Meet Austin Peete | Founder + Art Director

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

Hi Austin, we’d love to hear about how you approach risk and risk-taking.
Taking risks is necessary. By making space for new opportunities, I can recognize more of what’s actually required to achieve anything beyond the ideas I begin with.

Reaching out for that conversation with someone I feel inspired by; initiating movement for the sake of change; dancing when our bodies are full of joy; taking a chance on myself brings the most unexpected responses. Plenty of times I have asked ‘Why?’ when I was told “It’s just what we do,” “That isn’t real,” or “You’ve got to pay your dues.” Other times, I’ve been the hater to say there’s not a chance in the world.

People continue to prove possibilities in unimaginable scenarios. Either way, people will feel my response. Every time, my response evokes emotion – for better or worse is not within my control. Once I’m able to discern fear from intuition while facing risk, there becomes a deeper connection between my personal foundations, who I am, and why I’m doing the work to tend to a given moment. This is how I make better decisions to influence certain risky factors in motion toward greatness. Doing what I thought was not for me has empowered me with a sense of agency to enter spaces full of people with the opportunities to ask that unimaginable question. Risk taking is the effect of our connection, no matter how it’s measured.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
rnsc.world is a research enterprise curating experiences across luxury jewelry, media publishing, and collectible artifacts.

I’m most proud to be continuing this journey after 7+ years, and it’s transformed with me over all this time. Affording time has been the most pivotal gamechanger over the years – time to think, time to feel, time to consider, time to execute. Determining everything from brand identity and marketing strategy to forming partnerships and fully activating projects requires damn-near super powers for even the most seasoned professionals. Operating a business is challenging. That’s why effective collaboration and teamwork can be so essential to achieving success.

Securing consistent sources of funding is incredibly influential in the trajectory of a business, as well. Where else could there be an opportunity to upgrade your environment so that your business can grow? Time to explore, access to research, and space to develop make all the difference when providing people with an experience in the delivery of a product or service.

In rnsc.world, adornment is the primary vehicle for crafting conceptual pieces into intentionally curated multimedia collections. In my next iteration of experiential design, smart jewelry will support the storytelling of Black & Indigenous communities across the U.S.A. My goal is to develop proprietary embedded technologies into a network of distributed media, interactive information, and cultural artifacts to engage audiences in-person and online.

THE FREEDMEN PROJECT is our next focus project, as an ethnographic documentation of BIPOC heritage through storytelling by tribal communities from New York to Georgia, and westward toward Oklahoma. In achieving impactful engagement, BIPOC communities will have the opportunity to highlight the unsung histories of our heritage, as they hold impact on our shared futures.

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.
To start, we’d do brunch at Le Petit Marche. Before getting too deep into any other activities, some self-care is necessary – getting our hair done at Natural Beauty Organics Natural Hair Salon, make sure to pick up some leave-in conditioner, maybe get a nice massage. Then, we’d head to Atlantic Station for shopping and maybe catch a movie at the theater, and it’d be cool to eat there, too. Next day, we’d do lunch at Ponce City Market to enjoy a mix of foods and explore the shops. In the evening, we’d check out an event at Peter St. Station and, if we’re feeling hype, get matching tattoos!

We’d rent bikes to ride through the Atlanta BeltLine in the morning. Mid-week a nice stroll through the Atlanta Botanical Gardens is necessary to soak in some sunlight and landscape exhibits. After that, we’d explore the High Museum of Art, hopefully with some live music playing. Then, dinner at Aamar Indian Cuisine, one of my favorite spots to visit before a late night. Going somewhere to dance is a must, so we might do Southbend Commons for a night of partying and dancing.

Our final day would begin with a calm breakfast at a nearby diner. Then, we’d spend some time at Piedmont Park, relaxing and reflecting on the week’s adventures. For our farewell dinner, we’d choose a spot like Taqueria Tsunami.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
My family across the Americas to overseas! They are my heart and consideration from the start. Just the other day I was explaining to a friend how my mom (Antonette Owens-Peete) is the one who taught me how to make clothes and design jewelry, and now we’re both building businesses around shared practices (me, rnsc.world and mom, Black Indians Design Studio).

In the Atlanta-area, I’ve got to share love for my mentor Angela Carter and the community at Peter St. Station. The foundations of my creative spirit and hunger for ambitious projects is heavily inspired by the people generating culture with their own style.

Website: https://rnsc.world

Instagram: @austinpeete / @rnsc.world

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/apeete/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC2fBboa19yCUAq4dX8Hgt9A

Other: Bandcamp: https://rnsc.bandcamp.com/

Image Credits
Austin Peete
Keith Morse