We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Holly Meyers a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Holly, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. If you could go back in time do you wish you had started your creative career sooner or later?

This is a great question , I think alot of us ask when we feel there’s a time limit in finding out path . Especially as creatives.
I wonder if part of that feeling of did I start too soon or late happens when we feel a disconnect from the connection we want with our creative gifts.
I recently went to a play Oh Mary by come escola . Now this play has become a whirlwind of success. People love it !!!! Like its so successful. Written and performed by Cole as the lead.
Cole whom I’ve adored for years. Watching them on the Amy sedaris show and random roles on various “obscure” movies and YouTube videos.

They have a very unique sense for humor and style and thinking if they had not had years of practice and ups and downs would they have been brave enough to do what they are now. Write this play and be the lead and people fall in love with their obscure adorable sense of humor??? I don’t know if this play would have made it so successfully 5 years ago.

I think about that and my own place in my own creative world.
What if it’s about divine timing and your practice but also a true connection to your craft.
So I wish I had started sooner, of course ….but I also feel confident I may not have given the world this authentic version of my craft. Art. Paintings. Mural work. Etc.
I think we don’t miss opportunity, I think we have to keep going.
I think its true sometimes the world just isn’t ready for you yet

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

So I’m a hairstylist and artist. I think for me both worlds connect pretty seamlessly.
I was an artist first,sketching in my room as a kid. Cutting up magazines I got from school or library extras.
I was always creating. Something.
Sometimes it was an escape from some hard realities in my childhood home. Sometimes it was for fun because I just thought like that. Putting a crayon pencil, brush on paper made me feel alive. Excited. Possibilities.
I think my love of my creative life is my steadfast connection.
I don’t worry about followers online.
It’s too much, I worry about the connections in front of me.
I always said if I could do art for myself successfully. I would find a way to use art for helping others.
And in the end it helped me.
I’ve found myself in my own shows.
I’ve found myself working with a group Design for a Difference doing mural work.
I’ve found myself making art and using it for activism in raising money, awareness for marginalized communities or communities that need some extra tlc.
Donations for charity events .
Anything I can do to help connect and bring communities the support they need. I needed that also.
As a single mom I found i was limited on income. I’ve always found it kind of a sad thing to have to explain but for me and alot of single parents with limited income we still want to be part of change. We are the voices of change since we need the change in a very coupled , dual income world.
Art has given me a voice. And i found connection in that.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

My big lesson was do not support others in their dreams with full energy and th expectation one day they will help you.
Big growth in relationships helped me find successes in believing in myself and advocating for my time for my goals and dreams.
I also didn’t quite know how to advocate for myself without losing myself in relationships.
And with that adding I found the other person in those relationships didn’t mind I lost myself and focused on them.
Again hard lessons came and after that alot of personal successes.
Not everyone’s path is what mine was. Not everyone’s story is mine.
And that’s ok.
But mine is valid and I hope it helps others find their support to create and follow those dreams.

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

My goals shift and change as my life does. I feel for me a goal is trying numerous creative paths. Seeing what fits. Sticks . Or what made me feel happy.
For me now my goal is to show an exhibition again In gallery.
Being able to share art with others is one of the best experiences.
Sharing stories when words may fail us. Sharing visual feelings knowing we may have different stories but the feeling are similar. Connections.
My mission is creating a creative sustainable life for children and i( yes they are adults)
But again as a single parent and im all they have. Its extremely important they see me thrive so I can be my best for them. With them.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://hollymeyersart.wixsite.com/my-site
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hiraeth_hair/

Image Credits

Holly meyers