Find out about Rose, her favourite Reality Checks and her work.
Tell me about yourself
My name is Rose. I'm 28 years old. I'm a Lisbon-based fashion, wedding and lifestyle photographer, I've been freelancing for eight years. This year I created a blog for conventions. I've been attending conventions since last year and I always wanted to get into blogging; as I take so many photos and love to write, I thought why not. It's opened up work possibilities, like with Mark Pellegrino in Basingstoke in May this year. I launched my own clothing brand during the pandemic. The government didn't allow me to work, so I created an alternative brand bringing together two things I love: alternative fashion and the Western Wild West.
Mark Pellegrino and Rose Richards
Favourite TV and movies
My favourite TV shows are Supernatural, Dexter, Lucifer and The Boys. I'm a romantic and I love Titanic. Also classics like the Shawshank Redemption. I love westerns; The Good, the Bad and The Ugly is my favourite.
Favourite books and podcasts
I'm not much into podcasts but I listen to some from the Ayn Rand Centre UK. Also a couple from Supernatural with Rich and Rob and Kim and Brianna. I love reading. I'm reading a book I bought at a Supernatural convention. Also marketing, psychology, philosophy and fiction. I have a book called Hush Hush. It's actually old but I want to get into it because it's about fallen angels. Just saying!
Starbucks order
I don't like coffee, alcohol or sparkling drinks, but anything with natural fruit is fine by me.
Does pineapple belong on pizza?
Yes! It was my first pizza. It was at a rock festival and I loved it.
What's your favourite Reality Check and what did you get from it?
I have two, Selfishness and Capitalism, because they're personal to me.
I will get to Capitalism first because I literally tweeted Mark so many times to please do this one because I wanted to get into the deep of it. It's very well structured and you can get to know what capitalism really is. I already knew about all of the concepts Mark has been talking about in his Reality Checks, but nobody really talks about this stuff where I live, not in school or family, so when I met Mark I was so interested. I felt a connection to the topics but I'd never found the right words to express how I feel. Mark and I come from different historical backgrounds, our countries are very different in politics, and I never followed any political party here. I was always stuck in the idea of America. Economic liberty, the right to earn a living doing what you love. That's me, so what I love about this Reality Check is because I love the history behind capitalism. I don't understand why people complain about it because it leads to better times and human flourishing. It seems some folks want to go back to the Stone Age and I think it's because they don't understand the concept and they find themselves stuck with horrible ideas like communism and socialism. What I like about capitalism is it's the true force of creativity and I'm creative. Progress is beautiful.
Selfishness is very personal because I have always struggled with being selfish and being pushed to the idea of having to be 100% altruist. I'm like, that doesn't make sense. So when I watch that Reality Check, I just want to shove that into people's faces. I think it's one of the best ones so far, really accurate and explains that you don't need to sacrifice your values and your rights for other people's benefits because it's your life and you have to live it.
What other Reality Checks would you like Mark to write?
I would love one about Beauty, and one about Liberalism versus Classical Liberalism. Mark quoted something comparing the left to liberalism and I didn't understand what he meant by that. Also Progressivism and Objectivism. Maybe a mini series of Reality Checks just about Objectivism! A lot of people who follow Mark didn't know about this philosophy and there's a lot to grasp. Freelancing, too. I don't think I've seen that as a listed topic yet.
How did Lucifer inspire your teeshirt collection?
I used the devil and the supernatural influence in my first collection and it was very successful. I was not expecting it to be honest. When I created the second, I was a full-time plant mom so I went with plants and the wild west. It's been successful, but not as much as the first one, and the best seller of this one is the devil plant with the tarot. I think people just dig the devil and hell, so I think I'm going to follow that path.
What's it like being self-employed?
It's always a struggle in the beginning when you're building yourself up and learning how to contact your clients, doing marketing, building your portfolio and platforms. This is where the minimum wage comes in because in the beginning I had to pay to work. It was a negative minimum wage because I had to invest my money and time to build my portfolio. You have to work every day to reach a higher level, that's where I am now. All went well because I never stopped working. As a freelancer, you need to work your ass off. If you invest money and time you will be rewarded in the future. Capitalism celebrates the entrepreneur, the individual who owns the company — we are the company. I chose freelancing because I can decide when I work and how much I gain.
How do you feel about the support you get from Mark?
I'm very grateful for all he's done for me. He always supported my Dusk Riders from day one and he even has a lot of t-shirts because he just loves them. He said they were his favourite t-shirts. I don't think it's just about giving and taking. I think me and Mark, we kind of form this bond because we have a lot in common. It's easy to talk to each other and he helped me a lot in my personal and intellectual growth, so I owe that to him. He will always have my support, we are a freaking family.
You worked as a photographer at Basingstoke Comic Con – how was that?
I've tried to contact many convention companies so when this new convention offered press passes, I applied and managed to get one. That got me into the convention for free and since Mark was going to be there, I contacted him directly and he agreed to do an interview and a quick photoshoot with the Impala. It was amazing, obviously. I was nervous because it was like a first time thing. I admire my mark so much and I've been following him for years now, so it's nice when you gather two passions in one. It was kind of a dream and one of the things that I'm proud of achieving this year. Obviously I want to repeat it. I already have an interview coming up in Nashville with another Supernatural guest that I won't reveal. It's nice to get to know this guest because they're all freaking amazing and because I live in a different country and continent, it's nice to get to know these people because they come from a business that I always loved and admire. I watch movies and TV shows almost every day so it's nice to get to know the people behind what you're watching.
What's been your favourite convention so far?
San Francisco because I waited for that convention for years! I rewatched Supernatural in 2019 because it was going to end. When I saw the San Francisco convention, I decided I was going to go to this while on my dream trip to California in 2020. So we all know what happened in 2020! The convention got moved three times, so people were waiting years and it was the last official con. It's not the same concept any more. So it was special because I waited for that convention for years and travelled with my friend. I met guests that are not at many conventions, like Matt Cohen and Felicia Day. It was like a family reunion.
Do you still feel nervous ahead of conventions?
It's more adrenaline and excitement because I love to travel, and I get to meet people that are my friends on the internet. I always feel nervous with Mark. I don't know why it makes me nervous. I think it's because he's Lucifer.
What advice would you give to other fans who are thinking about going to a con?
I wrote an article on my blog about US versus European conventions. That's helpful if you're learning to travel. My advice is to bring a jacket because the panel room is cold, especially in the UK. Expect lines everywhere, it gets crazy. Sometimes you can get bored and tired, so please rest. Bring snacks and food. When you get there do the registration first. Don't go to a convention for just one person because guests can cancel and if that one person can't go you'll be screwed and a lot of money is involved. Decide what you want to spend your money on. Some people spend a lot of money to get front row but for me it's not that special because in my experience ops are the most amazing thing. It's meeting the guests that's important to me.
Any final thoughts?
I love how Mark has been growing in Reality Checks and I'm glad there's people like Mark that do this for us. I hope he's invited to future conventions. I've been tweeting and sending emails because we need him. And when Mark is in the venue, we all go and we meet and it's amazing thanks to Mark. I think Mark should use his Cameo more, like the DM option. And get on Tik Tok because people there love Mark and don't even know he uses Twitter. They ask me to give him messages because I know him and I tell them he's on Twitter.
Contact Rose online
You can find Rose on Twitter as @TheRoseRichards and on her blog A Cowgirl From Hell. If you're looking for a photographer, check out Rose's fashion, wedding and lifestyle photography website. You can buy teeshirts Mark often wears at Dusk Riders Apparel.
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