We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Amber Monroe a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Amber, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Do you wish you had started sooner?
Absolutely. As a child, I was always drawn to painting, drawing, and even fashion design. When asked what I wanted to be when I grew up, my answer was always the same – an artist. However, it took me a while to realize that this was not just a childhood dream, but a genuine passion and true calling. Rediscovering my passion for art over the past few years has been an incredibly fulfilling experience. I can only imagine the artistic collection I would have had if I had pursued my passion earlier, and that sometimes makes me feel a twinge of regret…but I also realize that my experiences and growth over the years have shaped the very art that I create now in unique ways. Embracing my artistic ambitions later in life has brought a renewed sense of purpose and joy, and I am so grateful for the opportunity to reconnect with “1980’s Amber.” My advice to anyone who feels deeply driven by a hidden talent is to go for it, and to give it your all. Time waits for no one! <3
Amber, 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?
Of course! So I started drawing and creating art as a child. Once I began painting, I found that acrylics were my favorite, and I loved going to Hobby Lobby with my mom (who is also an artist) and picking out bigger and bigger canvases. I excelled in art all through grade school, and when not doodling in class, I would often draw pictures for my friends.
My love of art continued into college, and I eventually went into hairstyling which allowed me to have a creative outlet and help others in the process. I made it my career for almost 20 years–even expanding into makeup and face painting for children’s parties.
While I still created art here and there on the side, it was few and far between. Then once I became a mother, it was all but nonexistent. But then, in 2020, with the prompting of my sister and a dear friend, I began to pick up my paintbrush again, and I found it just as exhilarating as I did when I was a child. My soul felt like I was finally “home” again.
With this renewed passion, I began to become more consistent with my pieces and really began to hone and improve my craft. A few years later after slowly but steadily plugging along with my paintings, I decided I wanted to create a coloring book.
My home life had become difficult for many reasons including my health, and issues with finding proper help for my special needs son, and I was struggling to be able to work outside the home or even keep my home baking business running smoothly. I needed to do something that could improve our finances, but that also required little work from me on a regular basis.
With the support of my husband, I began creating my first coloring book (Girly-Goth Adult Coloring Book Volume one) using my phone and computer between taking care of the house and homeschooling my children. I launched it in November 2022–one of the hardest years of my life.
In January 2023, I released my second coloring book (Girly Goth Adult Coloring Book Volume 2). The designs of both books are black and white digital images that blend feminine themes with edgy noir designs and are extremely fun to color. I wanted these coloring books to take the reader (artist) on a mystical and whimsical journey along with me in my head. I love the art of storytelling through images.
My coloring books have been (and still are) well received by many. But even as I was finishing them up, I had another dream that was making its way to the forefront of my mind.
I envisioned a hand drawn coloring book that showcased the beauty of African-American Hair. I also yearned to finally be able to draw faces and hands. Growing up, I had never mastered these, despite my other strong skills. The majority of my drawings and paintings had all been abstract or abstract-stylized, so this was a huge step for me, but I was up for the challenge.
I spent a few weeks watching TikTok tutorials (for as long as my ADHD would let me) and I began to unlock a new talent. I became able to draw my version of ethnic faces and hair too. I started with one photo and began to post them online as well as a reel of me drawing it.
The first photo took a couple of weeks, but with each one I became faster, and was finally able to create several hand drawn images a day. Each page, each woman drawn tells a story. Each page celebrates the beauty of diversity, body positivity, and the unique features of African American women, as well as differently-abled women. Each page is a representation of the unique beauty found in our shared experiences as diverse women.
From the intricately drawn hairstyles to the carefully crafted features and nuances, to the inspiring affirmations, my intention over the months I spent drawing each of these pages was to showcase the immense versatility and richness that lies within me and has been passed down for generations–as I am now proud to be a part of as a mother. And it is because of this that my newest coloring book (“Reflections”) is dedicated to my mom Marilyn, my sister Sienna, and my daughter Mags–the three most important women in my life.
My hope for this coloring book is that both the young, and the young at heart, share in the voyage of self-love, acceptance, and celebration of diversity that Reflections provides. As people bring these illustrations to life with their own personal creativity, I pray it also ignites a spark of pride within them that you pass along to the women in their lives as well.
As I am still enjoying the positive feedback from my coloring books, I am now getting into gear to show some of my acrylic paintings at The Mansfield Pop Up Art Gallery March 9th – April 7th. I am so excited to finally display some of the creative visions I have had over the years. The majority of my work is geometric, abstract, and whimsical with a flair for all that glitters, and of course there’s more to come. I have one new piece in particular titled “Hope Rises” that I am particularly looking forward to showcasing. It perfectly represents my own personal creative renaissance as I am now delighting in taking more time for myself to develop my art.
Have any books or other resources had a big impact on you?
Yes!!! I absolutely loved The Slight Edge by Jeff Olson, The Magic of Thinking Big by David J. Scwartz PhD., and Success: The Glenn Bland Method by Glenn Bland. Those books (and a few others) breathed life into me right when I needed it the most. I still reread them from time to time for an energizing boost of encouragement and clear vision.
Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?
My mission is to bring my creative visions to life in a fun, introspective, and inspiring way. If I can make the viewer see and feel what I felt in the moments of creating a piece of art, that is a huge achievement in my book. However, it is also important for the viewer to think about, turn over in their minds, and contemplate my work against their own experiences. No two people will look at my artwork the same, but I hope that it brings joy and creative imagination to everyone.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://linktr.ee/healthylifehappywife
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/healthylifehappywifetx
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HairMakeupAmber
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/@healthylifehappywife
- Other: •Girly Goth Adult Coloring Book Vol 1 https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0BQ9FCNTF/ref=ya_aw_od_pi?ie=UTF8&psc=1 •Girly Goth Adult Coloring Book Vol 2 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BRM16BBG?ref_=pe_3052080_397514860 •Reflections Adult Coloring Book with Affirmations https://a.co/d/h9YCyPW
Image Credits
Art by Amber Monroe