“I didn’t know how to express the pain. So I turned it into art.” What happens when survival becomes silence and silence becomes a scream on canvas? Join us for an enlightening episode of Rooted Recovery Stories as host Patrick Custer sits down with artist Ryan Rado. In this candid conversation, Ryan shares his journey through childhood trauma, the challenges of living with Tourette's syndrome, and the healing power of art.From navigating a chaotic home life to the struggles of bullying in school, Ryan opens up about the emotional scars that shaped his understanding of love and self-worth. He discusses the complexities of codependency, the impact of validation, and how he learned to embrace his creative expression as a form of therapy.
In this episode:
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Patrick Custer - Host
↳ Instagram: @thepatrickcuster
↳ TikTok: @thepatrickcuster
↳ YouTube: @thepatrickcuster
↳ Facebook: @thepatrickcuster
↳ Website: linktr.ee/patrickcuster
Ryan Rado - Guest
↳ Insta: @ryan_rado
↳ Insta: @makeitperfectshow
↳ YouTube: @MakeItPerfect
↳ Website: www.ryanrado.com
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Get Help: Promises Behavioral Health – Treatment for addiction, mental health/trauma
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↳ Insta: @promises_bh
↳ URL: www.promisesbehavioralhealth.com
Mental Health America:
↳ URL: www.mhanational.org
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About Ryan Rado: Ryan Rado is a Nashville based multidisciplinary artist, curator, musician, and ontological coach whose abstract paintings explore memory, healing, identity, and the tension between control and surrender. Originally from Michigan, he began creating art in early adolescence as a way to process trauma and make sense of chaos within his home life. After spending years in Nashville’s music industry, he shifted his focus to painting in 2014, finding in visual art a more honest and immediate form of emotional expression.His signature works are often painted on red velvet and feature somber color palettes, bold gestures, and layered textures that invite deep introspection. Rado intentionally chooses materials that challenge artistic conventions, using them to confront ideas about value, imperfection, and personal truth. He views the creative process as a dialogue with emotion, allowing his work to emerge from a space of vulnerability rather than control. In addition to his studio practice, Rado is the founder and curator of Rock Wall Gallery, a space dedicated to showcasing raw and emotionally resonant art. He also leads therapeutic workshops that blend creative expression with ontological coaching, guiding others toward self-awareness and healing through the act of making. Living with Tourette’s Syndrome, he openly shares how the condition influences his perspective, embracing it as an essential part of his identity and artistic voice.