Russell grew up in the Mississippi Delta, born into an old Southern family. She was diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy as an infant. During her childhood, she underwent numerous surgeries attempting to improve her mobility. The surgeries were without positive results. As a young adult, Marta attended the Memphis College of Art and received a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree. She moved to Los Angeles, California, in her early 20s to pursue a career in film. She attended The American Film Institute (AFI) and worked as a graphic Artist, cinematic visual effects Artist, and a commercial Producer. A notable visual effects role was as Background Composite Supervisor for the film "Tron" (1982), working in parallel with her then-husband.