Work of ART

Michael F. Rumsby always aspired to be an artist. After a very successful career in PR, he's now following his passion full time, as he shares here

- Alastair James

Michael F. Rumsby always wanted to be iM an artist full time. In fact, that’s how he’s seen himself ever since he was a child. According to him: We’re all born artists. When you’re a kid, what’s the first thing you do? You pick up coloured pens and draw. That doesn’t mean yourre going to turn out to be Picasso, but that’s what we do.”

After building a successful career in the world of PR and communications in the beauty industry for brands such as L’Oréal, Michael turned away from that ten years ago to focus on his true passion. At 54, he can finally claim the title of artist’, but the journey to get there has been a long one.

Growing up on the Suffolk coast, Michael was always surrounded by art of some kind. As a child, he was left to explore his creativity to his heart’s content. His work was noticed and his secondary school art teacher among others) encouraged him to get his work displayed. At university, he studied art and French, and painted prolifically”.

After university, however, he felt the pressure to get a proper job”. A friend found him an opening at a Soho-based PR firm. What started off as an internship making awful tea and even worse coffee his words) became the most brilliant training ground ever” and before long he was moving up. He worked for other companies in London, before relocating to Brussels as managing director for a big American firm aged 28.

“That’s when I started to get scared. Just in terms of Oh my God, this wasn’t meant to happen. What am I doing?’” From there he moved to L’Oréal as global communications director.