We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Emilee Melin a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Emilee, appreciate you joining us today. We’d love to hear the backstory behind a risk you’ve taken – whether big or small, walk us through what it was like and how it ultimately turned out.
A lesson I have learned is, it’s not about taking one risk or about having one huge experience that has defined life…but rather embracing everyday with the idea that there will be risks and challenges throughout the whole journey and it’s within our power to conquer ahead. When I try to narrow down a time when I had one risk that affected my path, a hundred memories come to mind. Memories of when I was in a situation that made me uncomfortable, scared the living wits out of me, or made me feel unsettled. But these are the moments that pushed me to grow and helped me become the person I am today, these are the moments that I hope to continue chasing. If you aren’t uncomfortable, you’re not challenging yourself to the next level. As an artist, I am the only one in charge of creating my work. I paint the paintings, network for clients, and manage how I want to grow and what I want to achieve. So, I shoot for risks, I always try to take on the challenge, and I do my best to keep growing. These are the things that make life beautiful, because along the way you meet incredible people, get inspired by different communities, and have the chance to embrace this wild world we live in.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
I am an artist and muralist. My career took off while living in Colorado. It started with an opportunity I had at one of the best places in Colorado Springs, The Exchange Coffee Shop (love you guys). I actually was working there as a Barista and the owners allowed me to paint a mural on their interior wall. The trust they had for me and the freedom they gave me to paint, opened up the pathway to my art career. After that project, I’ve continued to network and do mural jobs. I have contacts in multiple states now and am always looking for opportunities in new places. Murals aren’t the only thing I do, I also paint canvas projects and design stickers. When possible, I look for artist showcase opportunities where I can hang a collection of pieces I have painted. My goals as an artist are to continue progressing with Mural work and to have my own studio one day where I can sell pieces, expand into a shop, and potentially collaborate with other artists.
Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?
My biggest inspiration is to share a little light among the chaos. I want to make others happy, to support the things that encourage well-being, and uplift people. There are so many problems, so many differing perspectives and opposing ideas, so many people fighting and tearing each other down. I want to be the type of artist that reminds people why we love, why we are compassionate to one another, and why we choose to embrace each other for our differences. I hope to inspire others with kindness and carry on this journey with mindfulness. I hope to share awareness of how we affect one another and how we can build-up this world with more love and unity.
For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?
There are a lot of aspects that feel rewarding when it comes to being an artist. Potentially my favorite, is the community experience. I love meeting new people and getting involved with the community where i’m painting. It’s amazing to connect to those who are in the area where i’m doing projects and to hear the reaction of how my art may influence it.
Contact Info:
- Website: EMartwork.com
- Instagram: @emileem_art