Today we’d like to introduce you to Brittney Rae.
Brittney, please kick things off for us by telling us about yourself and your journey so far.
I was born in Miami, raised by my grandma who is an actress, artist and all around baddass. I had a rough childhood and always turned to art. I ran 2 businesses in high school, both in photography. I went to college for that and business management. When I was 20, I started my third business, a modeling agency (Rae Model Management) — I managed 25 models. Did that for 2 years and It was an incredible experience, also a shit show, but overall, I learned a lot. I was showcasing my photography at multiple galleries and some of my work was featured in Wynwood’s (monthly) art walk. During that period, I took weekly acting classes, auditioning and working as an actor on short films and commercials. At 22 I landed my first notable movie role and then I moved to New York City. That was almost three years ago. Now you know my age!
Can you give our readers some background on your art?
I’m an actress, writer and director. I’m also an improviser and sketch comedy performer. I started writing comedy for sketch groups and the shows I was performing in. A lot of my writing comes from life experiences. Usually childhood/family affairs quietly underline these stories. I’ve found much more alone time with my thoughts/feelings too. Most recently, going through a break-up / boyfriend moving out. So, picture me in my studio apartment in Astoria Queens, in some post-breakup delirium doing all kinds of weird shit by myself, discovering and playing music I’ve never heard before, wearing clothes I’ve never worn and writing these quirky and really cool micro-short films. I wrote 5 and since have made three. I directed them too, so yeah — personal life stuff happened, and now I’m a director.
My most authentic art is probably always going to be a little dark funny and beautiful. That’s my DNA. I make an effort to be honest with it nowadays, because it’s important. And I have a voice. And a mouth. And it feels really good when I use it. It also feels extremely scary, I’m constantly putting myself in new / vulnerable places, and pushing myself to be uncomfortable. It makes me sensitive about people seeing what I’ve made. But ultimately, I care about this kind of growth more than anything. I feel like art is so much richer in this nakedness. I’d rather make bold (sometimes painful) choices, heal from it, and keep it moving.
What responsibility, if any, do you think artists have to use their art to help alleviate problems faced by others? Has your art been affected by issues you’ve concerned about?
We need to pay more attention. Art is an incredibly powerful language and extremely important when it comes to shedding light on serious issues. An artist is going to share stories they are passionate about, if humans in general pay more attention, there will be more art doing this.
I’m extremely present on Instagram. That’s where all my updates and links of my work go. My handle is @brittneyraeallday
Contact Info:
- Email: brittneyraemanagement@gmail.com
- Instagram: Brittneyraeallday
- Facebook: Facebook.com/brittneyrae
Image Credit:
Jesse Williams
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