Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Mary Zeran. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Mary, appreciate you joining us today. We’d love to hear about when you first realized that you wanted to pursue a creative path professionally.

I can still remember the hum of fluorescent lights and the smell of fresh paint in the department store where I worked as a display artist. On the surface, it was a creative job—I got to design windows, arrange colors, and make things look beautiful. But over time, the boundaries started to close in. Every decision had to fit within someone else’s palette. Every display had to highlight products I didn’t connect with. And every deadline came faster than the last.

I loved creating, but I was no longer creating from the heart. I was decorating, not expressing.

One afternoon, while adjusting a window display, It hit me hard: if I could pour this much energy into something that didn’t light me up, what would happen if I gave that same energy to my own art?

That was the turning point. I realized that the life I wanted—to make a living as an artist, to create from joy and intuition—wasn’t going to wait for me. I had to take the first step.

So I did. And from that moment forward, every brushstroke, every layer, every burst of color has been my way of honoring that decision—to create not just for display, but for meaning.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I’m Mary Zeran, an abstract painter and collage artist based in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. My work is all about joy, movement, and color—each piece a reminder of our own inner vitality. I create layered collages from hand-painted pieces of Dura-Lar, a translucent plastic that lets light and color dance together in unexpected ways.

I grew up in a creative family where making things was simply a way of life. My grandmother and mother were both artists, and our kitchen table was always covered with paint, paper, and projects in progress. That environment taught me early on that creativity wasn’t just a hobby—it was how we understood the world. I went on to study art in college and earned my MFA, determined to make a life centered around the visual arts.

Before becoming a full-time artist, I worked as a display artist in a department store. While it was creative, my work was often confined by corporate parameters—tight deadlines, preset color palettes, and products I didn’t connect with. One day, I realized I needed to take that same creative energy and pour it into something meaningful—my own art. That decision changed everything.

Today, I create abstract works that bring energy and positivity into people’s lives and spaces. My collectors—often young professionals and urban creatives—tell me my work makes them feel uplifted and reconnected to their own spark.

What sets my work apart is its physicality and emotion. Each piece begins with a meditative process of painting sheets of color, then cutting and layering them into compositions that feel both spontaneous and intentional. The result is work that glows with light, transparency, and rhythm—art that seems to breathe.

I’m most proud that I’ve built a life around creating joy. My mission is simple but powerful: I believe joy is a superpower in a world that wants to dim your light. I hope that when someone stands in front of my work, they feel that spark inside themselves again.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

A few years into my creative journey, I was working as a jewelry maker—hammering, polishing, soldering—completely immersed in the tactile joy of making. But over time, the materials I loved began to take a toll on me. The chemicals and dust aggravated my asthma, and the repetitive motion led to tendonitis in both wrists. Eventually, I reached a breaking point where I physically couldn’t continue.

It was devastating. Art had always been at the center of my life, and suddenly I had to face the possibility that I might have to stop creating altogether. But I also knew deep down that creativity wasn’t tied to any one medium—it was something I carried inside me. So instead of giving up, I pivoted.

I started experimenting with painting, collage, and materials that didn’t harm my body. That shift opened a whole new world for me. I discovered Dura-Lar, a translucent plastic I could paint on, cut, and layer. It was light, safe, and completely freeing. That moment of loss transformed into a turning point—it pushed me to redefine what art could look like for me.

Looking back, that challenge gave me the gift of reinvention. It taught me that resilience isn’t about holding on—it’s about letting go just enough to find a new way forward.

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

At the heart of my creative journey is a simple but powerful goal—I want my art to bring people joy. I’ve always believed that art has the ability to transform everyday life, to lift someone’s mood, to make a space feel more alive, and to remind us of our own vitality.

For me, making art isn’t just a profession—it’s a calling. Each piece I create is meant to connect with someone on a personal level, to add a spark of color and energy to their world. When someone tells me that one of my paintings makes them feel happy every time they walk past it, that’s the greatest reward I could ask for. That sense of connection and joy is what drives everything I do.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.maryzeran.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/maryzeran/?hl=en. @maryzeran
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/maryzeranstudio/ @maryzeran
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@maryzeran?app=desktop. @maryzeran