Meet Alicia Ruhl of Lee’s Summit

Today we’d like to introduce you to Alicia Ruhl.

Hi Alicia, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I’m a cradle Catholic, was raised in St. Louis with my 5 siblings, and fell in love with Art at a very young age! Following my godmother, I graduated with my BFA in Graphic Design. I’ve always been passionate about using my artistic gifts to make this world brighter! In college, I met my husband, Ryan, as he was pursuing his degree in Computer Information Systems & International Management. After college, I progressed from Junior Designer to Creative Director before launching our home-based graphic design business: Design Pfile Creative Services. I designed for both print and web, and Ryan built the websites, making my visions come to life. I would jokingly (yet truthfully) say, “I make the websites look great; he makes them work!” When our first daughter was born, I became increasingly selective with the clients and jobs I accepted to focus on our precious baby girl. Ryan worked full-time at his office then, and I needed to transition to my primary role as a stay-at-home Mom. At the time, I knew that God would call me back to design when the time was right.

The Lord prompted me to begin our ministry, Faithfull by Design, to fuse my passion for design with my hunger for helping people. My inspired art benefits those battling adversity brings awareness to their suffering, and promotes help and healing. About a year after establishing the ministry, we discovered we were expecting again! In 2018, our three daughters were all in school full-time. Ryan and I are now blessed with 4 girls, ages 4-14. Our family stays active in school, Church, sports, and music. Heaven gained 4 more of our children through miscarriages. The very beginning of Faithfull by Design centered around a symbol God laid on my heart:: “h4” The “4” looks like an upside-down “h,” and together, the letter and number form an abstract capital “H.”

“h4” represents Hunger 4: her. Home. Healing. Help. Heaven. Happiness. Hope. Him inspired our initial apparel and jewelry collection. Within the first year of founding Faithfull by Design, three young family friends fell victim to trafficking in various ways. One is homeless, addicted, and forced to prostitute herself; another is an exotic strip club dancer. The third was ritually molested by her stepfather every other weekend. I realized later that all of these young ladies’ names begin with “H.” Goosebumps!

Our motto is Design > Buy > Bless. I design Alcohol Ink artwork, apparel, and jewelry, others buy those products, and then we bless local organizations fighting sex trafficking. RPOR (Relentless Pursuit Outreach & Recovery) and ReHope (formerly Restoration House) are two primary organizations we support.

Through our Facebook Group, Faithfull by Design Ministry, and our website, we focus on educating and raising awareness of this insidious epidemic. We help others learn how to work together and hopefully realize our dream of abolishing sex trafficking.

It’s astonishingly sad how people just aren’t aware of this epidemic:

• How grooming occurs
• How pornography and prostitution fuel it
• How young and old alike fall victim to it
• How truly prevalent it is in the KC Metro

Rather than becoming depressed about the facts, we inform and seek to empower others to join the fight! Last month we hosted our first “Art + Awareness” evening. Our presenters included a survivor of sex trafficking, Candice Spangler, and the RPOR Chairman of the Board, Jennifer Weaver. We began the evening with these brave women sharing their testimonies. We then answered questions and offered Faithfull by Design products for sale (framed prints, note cards, bookmarks, jewelry, apparel, tote bags & more). For our upcoming “Art + Awareness” event, we will screen “I Will Rise.” This documentary follows the story of Christine C. McDonald, an internationally recognized survivor, activist, author, and consultant who was commercially exploited for over 20 years. It includes interviews with field experts who fight this horrific industry. We would like to have director Anita Cordell with us as well as Christine!

Two more designs I’ve created are “Patrick’s Heart” (pendants, hats & wall hangings) and “Leather Feather” earrings. The first—in honor of my best friend’s fallen husband—raises awareness of Firefighter Cancer, PTSD, and Suicide—the earrings comfort women who’ve lost children to Miscarriage or infant loss. We are always eager to chat with others regarding what they’re most passionate about. Those conversations could very well inspire my next design!

You wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey has been fairly smooth?
There’s so much to learn about sex trafficking & what fuels it! Struggles have affected our journey as we’ve worked to develop relationships with the local heroes fighting in the trenches, learn new technologies, and get a better handle on social media. We encountered the most significant roadblocks with the jewelry. A Cricut machine cut the “h4” symbol from a copper sheet. The machine’s blade would typically tear 30-40% of a sheet with 20 pairs of h4’s. And they were rendered useless. Then it became harder and harder to source the necklace materials. Finally, I came across studies that cautioned against working with liquid resin because of the health hazards. About that time, a friend shared YouTube tutorials using Alcohol Ink: tiny bottles of vividly-hued inks applied on a plastic substrate, then manipulated with isopropyl alcohol and tools such as paintbrushes, pens, and airbrushes. I was swept off my feet in love! Never had I ever found such a playful, creative medium to enjoy. The “h4” jewelry was retired as I transitioned to developing my craft with the ink. The “h4” apparel and just a few remaining necklaces are still available for purchase. Most of what you can purchase through our website is now Alcohol Ink products. About two months ago, I met a local watercolor artist who uses her artwork to create beautiful shawls. That sparked the idea of growing beyond our shirts, note cards, framed art, and bookmarks. We researched numerous companies and found two that magically transformed my artwork into shawls, clutches, scarves, tote bags, glass trays, hand towels, blankets, decorative pillows, and more!

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I’m beyond blessed to combine my two loves: utilizing artistic gifts and helping create social change. It makes my heart swell: to realize how many seasons of evolution we’ve experienced in 5 short years! Working alongside my husband to build this ministry is a dream come true! We’ve met numerous key influencers and nurtured relationships with them. It’s inspiring and encouraging, especially in developing friendships with local survivors. We are constantly learning to pivot and grow. Recently, our Faithfull by Design Ministry Facebook Group surpassed 200 members! We’re beyond grateful for our village.

How do you define success?
Success is waking up daily, grateful for our work while remaining hungry for what’s to come. My favorite quote from Mother Theresa is, “Not all of us can do great things. But we can do small things with great love.” Success is humbly embracing this truth. I am beyond blessed to be a daughter of the King, married to an incredibly supportive husband, mothering four wonderful daughters, and creatively gifted to glorify God!

Contact Info:

• Website: www.faithfullbydesign.com
• Facebook: Faithfull by Design Ministry Group
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@faithfullbydesign8600/videos