow down and be very intentional with what I’m creating.

How do you define success?
I think success can be defined intrinsically or externally. I was driving the other day and thinking about my commissions and I was so grateful when I realized I have worked lined up a few months out, and that’s something I had always hoped for.

External measures of success can look like a lot of views on social media, work being put in a public place, becoming a household name, there’s so many things it can look like

Contact Info:

• Website: https://Rainbowrachel.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rainbowrachel_?igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ%3D%3D&utm_source=qr