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For Detroit-based creative Ruby Flowers, artistry doesn’t exist in just one lane. A visual artist and singer-songwriter, Flowers has built her creative life by moving fluidly between music and visual expression—two passions that have grown side by side for most of her life.

“I’m a visual artist and a singer-songwriter,” she says. “Singing was actually my first profession, and then I started doing art more consistently. Now they both exist together.”

Although both forms of expression shape her identity today, music came first. Flowers has been singing since elementary school, discovering early on that performing and using her voice felt natural to her. Visual art, however, was always present too—especially within her family.

Her sister, Vanessa, a tattoo artist, played an important role in nurturing that interest. Flowers remembers watching her draw at the table when they were younger, fascinated by the process.

“I’d watch her drawing and think, I want to do that too,” Flowers recalls.

That early exposure planted the seeds for a lifelong creative path. By the time she reached high school, Flowers was actively developing both sides of her artistry. She began taking music more seriously while also enrolling in painting classes that helped refine her visual practice.

Eventually, her dedication to music led her to attend the Detroit Institute of Music Education (DIME), a school known for cultivating musicians within Detroit’s vibrant creative community. Although the institution later closed, the experience marked an important step in her artistic development.

After that chapter ended, Flowers found herself in a period of uncertainty—a creative limbo that ultimately opened new possibilities. During that time, she traveled to Europe, where she began focusing more deeply on visual art.

“From there, I really started building my life through art,” she says.

What began as exploration gradually became a sustainable path. Over time, Flowers was able to support herself through her creative work, allowing art to provide both personal fulfillment and practical stability.

When reflecting on the people who have inspired her journey, Flowers names a few figures who stand out in different ways. One of them is Detroit muralist and painter Sydney G. James.

Flowers remembers attending an exhibition where James unexpectedly saw her work and spoke highly of it—an experience that felt surreal given how long she had admired her.

“I had been a fan of hers for a long time,” Flowers says. “So hearing that meant a lot.”

Beyond artistic inspiration, Flowers also points to someone closer to her everyday life: her husband. She describes him as one of her greatest sources of motivation and emotional support.

“He’s someone I can confide in,” she says. “But he’s also someone I look up to every day.”

That combination of personal encouragement and artistic influence has helped sustain her creative momentum.

When asked what advice she would give to emerging artists who want to follow a similar path, Flowers keeps her message simple and direct: trust your instincts.

“If you have an idea,” she says, “do that.”

For Flowers, creative growth begins with listening to those small sparks of inspiration and acting on them before doubt has a chance to interfere.

“Don’t forget that idea you had,” she adds. “Just go for it.”

In a career that blends music, visual art, and life experience, Ruby Flowers continues to show that creativity often thrives when artists allow their instincts—and their passions—to lead the way.