We were lucky to catch up with Maressa Roberts recently and have shared our conversation below.

Maressa, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Do you wish you had started sooner?

I used to wish that I had begun my journey as a serious artist sooner. It has taken me a while to get to the place I am at today and even now, I feel like I am behind. If I could travel back in time, I would not change a thing. It has been a turbulent journey to my current mindset. A super bumpy road with highs and lows. I think that if I tried to do what I am doing now It would not work out as well because, over time, I have been able to build the confidence that I need to work as an artist. I always aspired to make a living from making art as it has always been something I am passionate about, but it is only now that I believe that I can. I also think that all the hurdles and lessons I have learned along the way make the art that I create today so much more meaningful. I am creating from a revamped perspective. That gives my work meaning regardless of what the physical work is because it is coming from a place of growth and a place of optimism.

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?

Creating has always been something that has come naturally to me. I love making art in all forms. In recent years I have chosen to take my hobby more seriously and I have been enjoying the journey that has ensued. I would describe my current work as bold and illustrative. I tend to experiment with shape and pattern, innovating ways for my subjects to take up space. My work is about fun, it is about freedom of expression, and it is about highlighting differences that make us uniquely special. I think the glue that holds all my work together is fashion. All the characters I draw pull from the same eccentric closet. I incorporate my love for fashion into my pieces. I would attribute the outfits I come up with to letting my inner child dress herself through my art.

Many of my physical pieces are done in color pencil, although I have been branching out into different mediums such as pastel and airbrush lately. A large part of my drawings are done digitally, on my tablet. From time to time, I do sell prints of my digital art and work on editorial commissions. Currently, I am working on building my physical portfolio. I am looking forward to organizing a solo art show sometime soon among other things.

Are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?

I just wish that I were more proactive earlier in my journey. When things seemed out of reach, I would just accept that they were. Now, I pull knowledge from everywhere. I am always pushing myself to be better and looking to improve. Many of the things you think are unattainable are just a click away and it is up to you to bridge the gap between where you are and where you would like to be. The number one resource for me is YouTube. When I need to learn anything, I can usually go there. It is saturated with artists that know things I do not and are happy to share the knowledge. Another wonderful thing about it is it is free. There are also other websites that are not free that host artists that you can gain knowledge from. The great thing about those sites is you can get more in-depth instruction that caters to what you need, while at the same time supporting a fellow artist. I also think that following artists on social media whose work you like or are in a place that you would like to be is a great idea. You can get inspiration while getting some tips on how to advertise and connect with your own followers.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

One of the most rewarding aspects of being an artist for me is seeing the way that people respond to my work. I love seeing people’s eyes light up when they look at a piece, or when someone reaches out to let me know that they connect to something I have made. It is the best feeling to be able to put something out into the world and have people that receive it well. I create for myself because I just love it, but I also create for other people. I want people to be excited about a piece and want to hang it on the wall of their bedroom, new apartment, family room, or even just make it the screen saver on their phone.

Contact Info:

• Website: maressaroberts.com
• Instagram: @ressa.roxx
• Other: maressa_roberts@yahoo.com