We recently connected with Michelle Buser and have shared our conversation below.

Michelle, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Can you open up about a risk you’ve taken – what it was like taking that risk, why you took the risk and how it turned out?

Just as the pandemic hit, I had plans to uproot myself and move from the Washington, D.C. area to Brooklyn, New York to invest in myself as an artist and further pursue my art career. Months into quarantining, I decided if I could still successfully and responsibly go forward with my plans I would. I’m not one to put my life on hold and no one knew when it would end so as planned, I took a leap – an even bigger risk than just positioning myself to commit to my dreams of becoming a full time painter but also doing so in the midst of a pandemic – and I moved to Brooklyn. It’s been almost three years, and I am so glad I took the risk and bet on myself. Upon arriving, I hit the ground running looking for every opportunity doing art shows, events, working with galleries and it has been uphill since. I’ve met so many talented artists who have similar ambitions, learned so much about myself and this industry, become stronger and wiser and grown in my skills, creatively and as the woman I want to be. Whenever I take a risk in the name of self-investment, it’s always worth it.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

Sure! My name is Michelle Buser and I am a fine artist originally from the DMV area living in Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn. I specialize in mixed media painting and am also a professional graphic designer. My work is mostly portraiture, also featuring emotional, figurative and gestural elements. I focus a lot on composition and emoting in my work; how a subject captivates me and makes me feel, hoping it will have similar effects on the audience. My work has no demographic – it is meant for everyone.

For me, since I was young, I’ve been consistent with creating. My mom says when I was entering kindergarten, she wasn’t sure about my siblings but she knew I would be an artist and that there was no other option for me. As a little girl I wanted to be a fashion designer. I had a sewing machine and made things like purses – I was always sketching designs. I participated in art classes in and out of school and volunteered to teach young kids in summer art classes. Once I reached college, I opted out of fashion design thinking it was too far-fetched for a successful career. I would have certainly done things differently now. I studied graphic design and started my career as a professional designer; always drawing, painting, printmaking and dabbling in photography on the side. It wasn’t until a few years ago that I started painting and decided to pursue what I really love to do much more seriously. My work focuses on connectedness and showing the beauty in both the differences and similarities in us as human beings. It is meant to reprogram the mind to encourage curiosity rather than judgement. I feel that through this work of staying curious, many of our issues can be solved. It is about finding a state of empathy and common ground so as to recognize we are all one people, but also to celebrate each other and embrace our differences. I feel art makes an impact without feeling forced and it’s my hope, as my work progresses, that it will allow people to receive these ideas organically – which is the way it can make change.

How can we best help foster a strong, supportive environment for artists and creatives?

When it comes to the arts, many people in professional creative fields are overlooked. Whether it is a conscious thought or not, they are often treated and seen as lesser when it comes to compensation and the value they bring. Many fail to acknowledge that visuals are the first form of communication since the beginning of time. Branding, from business to how you present yourself to the world, all thrive first and foremost on visuals that deliver an instant, universal message. This is the most powerful and valuable craft driven by unique minds and it should be valued as such. I feel a shift in understanding and education must be applied in which it’s more widely viewed that creatives play a vital role in the success of anything. From what I gather, the most basic thing society can do to support and elevate artists is to first compensate your creatives appropriately. See them as the cornerstone of success for any endeavor and appreciate their skills as just as respectable as other skills. Create platforms and promote exposure as a given. Continue to invest and provide more opportunities, funding and resources to artists to be seen and to create. Change the mentality and stress the importance of visuals in the success of anything thereby creating serious positions of leadership for artists. Lastly, with these changes, educate, invest and encourage youth to explore creative careers as respectable and successful future career endeavors.

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

For me, the most rewarding aspect of being an artist is being able to create something that is purely of myself, for myself. I don’t always know where things are going but I trust it. It’s helped me to let go and grow not only as an artist but as a person. It can be a soothing, sort of a therapy at times or it can be a personal challenge – an equation I am trying to solve. Then, if viewers take something positive  and impactful emotionally, mentally or visually from my work, it is simply a wonderful bonus.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://michellebuser.com
• Instagram: @michellebuser_art
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michellebuser1/
• Other: Tik Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@michellebuser_art Redbubble: https://www.redbubble.com/people/slayybelledraws/shop