SUSAN RUTH
Susan Ruth began her career as a performing artist-songwriter and garnered multiple performance and writing awards for albums how to say goodbye, Surfacing to Breathe, and All I Ever Wanted Was Everything. She served on the N.A.R.A.S (Recording Academy) Board of Governors as a Songwriter Governor. She’s also penned songs in multiple genres for other artists including Reba McEntire, Lonestar, and Erdem Kinay.
A self-taught painter, Susan is the third generation grand-niece of painter Carl Gutherz, notable member of the American Symbolist movement. Her work explores emotional turbulence and serenity through color field abstracts that play with form and texture.
In July of 2016, she founded the human interest, purpose-driven, Hey Human podcast. It has since gained momentum and world-wide attention for its open-minded conversations ranging in topics from science, technology, religion, art, economics and politics to humanism, philosophy, gender and race. Nearing her 500th episode, she also draws on the show to write essays and poetry about the human experience. Find it on nearly all the podcast places, including Apple, iHeart, Spotify, and YouTube, as well as HeyHumanpodcast.com.
Susan recently wrote, directed, and produced her debut short, multi-festival-award-winning The First, co-produced the documentary The Legacy of Zyzzyx Road, executive produced the short, We Have Some News, written and directed by Julia Christgau, and is preparing to direct her first feature, “Pleasure,” written by Susan Ruth and John Penney.
She founded Six Foot Umbrella in 2024.
Follow Susan On: FACEBOOK INSTAGRAM YOUTUBE
Public speakinG
Susan has paneled on topics of creativity, crowd-funding, empowerment, communication, independent music, story, humanism, adversity, mentorship, and sex education for Act Like a Girrrl, New Millennium Music Conference, FEMMUSIC, Union College, Seattle Film Summit, the Tennessee Higher Education Initiative, MusiCares, RADD, Pujols Family Foundation, and Sunrise Children Services.
Interested in having Susan speak at your event? Reach out: Susan @heyhumanpodcast.com (no space)
DON'T MISS THIS:
Susan’s award-winning short film debut as writer/director is on the festival circuit - keep an eye out to see when The First hits your area.
UPCOMING FESTIVALS & TICKET INFO:
Indy Film Festival (Indianapolis, Indiana) April 23 - 27 - Tickets HERE
Chicago Horror Film Festival (Chicago, Illinois) May 16 - 18, 2025 - Tickets HERE
Seattle International Film Festival (Seattle, WA) May 15 - 25, 2025 - Tickets HERE
Awards:
Best Cinematography (Short) - Rehoboth Beach Independent Int’l Film Festival (2024)
Trump-l'œil Award Winner - Portland Horror Film Festival (2024)
Best First-Time Filmmaker - Toronto International Women Film Festival (2024)
Best Fantasy Short - Fright Night Film Festival (2024)
Best Costume - Fright Night Film Festival (2024)
Most Original Idea - Fright Night Film Festival (2024)
Best Written Short - Nightmares Film Festival (2024)
Best Horror Short – Nashville Independent Filmmakers Festival (2025)
Nominations:
Best Short - Rehoboth Beach Independent International Film Festival (2024)
Official Selection:
2024 Rehoboth Beach Independent Int’l Film Festival
2024 Toronto International Women Film Festival
2024 Screamfest
2024 Nightmares Film Festival
2024 Fright Night Film Festival
2024 Portland Horror Festival
2024 Midnight West Fest
2025 Blow-up International Arthouse Filmfest
2025 Nashville Independent Filmmakers Festival
2025 Seattle International Film Festival
2025 Kalakari International Film Festival
2025 Der Phantastiche International Trashfilm Festival
2025 Indy Film Fest
Additionally:
2025 Cannes International Film Festival – Shorts Corner
Semi-finalist - Blow-up International Arthouse Filmfest (2024)
photo: Susan Ruth at Piano by Michael Brant
Susan recently completed her debut short film The First as writer, director, and producer (also produced by famed horror powerhouse John Penney). It stars Tiffany Cornwell, Carlos Cameron, Jamieson Rhyme, Emma Rose Maloney, and includes a fabulous supporting cast and crew! Check out more info HERE!
The First film has won its first award! Thank you to Portland Horror Festival for awarding the 2024 Trompe L’oeil Award.
NOTABLE:
Susan was interviewed on the Polymath’s Place show on YouTube with host Dr. Angela Cotellessa. Check it out HERE!
Susan presented, and performed (“When I Sleep” - from her album All I Ever Wanted Was Everything) at the Appalachian Arts & Entertainment Awards, Saturday, April 9, 2022, honoring great artists and songwriters. Keep an eye out on TCN (The Country Network) for the show’s airing. Download “When I Sleep” on iTunes, HERE.
The Unconventional Life podcat, Ep 310: Connecting Humans Through the Art of Storytelling Listen on iTunes HERE, or wherever you get your podcasts.
Susan Ruth and Taylor Conley on the “Life of a Lifer” show. Taylor is serving a life sentence and has a show he does from prison. Watch HERE!
