Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Emily Million. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Hi Emily, thanks for joining us today. We’d love to hear about when you first realized that you wanted to pursue a creative path professionally.
I wanted to be an artist as far back as I can remember. My mother is also an artist – nearly giving birth to me in sculpture class at Missouri State. Pursuing a career in art was never a question; it was always something I just knew I was supposed to do.
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 Emily Million, and I started my art business, Emily Million Studios, in 2010. While I started out as an oil and figure painter, I’m mostly known for my murals. I traveled around the U.S. and Canada painting wildlife and landscape murals for Bass Pro for nearly a decade. I’ve painted works in the Wonders of Wildlife Museum and for Ducks Unlimited, along with other commercial and residential clients. A couple of years ago, I had a dream that I needed to start painting cannabis to help change the stigma around the plant. Since then, I’ve been working mostly on cannabis paintings and murals for cannabis businesses.
Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?
My current work is focused on using my art to advocate for cannabis access and to explore and depict the plant in new ways. I’ve always loved nature and the outdoors and have devoted much of my career to depicting it – this feels like a focusing in on one aspect of that, an aspect currently in the public dialogue.
What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?
I live for those “Ah-ha!” moments when something really clicks or the solution spontaneously presents itself in the middle of a painting. And those ideas that truly feel alive are indescribably exciting to follow.
Contact Info:
- Website: emilyjmillion.com
- Instagram: @emilyjmillion
- Facebook: facebook.com/emilymillionstudios