We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Michelle Bingham a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Michelle, appreciate you joining us today. When did you first know you wanted to pursue a creative/artistic path professionally?

I knew at a very young age I was interested in pursuing a career involving art. Coloring and drawing was an obsession for me as a kid and I was proud to earn “Artist of the Week” several times in Elementary School. In High School I tried out as many different mediums as possible to see which I would like best and my senior year I was accepted into the AP Art program and chose to focus on painting. My passion for art continued in college where I was a painting major for a year before deciding to go into Graphic Design instead. With my BA in Graphic Design I went onto working at a small design firm, then eventually for a digital print house, then onto a non-profit.  Each experience gave me a bit of knowledge of the business part of design making me feel able to become an artistic entrepreneur.

Michelle, 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?

I had the unique experience of working in a Hallmark store for over 5 years where I could see first hand how careful people selected cards and how much they meant to the sender. I also learned that I do not like mushy/sentimental messages. It wasn’t until a friend of mine was going through the difficult decision to possibly have a hysterectomy that I started my brand. Her card was “Fuck You Uterus” on pink glitter paper. I used a paper cutting machine my husband had purchased for me to make it and after that I just ran with it. So many other friends and family were going through cancer treatment or the suffering that comes with waiting for a diagnosis and they needed cards! It has been shown that people can tolerate more pain if they curse, so I thought maybe I can help ease a little pain and add a bit of laughter. “Good vibes only” doesn’t help anyone going through a tough time, but recognizing the struggle is a way to let people know they are seen and they aren’t alone. I have also tried to create cards for illnesses that other card shops just don’t have but need to have in our current times. No one should feel alone or as if they are the only person going through something, I think just the fact a card exists shows that to them.

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

I think it is very important to support and buy from local artists. Go to the art fairs, tell local businesses about products you want featured in their store by a local creative. It would mean a lot more coming from a customer than from the actual artist trying to convince a store owner to carry their goods. The easiest way to show support is to buy their work, plain and simple. Don’t come up with 100 more ideas for them, just spend some money, tell others about them and spread the word!

Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

Many of my cards are inspired by people in my life and their struggles and my own, each card is one that I would personally enjoy receiving or wish someone would send to me. I don’t want anyone feeling as if they are the only person going through something, each and every person should feel seen, heard and loved.

Contact Info:

• Website: louiselauret.com
• Instagram: louise.lauret
• Linkedin: Michelle Bingham
• Twitter: LouiseLauret