Meet Rohitash Rao | Artist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Rohitash Rao and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Rohitash, how do you think about risk?
Risk is a funny word. Often we hear that and suddenly an anxiety attack kicks in. But I’ve found a new way to look at risk. Years ago when I was in Little League I used to be really scared of the ball when I was up to bat. I used to just stand there, frozen, as the pitch came in. I was really just hoping for a “walk.” And often times I struck out. And I did nothing to earn that “strike out.” My coach would yell at me and say, “At least you could have swung. You had a 50/50 shot if you just swung the bat. And if you strike out, so what, at least you go down swinging.” And that stuck with me: “Go down swinging.” That’s how I approach everything now. I may not know how to pull off a specific project, but dammit, I’m gonna try my best. I’m gonna go down swinging.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I get excited very easily. And I love creating. I mean I REALLY LOVE creating. This was instilled in me at a very young age by my family and friends. From making Christmas cards in class to writing comics with my friends, I always loved the act of making art and telling stories. As I grew up I didn’t like hearing that you had to choose what kind of “artist” you wanted to be. Why couldn’t you just do everything? Why can’t you write one day, paint the next day and make a film the day after that? Eventually I stopped trying to fit into these neat little boxes and just do it all. I’m not saying I’m great at doing all these things, but I love doing them, so I do. I get so excited by not knowing how to make something. I don’t let the execution come first – the idea is in charge, so I let it drive the direction I go. Years ago I had an idea for a screenplay and that eventually became an animated sitcom that was made for Fox (well, the pilot at least.) My buddy Peter and Nelson and I pitched a kids animated TV idea that eventually become a book series published by Harper Collins. What started out as a fake records store art installation ended up with me writing and performing my own music. Again, I’m not in charge – the idea is. It’ll tell me where it wants to go – I just try and keep up!

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
My favorite thing to do is walk along the ocean. I usually start at Bay Street and Main (south of Pico) right around Dogtown Coffee. I park my car there, head straight for the ocean and walk up to the Santa Monica Pier. There are so many places to stop and grab a drink or a bite along the way, and you can sunbathe at any point, not to mention take a quick dip in the water. Then when you get to the pier, it’s like a carnival. Literally! There are rides and games and ice cream and yes, even cocktails. It’s heaven. I do this alone or with friends. It’s by far my favorite thing to do in L.A.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Wow, there are so many people I’d like to thank for helping me on this giant creative adventure – the obvious ones being my immediate family and inner-circle of friends. But if I had to boil it down to 4 people it would be Eric Silver, Kathy Hepinstall, Stephen Gill and Peter Nelson. I put them in that order only because of who I met first, second, third and fourth in my life. These four people have consistently been the most vocal about “just do your thing – tell your stories – stay on the path.” So thank you, E, Kath, Gill and Nelson. And I just want to add one book that changed my life forever: The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand. If you know that book then you know the difference between the two characters, Howard Roark and Peter Keating. The first line of the book is “Howard Roarke laughed.” That’s how I see myself everyday!

Website: rohitashraopaintsontrash.com AND rohitashrao.com
Instagram: @rohit913 AND @rohitrecords
Linkedin: Rohitash Rao
Twitter: @notnowro
Facebook: Rohitash Rao
Youtube: Rohitash Rao
Other: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FA_49v1fQpA

Image Credits
Ralph Watson