thesalting: hello dear mr rutherford! sincere thanks for your time, energy and support of all we are doing!! please tell us about your podcast and just how it came to be?
Eric rutherford: my podcast, "not just pretty pictures", is focused on the art of story telling and these people who live the stories behind all of the pretty pictures we see. the idea for it came about from a recording of a personal essay I'd written in late 2019. it was an essay about my recovery from alcoholism which I had shared with my podcast producers as we began to shape what my future podcast would look like. fast forward to the pandemic and my producers suggested I create a podcast highlighting other writers and their stories. I have a deep love of writers and began to develop the vision of the podcast. I reached out to my friends and heroes who had overcome hardship or trauma, healed their histories and now lead with strength & positivity. the first season launched in may 2021, with guests like sharon stone, ryan k russell and marlon james.
ts: when did you move to NYC?
er: I have been bi-coastal for 5 years. in january, I officially moved to New York full time.
ts: 3 favorite NYC restaurants?
er: sant ambroeus in soho, pastis and empire diner.
ts: who inspires you?
er: I find inspiration in many many different people. three of the people are ana duvernay (film director and producer), jocelyn de freece (trans actress and writer) and my partner, james miller.
ts: where are you from originally?
er: I am originally form Boca Raton, fl.
ts: most surprising interview?
er: my most surprising interview was done by giles hattersley from the London Times Magazine.
ts: who is on your dream list to interview?
er: my dream list of people to interview is long. three of those people are oprah winfrey, jeremy o harris and adele.
ts: best advice ever given?
er: 'your'e never too late or too old to live your dream'
ts: we have to ask: where to get your hair cut?
er: jay braff has cut my hair for 6+ years. he is the one I trust most with cutting my hair.
ts: 3 favorite movies?
er: I am a big movie fan. I love a range of movies form big blockbusters to small foreign films. three of my favorites that I can watch over and over again are 'the Devil Wears Prada', 'bridesmaids' and anything by pedro almodovar.
ts: last movie seen in an actual movie theater?
er: the new bond film, 'no time to die'
ts: do you see/ feel nyc bouncing back form the many hardships of the past few years? what's your impression?
er: I do feel that new york is in the process of 'bouncing back'. people are out enjoying the city, restaurants are full and broadway shows are opening again. with that said, I think the city still has some healing to do.
ts: please tell us a little about the Robin Hood foundation and your involvement within the organization?
er: I attended the Robin Hood foundation gala for the first time last week. I have a deep respect for the organization and hope to build a relationship with them now that I live in New York.
ts: how do you erase hate in your every day life?
er: I believe it is impossible to erase the hate in your life. whether it's from our internal voices or those external ones yelling on twitter, the negativity is persistent and debilitating. the steps I take to lessen the hate around me begin with not giving the 'noise' energy or support. I work at not giving into the harsh critic of my mind or the empty rage on social media. I work at surrounding myself with positive people and projects while taking action to strengthen my foundation of self love and core beliefs.