Taming The Beast Within: An Interview With Carrie Riot
By Staff | March 23, 2026
Carrie Riot is one of those quintessential rebels - forging her own path, on her own terms. Navigating a turbulent youth in the Seattle grunge era left her with a strong sense of badass independence. Her creative expression—spanning photography, art, and pinup—functions as a vital form of emotional expression. While she presents a bold, punk persona that challenges traditional beauty standards and embraces the divine feminine, in this interview she candidly discusses the vulnerability of being judged and her ongoing journey to replace a sometimes harsh internal dialogue with self-confidence. Now in her 50s, she balances this fierce outspokenness with a goofy sense of humor (on display below) and a deep commitment to sisterhood, advocating for women to abandon competition with each other in favor of collective power. Supported by her long-term partner who embraces her wild spirit, she continues to critique societal complacency and the modern rat race, drawing inspiration from the vibrancy she finds in cultures abroad to fuel her unapologetic authenticity.
She’s mouthy, opinionated and does not hold back. Prepare yourself.
Growing up with limited opportunities often forces a person to become the architect of their own lives. Looking back, what was the very first event in your life that made you realize you didn't have to follow a pre-written script?
I don’t think I’ve ever followed a script because there was no script. I feel like I’ve been on my own since I was very young. I didn’t have any mentors or much guidance so I was like a kid in a corn maze trying to navigate through life - somehow always finding the dead ends, lol. It’s cool though, because it’s made me tough and I feel like my independence is due to the fact I always carried my own weight.
You’ve discussed the fact that music is your earliest memory. If you had to pick three songs that acted as a survival kit during the years when you most needed music as a survival mechanism, what would they be and why?
The first one that comes to mind isn’t a song but an entire album. Soundgarden’s Badmotorfinger dropped right before one of the most traumatic years of my life (’92). I must have listened to that album everyday for a thousand days straight. It definitely carried me. (As did my love for Cornell, lol) No other album gives me the feeling I get when I listen to it. Being a gen-xer in Seattle during the grunge era was just really something.
The other two…? Hmmm…
Great Gig in the Sky - Pink Floyd. This is a song I can just get lost in. 4:44 minutes of pure escapism. It’s kind of grounding too though, because it reminds me that our time on earth is so very short. Death is just right around the bend.
Black Water - Doobie Brothers. I used to sing this song with my dad when I was in preschool. It still gives me that magical feeling of being a kid.
You’ve navigated a family history heavy with trauma and loss. How does your creative work serve as a tool for breaking those cycles, and does art ever feel like a form of exorcism for you?
LOL an exorcism. That’s interesting way of putting it, but I like that. It does seem to tame the beast within. Art has magical healing powers and immersing myself in creativity in all its forms helps me to survive and thrive. I need it like food and water. But yeah, depression is a real struggle and many creatives I know struggle with it. It just seems instinctual to create art when you are trying to process a lot of emotion.
As an artist (and sometime muse), how does the experience of being seen by others compare to the experience of seeing yourself through your own photography and art? Is there something you’d like people to know about you that they might not be aware of simply from following you on social media?
When you put yourself out there you are going to be judged. Whether it’s a selfie, or something you have created, or even expressing your opinions publicly, people are going to criticize you. Friends, even. I think putting myself in front of an audience makes me quite vulnerable, honestly. It can be scary at times. On the flip side, it challenges my fears and insecurities and has made me more confident in who I am. For an entire lifetime I have judged myself and my internal dialogue has been terrible. Abusive, even. I’m trying to change that. Expressing myself through my artwork and photography is healing for me. It’s fun documenting this era of my life with photos and art. I’m in my 50s now and I’m seeing the world thru new eyes.
What do I want people to know..? I’m goofy as fuck. Humor will carry you thru life.
Pinup is often associated with a very specific, traditional femininity, yet you have a deeply punk soul. How do you merge those two worlds to create a version of glamour that still feels rebellious?
Just like punk rock I think pinup is rebellious. It’s women in all sizes, shapes and colors who love themselves and embrace the divine feminine. We are brought up as women to believe our bodies should be forever perfect and youthful, and that we should be ashamed of our sexuality. Pinup culture doesn’t subscribe to either of those falsehoods so I consider it to be very punk rock. Peas and carrots.
In a world that can be unstable, you’ve had a supportive partner for over two decades. How has having that safe harbor impacted the risks you’re willing to take with your art?
I am fortunate to have a partner who isn’t threatened by my outspokenness, my rebelliousness or my creativity. This allows me the freedom to express myself and to create organically. Shout out to all the men who support their baddie wives!
You’ve remained mouthy and wild into your 50s. What is one thing you were afraid to say 20 or 30 years ago that you’re now shouting from the rooftops?
WOMEN, LET’S SUPPORT OTHER WOMEN! Growing up women were very competitive with each other. I think that comes natural for a lot of young women but also society teaches us that women are our competition. But it’s all A LIE. Women are a force like no other when supportive of, and supported by, their sisters. It’s almost as if they’d like us to stay divided because we’d rule the world otherwise, lol. There’s real joy in lifting other women up as well. I wish I had learned this at an earlier age. I think the younger generations are doing a better job than we (GenX) did though.
With the current political climate, many people choose silence to avoid conflict. Why is complacency more dangerous to you than the potential backlash of being opinionated?
The world is being run by a handful of people and there are billions of us. That’s a lot of complacency.
You love traveling and meeting people from different backgrounds. Is there a specific new perspective you brought home from abroad that fundamentally changed how you view the current state of America?
Well, first thing that comes to mind is after visiting London for the first time I realized our terrible our public transit is, lol. Other than that, every time I go to Mexico I fall in love with the culture and lifestyles lived. There is such a sense of community amongst neighbors there. Everyone is willing to help. They celebrate life together often, there are lots of smiles, dancing and music everywhere…it’s a vibe, man. It’s such a goddamn rat race here. Everyone’s in a hurry, working, acquiring, consuming…it’s exhausting. We don’t even realize how slave to the machine we are until we step outside.
If you were speaking to a young girl growing up in a violent or unstable home today—someone who feels like there are no opportunities—what would you tell her about the version of Carrie Riot that is thriving today?
Well, if I was talking to my younger self I would tell her to stay creative. Find your tribe. Don’t keep secrets. Know your worth. Don’t let people tell you who you are. Do what you love and never stop! You will find your groove. The people who are meant to be in your life will stay and the others will leave. That’s ok. Let them. Most importantly, don’t take anyone’s shit.
Anyone out there you’d like to thank for their support?
Yes, Mr. Rogers and PBS The Electric Company (IYKYK).
Links
Official Website: https://www.carriemilburn.com/
Tons of more links: https://linktr.ee/carrie.riot