We were lucky to catch up with Meredith Walker recently and have shared our conversation below.
Meredith, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. What’s the best or worst investment you’ve made (either in terms of time or money)? (Note, these responses are only intended as entertainment and shouldn’t be construed as investment advice)
I was a graphic designer before I began painting, which was a huge advantage when I began putting my work out into the world. I gradually created elements for my brand, and was easily able to design a website. Marketing myself and my work felt relatively natural. For the first couple of years the brand I had created was working but I got to a point where I felt stuck— selling work, making new connections, updating my website. I knew I wanted to grow and felt that my brand was holding me back.
I decided in the beginning of year three to hire a graphic designer to do a rebrand. One thing you hear from designers often is that the hardest client they have is themself. For me, it felt hard to see the common thread in my, then, abstract body of work let alone create a visual identity for the work as a whole AND myself as a person. So, I got in touch with a friend of mine, Kristmar Muldrow, who is an incredibly talented designer. I wanted to work with someone who knew me as a person, and had seen the progression of my art career.
The investment I made in my brand allowed me to invest more time and energy into painting. My work got better because I wasn’t spread so thin, and now I have an incredible branding system that I use daily. I feel more confident when presenting myself to galleries, collectors, and brands because everything from my Instagram to my email templates are cohesive and personal.
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 background and context?
I’m Meredith Walker. I grew up in the South Carolina Lowcountry and now live in Columbia, SC. I have always been a very creative person. I grew up in a family of creative women and men and was always encouraged to pursue my interests. I was extremely involved in dance and performing arts, and it wasn’t until college that I took my first art class. I chose graphic design as a major because, despite not knowing anything about it, I felt that it could get me a ‘real job’ after I graduated. It turned out that I really loved design. I got a job at an advertising agency out of school and from there worked in the non-profit sector and then as a freelancer around the time that I had my first daughter.
Fast-forward to 2019 when I had my second daughter. I was in the depths of postpartum depression, at home full time with a toddler and a newborn. I was tired of working on a computer and felt a strong desire to work with my hands, to create something tactile. I began painting with the supplies I had around the house. I remember making the conscious decision to not buy any new supplies, for fear that it would lead me to my usual route of seeking absolute perfection in all things. For the first year or so I painted expressionistic abstract paintings with a strong focus on process over product. Colors, movement, and shapes were all chosen and created intuitively.
This year, and seemingly related to the fact that my children are a bit older and I have a larger capacity for intention in painting, my process has shifted towards a more illustrative approach. My need for expression in movement has calmed to a slower, more meditative practice with inspiration drawn from vintage textiles, tapestries and folk art. In addition to painting, I have begun working with embroidery— alternating between the two mediums as motherhood allows.
My biggest, and most recent, accomplishment is being selected for a solo show with Charlotte Russell Contemporary Fine Art Gallery in Raleigh, NC. Since I began painting in 2019, is has been a goal of mine to be represented by a gallery and I am so honored and excited by the opportunity.
Painting has brought me so much joy and freedom, and that is what I hope my work brings into the world.
What do you find most rewarding about being creative?
The moments when I am able to learn from other people and celebrate their creativity energizes me more than anything else in this world.
We’d love to hear the story of how you built up your social media audience?
Social media is something we all love and hate. Or maybe you just hate it and it feels like a necessary evil? My feelings about it change daily, as they do with many artists and creatives. The approach that I believe is the most helpful (if you can’t hire someone else to manage it and create the content for you) is to see it as an extension of your creativity.
I think it is important to look and learn from those around you and how they are using the platform, and to keep up with app updates and new features so you don’t get overlooked. Beyond that, ask yourself the important questions: “Who am I? What do I have to share with the world? What is it about me that people like and connect with?” From there, peel back your ego and get comfortable with feeling a little embarrassed (this is key).
The biggest thing I have done to grow my following— beyond what I shared above— is treat the people on the internet like they are people in real life. It’s a slow and steady approach, but showing up à la Mr. Rogers has helped me build a following that feels close to me and my work. And because I create content as if I sharing with one person, I believe I’m able to have more fun with it and it feels less like a chore and more like a real connection,
Contact Info:
- Website: meredithwalkerstudio.com
- Instagram: @meredithwalkerstudio
- Facebook: facebook.com/meredithwalkerstudio
Image Credits
Kara Perry Photography, Studio Willow