Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Emily Bagan. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Emily, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. 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.

Risk often gets a bad rap, but I see it differently. Sure, there can be downsides, but I’ve always felt that risk is essential to forging your own path. From early on, I knew I wanted to live as freely as possible, which led me to pursue a degree in entrepreneurship. My thinking was that this major would equip me to create a life where my dreams, values, and interests were fully integrated into both my personal and professional life. I knew that would come with significant risk, but I was ready for it.

Interestingly, art wasn’t originally part of my plan. For three of my four years in college, I was building a tech startup focused on making sustainable products more accessible. At the same time, I began casually sharing my artwork, never expecting much from it. It wasn’t until my senior year that I seriously considered pursuing art as a career. During my final semester at the University of Tampa, I had a powerful urge to capture the imagery I saw while listening to “Age of Machine” by Greta Van Fleet. I had always experienced vivid visuals when listening to music, but this time, I felt compelled to bring it to life.

I spent the next 48 hours fully immersed in creating that piece. Once finished, I shared it on Instagram, where I had maybe 30 followers, with no expectations. To my surprise, people started asking for prints the very next day. That spark of excitement led me to create more art inspired by music, and soon I realized this was the path I wanted to follow. I made the difficult decision to step away from the tech startup and dive headfirst into building an art business.

Entrepreneurship is risky, no matter the industry, but art comes with its own unique challenges. For me, though, the fear of “what if” was far scarier than trying and failing. Taking calculated risks—ones that aren’t reckless but thoughtful—has been one of my greatest teachers. Success is valuable, but failure teaches just as much, if not more. And both only come from taking risks, big and small. I’ve learned to embrace it, and some of my best work, experiences, and collaborations have come from leaning into that uncertainty. Nothing great ever came from playing it safe.

I started by creating original drawings, which I like to call visual representations of music. Over the past three years, my work has evolved to include a wide range of music-related art. Today, I not only create original pieces but also work as an Art Director, collaborating with musicians and creative teams on album covers, tour art, branded content, and merchandise. Since I began sharing my work, I’ve shipped thousands of prints worldwide, worked with incredible musicians, and built a community of over 80,000 art and music lovers. I’m endlessly grateful and sometimes still can’t believe this is my reality.

Emily, 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’m a self-taught traditional artist and art director based in Nashville, Tennessee. My main medium is graphite pencil, with touches of painted color, and sometimes I incorporate digital enhancements, adding vibrant colors, intricate textures, and expressive typography. All of my work is deeply inspired by music—each piece is a physical representation of the imagery that songs evoke, both lyrically and sonically. Whether I was doodling as a child or working on large-scale projects today, art has always found its way to me. And music, which has always been a core part of my life, takes me on the most incredible journeys. It leads me through vast, imaginative worlds where creativity knows no bounds. The art I create is about setting those worlds free—bringing them to life on paper and letting them roam across the canvas of reality.

My goal is to capture the essence, the emotion, and the journey that music takes listeners on. I aim to blend the beauty of the natural world with the richness of human experience. Influenced by the timeless charm of the Renaissance era, I weave realism with hints of psychedelic allure while preserving the soulful depth that defines Renaissance art.

To me, the most important aspect of any art form is authenticity. I always aim to capture the raw, genuine essence of music, both in my artwork and the content I create around it. The best art doesn’t come from the mind—it comes from the soul.

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

Throughout my life, I’ve been deeply inspired by people who express themselves through all forms of creativity—painters, filmmakers, writers, musicians, photographers, and more. The common thread they share is that they weren’t creating just for the sake of making something; they had a bigger purpose. They used their work as a vessel for positive change, aiming to make a meaningful impact. Whether it was Steve Irwin channeling his passion for conservation through film, Eckhart Tolle sharing his wisdom through writing, or Aurora using her music to raise awareness about environmentalism, they all had a larger, outward-facing goal.

That’s what drives me. I love the process of creating, and I love sharing my work, but what matters most to me is building my work and platform to a place where I can make large-scale, meaningful, positive changes in the world. For me, it’s about fostering human connections, giving back to the communities that have supported me, and participating in initiatives that benefit both people and the planet. That’s what keeps me going when things get tough. The ability to use my skills and platform to contribute to positive change in the world—that’s my “why.”

Do you think there is something that non-creatives might struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can shed some light?

There’s a common misconception that to create great art, you have to be sad or suffering. The idea that artists are all depressed or self-loathing is deeply flawed. You don’t need to be sad to make meaningful, thought-provoking art. Sure, art can explore heavy, darker themes, but that doesn’t mean the artist is always feeling that weight themselves.

Now, I’m not saying there’s no truth to the stereotype—clichés exist for a reason. Artists often feel things deeply, which is why we’re so driven to express those emotions, both the highs and the lows. But there’s another layer to the “sad artist” narrative, that in my opinion, isn’t talked about enough: why some artists feel that way.

I believe part of the reason is that from a young age, many creative people are told that art isn’t a “real” job, or that pursuing a creative career is nearly impossible. When you’re an artist, creativity is more than just a hobby—it’s a fundamental part of who you are. It’s as natural as birds singing or fish swimming. So, imagine being told over and over that you can’t do the one thing that feels like your default setting. That kind of message can create deep internal conflict, and often, it manifests as sadness.

This is something I think people who aren’t creatively inclined might not fully understand. Art isn’t just a pastime—it’s one of the most important aspects of the human experience. Look at any museum, read any book, listen to any song, and you’ll see how art has shaped our our lives for all of documented history. To say that art isn’t important is not only misguided, it’s dismissing something essential to what makes us human.

Artists are born to create, and they should be encouraged and celebrated for doing so.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.emilyroseartwork.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/emily_roseart/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/emilyroseartworkLLC/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emily-bagan-0406771b5/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@Emily_RoseArt
• Other: TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@emily_roseart?lang=en

Image Credits
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