A fantastic time on the Perception Studio Twitch show with Susan and “felted people” (puppets) Cucumber, Brian, and Chunk! Watch HERE!
Thank you Insidewink’s Alison Martin and thank you Brad Koepenick, for featuring me in this beautiful, hopeful, and lovely magazine. Insidewink was founded by Alison and Jean Trebek. Click HERE
Check out some recent podcast and/or YouTube interviews with Susan:
Curiosity Bites with Dov Baron: Pt. 1 Wrestling and Dancing with the Muse
Curiosity Bites with Dov Baron: Pt. 2 The Muse of Smart People in a Dumb System
Curiosity Bites with Dov Baron: Pt. 3 Are You Pursuing Your Large “T” Truth
Curiosity Bites with Dov Baron: Pt. 4 When Hate is Love: Conversations with Murderers and the KKK
The Joe Dungan Talk Show - Watch on YouTube (Pt. 1)
The Joe Dungan Talk Show - Watch on YouTube (Pt. 2)
The Human Amplified podcast. Episode 60 “You Get To Decide What’s Right For You” listen on HumanAmplified.com, iTunes or Spotify
SongTown On Songwriting podcast: Feb. 23, 2021 “The Art of Storytelling” listen on iTunes or ListenNotes.com
Rich Baker & Friends Episode #4 - Watch on YouTube
Life of a Lifer -Designed Conviction podcast on iTunes
The Fearless Storyteller with Ethan Feckleton: Aug. 31, 2020 - Watch on YouTube
Thank you to SHOUTOUT LA! CLICK HERE for this awesome interview!
(Image: cover of ShoutoutLA article)
A fun little passion project Sammy Plotkin and Susan made to get folks out to vote. CLICK HERE to hear the song!
(Image: Susan on floor with beachball, Sam at piano)
Susan was a part of a legendary cast for the making of Sentinels: Point of No Return serial podcast, written and directed by Mike Disa. Starring Chris Judge, Alaina Huffman, Peter Woodward, Nicole Parker and many more incredible talents. Check out the official website HERE. Listen on Podbean HERE. Listen on iTunes HERE.
(Image of Poster for Sentinels, Point of No Return podcast series - three hands reaching up with blue background)
(Image: Oasis song album cover - An orange tree on a hill and a blue sky)
Susan painted the cover art for the band Smithfield’s new single, “We’ll Figure It Out.” It drops Friday, June 19th!!
(Image: Cover of song single is a colorful abstract of people and blue sky)
Susan had the great pleasure of being interviewed for the Mentoring for the Modern Musician podcast! Find it with the iTunes link HERE, or on Spotify, Podbean or wherever you get your podcasts!
Sam Brooks single, “Thin Red Line” - written by Sam and Susan Ruth. Find it on Spotify HERE! And download it on iTunes HERE
Exciting news: Susan has completed The Second City Conservatory program! Improv, acting, stand-up and sketch writing are hallmarks of the legendary program. Grad Review, when life gets back to “normal” is next!
Susan has been awarded the Valerie J. Hoffman Prize for her work with Hey Human podcast.
For more information about upcoming shows visit the upcoming events page
(Image: Susan Ruth singing and playing guitar)
CLICK HERE to get Susan's music digitally on iTunes: All I Ever Wanted Was Everything (2014), Surfacing To Breathe (2004), How To Say Goodbye (2000) and Horse of a Different Color (1998)
Check out Susan's podcast: Hey Human podcast with Susan Ruth on iTunes, GooglePlay, Android and iOS podcast apps, Spotify and at HeyHumanpodcast.com!
Hey Human podcast featured in The Contributor as Nashville podcast making waves! Click here to read.
Image of Susan Ruth. Photo credit: Bootsy Holler
Lonestar's album Never Enders features tracks "Here We Go Again" and "I've Been Wrong Before" (written by Susan Ruth, Dean Sams and Adam Wood). Download the album on iTunes by clicking the link here: LONESTAR
"Helplessly," written by Fiona Culley, Cristina Taddonia and Susan Ruth is featured in the movie Life on the Line, starring John Travolta, Sharon Stone and Kate Bosworth.
Reba McEntire released her hit album, LOVE SOMEBODY, in April 2015. Susan's song (co-written with Jason T. Miller and Nikki Shannon Fernandez) "Promise Me Love" is track #8! Click here for more details:
Don Pedigo, whose album release, The Cross Eyed Sessions moved rapidly up the AmericanaRoots charts. Susan has a few songs on the record, co-written with Don. Check out his lyric video for the first single they wrote, "Nobody Sleeps Alone" on Youtube: NOBODY SLEEPS ALONE
Image of Susan Ruth. Photo by Robbie Quinn
Image of Susan Ruth wearing a suit. Photo credit: Anthony Scarlati
Image of Susan Ruth in polka dot socks. Photo credit: Hunter Armistead
(pre-stylized)
Abstract image of Susan Ruth. Photo credit: Hunter Armistead
(pre-stylized)
Image of Susan Ruth in bikini. Photo credit: Hunter Armistead
(pre-stylized)
Shadow image of Susan Ruth. Photo credit: Hunter Armistead
(pre-stylized)