We recently connected with MELANIE ROYSTER and have shared our conversation below.

MELANIE, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. We’d love to hear about the things you feel your parents did right and how those things have impacted your career and life.

I was very fortunate to have parents who showed me other parts of the world from a young age and made sure that I was involved in so many activities as possible.

The first time I traveled out the country I was at 3 months old, to get baptized in Jamaica where my mother is from. From there I would spend ever other summer throughout my childhood and young years in Kingston, Jamaica -where I would stay with family and travel around the island. The Caribbean has definitely impacted who I am as an artist not only with the style of my work but also the feel, energy and movement of the beautiful island as well. I also remember visiting Barbados and many other states outside of Maryland.

My mom also worked at the World Bank in Washington, DC – The World Bank used to have a lot of events for youth and my parents made it a point that I went to them. I would meet so many kids with many different backgrounds and learn so much about different cultures. They also would point out the best ways to make the world a better place for all.

My parents also made it a point to send me to the best schools in the area, that were also very diverse. Being in diverse spaces became very important to me and is probably why I have so much empathy for fighting for basic human rights for different minority groups.

I was also involved in many different activities within sports and the arts all the way throughout college, which for someone who was very shy, quiet, not only these activities help me with socializing, but it also just made me a well rounded person.

My parents of course made so many smart decisions bringing up their only child. I had an amazing childhood and I’m so forever grateful for that. What I’m the most grateful for out of everything is them letting me fully express myself creatively. They have always supported me and my art and even now as a professional artist their support means the world to me.

MELANIE, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

Melanie Royster (MELROY), Multifaceted Visual Artist. Art has always been a passion of hers. Growing up shy and quiet, she has always used art to express herself and tell stories. Melanie really dives into her work and is not afraid to be vulnerable. When you look at her work you can also tell that she is not afraid to experiment with different media or to try different techniques, which really defines her as an artist.

Melanie studied Interior Design at Virginia Commonwealth University School of Arts and is currently working towards growing in her art career. She believes that studying Interior Design has helped her learn to connect with people. When designing for clients she focuses a lot on healing effects of the client’s space, knowing that the design will affect their energy and productivity. She now uses that same practice when it comes to her art, especially when working with other brands.
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She wants to make people feel and reflect. Melanie’s design style is influenced by Caribbean and West African cultures, stemming in part from her Jamaican background. A lot of her concepts are centered on the power and worth of women, especially women of color. She also finds Nature to be very grounding in her work and incorporates it in almost every piece. Texture and vibrant colors are also used to highlight important messages and stories, adding movement to her pieces.

With regard to her art career, Melanie is striving to grow and create as much as possible, based on concepts that are really important to her. She does not want to focus on trends and on what’s “popular”. Authenticity is her goal. Melanie offers many different creative services when it comes to her artwork and hopes to use her talents to impact positively those who come across her work.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

Before deciding to become an artist professionally I really thought that being a really well paid artist was going to be the most rewarding. And as I started mapping out even starting my art business I soon realized that I wasn’t starting this journey for the money. I was in a space were I felt like I wasn’t speaking up enough about causes really important to me and I wanted to connect with others; and serve my community.

The most rewarding aspect of being an artist is attracting other clients that also care about things I care about like fighting for basic human rights, creating safe spaces, connecting with community and nature, and so on. Feels nice that I’m putting out what I really stand for. It really matters, especially if you an artist that wants to build a strong community.

How did you build your audience on social media?

Social Media is fun for me, because I take the stress out of it. I feel like many have forgotten that social media is really important to connect with others. Going viral and having a lot of followers is cool and all, but what is the point if you are not connecting with anyone, not getting any projects, and/or not attracting the right followers.

Advice I would give anyone starting to build a social media presence is to actually have genuine connections with people. Comment, share, post your process, post things that make your followers interact with you. -Also joining social media communities that have similar interest as you.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.melroyart.net
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/melroyart/?utm_medium=copy_link
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Melanie-Melroy-art-111979151156240/