We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Machelle Burgin. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Machelle below.
Alright, Machelle thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. The first dollar you earn is always exciting – it’s like the start of a new chapter and so we’d love to hear about the first time you sold or generated revenue from your creative work?
The first dollar I earned from my art was on my birthday in May 2021. My close friends/family threw me a surprise party and had the venue space set up with all of my art. It felt like I had my own art show. After the party, almost everyone purchased a piece. It was extremely exciting. After that moment I decided to take a leap and submit my work to be included in art shows.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
I’m a web designer and an artist. I have a passion for technology and I also love being creative so web design had that balance for me. I started my web design business, 524 Web Studio, on May 24th, 2016. I design informational, blogs and e-commerce websites through WordPress. During that time, I was also painting as a hobby. It was an activity that I enjoyed and relieved stress. I would get questioned if I would ever sell my work. After pondering on it, I decided to start Pigmented Soul in the summer of 2020 during quarantine. At this point, I started learning more about the art industry and different techniques. I fell in love with flowers, pour paint and abstracts so that became my focus. I’m mostly a calculated type of person so my work is mostly based off of measurements and clean lines. My first art show I was showcased in was at Art Overdose in October 2021. After that I was accepted to showcase in other shows such as Chocolate and Art, Pancakes & Booze, Luck Duck Gallery and more. Being in these shows shifted my focus to perfecting my art techniques. It’s exciting to see my work progress and to hear feedback from those that attend the shows.
What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?
The most rewarding aspect of being an artist/creative is the freedom to express myself through my art and to do what I have a passion for. Also I love seeing how others react to my art. I enjoy hearing what they see or how they feel when they look at my pieces.
Any resources you can share with us that might be helpful to other creatives?
The resources I wish I knew about earlier in my creative journey are artist grants and Artwork Archive. Artwork Archive provides amazing resources about being in the art industry, including pricing, social media, archiving, motivation and how to apply for artist grants. I also appreciate meeting other artists who are more knowledgeable about the industry and share their experiences.
Contact Info:
- Website: Pigmentedsoul.art
- Instagram: @pigmented.soul