Meet Arrielle Sadé Mock | Creative Producer & Visual Storyteller

We had the good fortune of connecting with Arrielle Sadé Mock and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Arrielle Sadé, what led you to pursuing a creative path professionally?
I didn’t pursue a creative career in the traditional sense. It’s more like it chose me out of necessity.

I’ve always been drawn to storytelling as a way to make sense of my experiences. Especially navigating identity, grief, love, and often not feeling like I belonged. At certain points in my life, especially when I was struggling with poverty, depression, and sense of direction, creating was the only thing that made me feel grounded because it kept me honest with myself.

Over time, I realized that what I was doing wasn’t just personal anymore but that it was resonating with other people. That’s when it shifted from survival to purpose. I started to see my work as a way to document, challenge, and liberate narratives, especially for multi-marginalized communities because we are so often overlooked.

Now, whether I’m working through my storytelling agency, ROGUE’S GALLERY, or creating my own projects, I approach everything as both an artist and an archivist. Someone responsible for capturing real stories, real people, and real moments in a way that feels truthful and lasting.

What should our readers know about your business?
My business, ROGUE’S GALLERY, is a storytelling agency rooted in honest, intentional narratives. We offer photography, video production, and brand development, but what sets us apart is that we approach every project like both an artist and an archivist. We don’t chase perfect visuals. Instead we’re focused on truth, energy, and connection.

Across my career, I’ve built an archive of over 500,000 images—documenting people, culture, and creative work with intention. We don’t simply create content, we preserve stories at scale. I built this agency from the ground up while navigating financial instability and uncertainty, so it definitely was not easy. I had to learn how to value my own work, trust my voice, and keep going even when things felt so unclear. A lot of it was trial and error, but consistency and community carried me through (and continues to).

The biggest lesson I have learned is that clarity comes through action and that who you build with matters just as much as what you build. What I want people to know is that ROGUE’S GALLERY is about liberation through storytelling. I am here to document real people and real experiences in a way that feels honest, lasting, and unapologetic.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
If my best friend was visiting Detroit for a week, I’d center the entire trip around the creative community and introduce them to the people and the energy that makes the city feel so alive.

I’d start by taking them to BasBlue, where I’m a proud Trailblazer in Residence, then hit the Detroit Institute of Arts and the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History. From there, we’d spend time on Belle Isle, specifically Hipster Beach so we could just to slow down, take it in, and catch up with each other.

Food is a huge part of the experience, so we’d be outside for real. El Gordos Taco Truck in Southwest, Ima Izakaya in Corktown, Supino Pizzeria in Eastern Market, and a quick stop at Cold Stone Creamery downtown. For drinks, we’re pulling up to They Say for wings and (affordable) cocktails.

Of course, I’m bringing them to THE ETHER DETROIT so they can tap into the creative space I co-built and see what we’ve been building firsthand. We’d have to hit Eastern Market on a Saturday morning, and if the timing is right, I’d have them come during Detroit Month of Design so we can experience events like Eastern Market After Dark and Drinks x Design. Those are staples for me. I never miss them.

Outside of that, we’re moving through the city. The Detroit Riverwalk is a must (preferably at sunset). We’d pop into places like Pocket Change and Lowkey, just letting the city reveal itself. I feel like Detroit is best experienced through its people, its art, and the feeling of it all. I’d want them to leave understanding that more than anything.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Honestly, I wouldn’t be here without my community. Specifically my Black queer creative community here in Detroit.

I want to shoutout my collaborators and chosen family. Especially Britney “Nerd” Epps, founder of Both Rows, Detroit’s first sustainable fashion house, and the extended network we’ve built together through our creative studio THE ETHER DETROIT. Being surrounded by other artists who are just as committed to creating, experimenting, and showing up as their full selves has been grounding in a way I still can’t fully put into words.

I also want to acknowledge my mentors at Rathaus Films, along with my peers, and ROGUE’S GALLERY collaborators who trusted me early on. That kind of belief changes you because it gives you permission to take yourself seriously. They challenged me, pushed me to be more disciplined, more intentional, and more honest in my visual work. More than anything, I give credit to the spaces we’ve created for ourselves including my Movie Social Club and MASQ, a Detroit-based social club Britney and I created for masc-presenting folks. In a lot of ways, we did not wait for permission to be seen and heard. Instead we built the platforms we needed, and that has been one of the most powerful parts of my journey.

Website: https://www.rogues-gallery.net

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/death2mermaids/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/arriellemock/

Twitter: https://x.com/DeathToMermaids

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DeathToMermaids

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@DeathToMermaids

Other: https://www.instagram.com/moviesocialclub/

https://www.instagram.com/rogues313gallery/

Image Credits
My profile photo was captured by Fotos By Flame. The photo of me at my debut solo exhibition, NaturalCHAOS, was captured by Shay Creates. All other photos was captured by me.