We recently had the chance to connect with Ray (Rachel) Smith and have shared our conversation below.
Good morning Ray (Rachel), we’re so happy to have you here with us and we’d love to explore your story and how you think about life and legacy and so much more. So let’s start with a question we often ask: What is something outside of work that is bringing you joy lately?
Outside of Cinder Bella Studios, I get to have a blast running my nonprofit Stage Wives. It is basically a big sisterhood for women married into the music industry who are holding down the fort while their spouses are off touring the world. We trade stories, swap life hacks, and find the humor in the chaos of solo parenting, weird schedules, and all the unexpected things this lifestyle throws at us. It is a lot like my wood burning work… you take the heat and turn it into something beautiful. Stage Wives is full of laughter, encouragement, and women who truly get it, and it is one of my favorite places to pour my heart.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
Hi, I’m Rachel, the artist behind Cinder Bella Studios in Nashville. I create art with fire through pyrography, from fine art portraits to hands-on workshops where guests design and burn their own boards or ornaments. I also bring the experience to events with live art and interactive stations. Cinder Bella is all about turning the heat of life into something beautiful, which is how I started wood burning during a tough season and turned it into a full-time passion. Right now, I’m growing into a second location and creating more ways for people to make art, memories, and a little magic.
Appreciate your sharing that. Let’s talk about your life, growing up and some of topics and learnings around that. Who were you before the world told you who you had to be?
Before the world told me who I had to be, I was a girl who simply loved creating but didn’t know where that fit into the 9to5 expectations of life. I hopped from job to job trying to find the passion I saw in others but nothing brought me the joy that creating did. I didn’t think about whether what I created was practical or perfect — I just made things that told a story. Somewhere along the way, I tried to fit into boxes that didn’t feel like me. Then one terribly long, snowy Indiana winter, during a season that felt heavy and isolating, I picked up a $15 wood burner. I had no idea it would completely change my life. I discovered that pyrography is literally beauty made through fire, and that became a powerful metaphor for how I wanted to live. I learned that challenges don’t have to consume you — they can shape you into something beautiful. That belief is the heart of Cinder Bella Studios, where I get to create art that carries both beauty and meaning into the lives of others.
When did you stop hiding your pain and start using it as power?
I stopped hiding my pain when I realized it could be the very thing that gave my work meaning. At fifteen years old I went through a really traumatic season and spent years burying the hurt, people pleasing, and believing I wasn’t worth fighting for unless I gave up every part of myself. After losing my job and spending years trying to chase jobs I knew weren’t me, I hit a new low. In the midst of this low, I turned back to wood burning — the only thing that had ever brought me joy. I burned every day, letting my pain pour into the art, and in January 2024 I went full time. Now Cinder Bella Studios exists as living proof that the fire meant to destroy you can actually make you something beautiful.
Sure, so let’s go deeper into your values and how you think. What are the biggest lies your industry tells itself?
One of the biggest lies I see in the art world (and especially in niche crafts like pyrography) is that you can’t make a real living from it unless you treat it as just a side hobby. People are told they either have to compromise their creativity to “make it” or keep their passion small so it feels safe. Another lie is that your art only has value if it’s perfect. I’ve found that the magic is actually in the imperfections and the story behind the piece. My business grew when I stopped trying to make my work fit someone else’s definition of success and started creating from a place of passion and purpose. That’s when I learned that your art isn’t “too niche” or “too risky”. No, the right people WILL connect with it when you put your whole heart into it.
Okay, so let’s keep going with one more question that means a lot to us: If immortality were real, what would you build?
If immortality were real, I’d build a legacy of connection and creativity that could outlive me a hundred times over. I’d create spaces all over the world where people could come together, slow down, and make something with their hands. Places filled with the smell of wood smoke, the sound of laughter, and walls lined with stories burned into wood. I’d make sure every person who walked through the doors left feeling seen, valued, and reminded that beauty can come from even the hardest seasons.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://cinderbellastudios.com
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/cinderbellastudios
- Linkedin: https://linkedin.com/company/cinderbellastudios
- Facebook: https://Facebook.com/cinderbellastudios
