Be around success, and be successful

Justin Rain is most recently recognized as the character Alan Fraser in the television series Blackstone that runs on APTN. What some might not know about him though is his work with Native youth in a personal project he began this past year called Artist Inside.

Artist Inside is an attempt to inspire native youth by sharing his personal experiences of his troubled youth and how he overcame his challenges to be where he is today.

Rain was born and raised in Vancouver, BC of Plains Cree decent. Rain says that Artist Inside was something he had wanted to do for a long time but was unsure of how to go about getting it started.

Last year he was asked to speak to some high schools in and around the Winnipeg area of Manitoba. These speaking engagements were part of a youth project attached to the Aboriginal Film Festival.

Rains says that the response was positive and that the kids had lots of questions and were really interested in his stories of how he got where he is today.

Since the speaking engagement meshed with his idea of sharing his life and his journey in the hopes of inspiring other youth to find their way, the project an Artist Inside, was born.

Rain says even though this is a personal project he receives lots of help. The initial project layout and structure was assisted by a few different writers, as well as producer Darlene Choo who has helped guide the project to fruition.

His agent and manager, Sara Parker of Principal Talent, is in full support of the project and takes care of the bookings for him. Parker is the initial point of contact for those interested in having him speak.

Rain recalls his high school days when sitting on the floor listening to a speaker sometimes “got old real fast.” Which is why his project offers interactive activities throughout.

It’s not just a speech on his less than sterling behavior during his high school years. It involves a 90-minute presentation divided into four sections.

Between each section there is a Q & A period where the youth get to ask questions and discuss what they are watching. An example of the visual presentation is Rain’s demo reel screening. He says the purpose of this is so they become visually familiar with his work, not just hearing about it during the presentation.

A few short films are screened for the kids as well. One is an educational short that deals with identity and the obstacles we sometimes face as adolescents. He also has incorporated activities and exercises that actors sometimes do to prepare for the work they do.

Rain is forthright in his admission of being distracted and lost. He says he “was no A student”.

He spent his time getting into trouble by using drugs, being involved in gang violence, succumbing to pressure from peers that were not the best to be around. He feels that these are experiences a number of the youth can relate to in their own lives.

Making that connection gives him an opportunity to offer an alternate path to the one they are travelling.

“Art does save lives. I think most people don’t give “art” the respect it deserves. Or realize we are surrounded by it every day, all day in whatever our lifestyles may be. And I’m grateful that at a young age when I was struggling with addiction I realized that I wasn’t surrounded by good people, positive people….creative people.

“I needed to separate myself and start surrounding myself with positive people. This had the hugest impact on my life from then forward.”

Rain goes on to say, “I had overdosed a few times from party drugs, and the last time was a true awakening. If I had continued the course, I know for a fact I would not be here today. And how I was living was in direct relation to my surroundings and the people that kept me company.”

Rain says that he believes, “We are who we surround ourselves with.

“If you want success you have to surround yourself with it; there is no other way. And I don’t know any successful people that aren’t being creative in a positive sense. Every creative person on this earth is an artist whether they know it or not. This is of course my own opinion. But I really do feel it’s true. To the architects, swimmers, English teachers, photographers, singers, athletes, lawyers… every one of us is an artist in some way, shape or form. And this is what I mean by the ‘Artist Inside’ every one of us.”

When asked what he meant by the statement, “Speak with your heart. Speak through your art.” Rain says that “Any truth comes from your heart. I believe that every one of us can find the right answer to anything if we just listen to our own hearts. I like to think that most of the time when we ask others for advice, we’re just confirming what we already know inside ourselves. Not in every case, but in most.”

Rain wonders if we have nothing to express ourselves through, where does that energy go? He believes it builds up, creating frustration and that can lead to damaging behavior with long-term negative results. He believes we need to express ourselves through whatever we love doing thereby creating a positive force in our lives.

Rain’s vision for Artist Inside is to eventually build a team of artists to be a part of the A.I. group, each sharing their personal stories in the hopes of inspiring the youth to search out their own destinies.
Rain has spoken at a dozen high schools in and around Winnipeg and a few others on Vancouver Island. He hopes to reach many more, schools and youth  in the years to come with Artist Inside.