We were lucky to catch up with Margaret Emerson recently and have shared our conversation below.

Margaret, appreciate you joining us today. One of our favorite things to brainstorm about with friends who’ve built something entrepreneurial is what they would do differently if they were to start over today. Surely, there are things you’ve learned that would allow you to do it over faster, more efficiently. We’d love to hear how you would go about setting things up if you were starting over today, knowing everything that you already know.

Since I am in my mid seventies, I grew up in an era much different than today. I wanted to be an artist when I started college, but my parents discouraged this path because they could not see how I could make a living as an artist. I changed my major to nursing and had a fulfilling 30 year career as a nurse, but always saw art as my passion. I do not see myself as an entrepreneur. Having the time and money to do art came when I retired. As I look back on my life, I know that everything I experienced made me the person I am today. I am thankful for being able to study nursing, obtaining a PhD, and both my clinical expertise as well as research and teaching years. I had a rich working life.
I must admit I’ve never actually thought about how a career in art would unfold, given the chance to major in art during college.
Here are some ideas I have right now.
My life taught me that working in groups of people that stimulate me and challenge me is what I love. I am not a lone wolf. Therefore, I see that being a young college freshman should provide opportunities to meet artists from many fields and to have apprenticeships available to actually see what careers in the arts are really about. I dreamed of being an architect, but felt that was way beyond my reach, mostly because I knew nothing about the field. I learned this from my career in nursing that requires you to rotate through many patient care settings before graduating.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

Being a retired nurse who always had a passion for art, once I stopped working, I plunged into art and fulfilled a lifetime dream. Retiring for me was moving to Martha’s Vineyard with my husband to a small cottage. I soon realized that art was abundant on the island. I enrolled in classes and carved out a small studio in our garden shed. As I began to know those in the art community, I also began to be known. This transition took time and patience over five years. I befriended art teachers and artists, help start a studio/gallery, wrote a grant to support the new venue, became a member of a well established island gallery, and was involved in many annual and monthly shows around Martha’s Vineyard. During these years, my art style changed from water colors, to pastels of island scenes, to abstract acrylic painting. Abstract painting was less common than realistic art, but I was obsessed with its powerfulness and learned techniques from other artists. I was different from most painters in the well established gallery where my work was shown, however, I did stand out and I did fairly well selling and showing. My main goal was to share my art, have the experience of being an artist, and being with other artists who stimulated my thinking about art. We left Martha’s Vineyard in 2020 and move back to Boston to be near family. I am now have a studio at Western Avenue Studios in Lowell, Massachusetts, along with 350 other artists. We have monthly open studios to meet the public and sell art.
I am a graduate of the Art 2 Life online art program and a member of the Art 2 Live Academy. This program changed my art and my life. I not only learned new art techniques, but also the importance of art in my life. I have a group of teachers and peers who support each other and give helpful critique and feedback.

Looking back, are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?

I found Art2Life by chance on Instagram in 2022. It is a complete online program of art courses, vlogs, and podcasts. Content is presented from many experts in art and in self-improvement that is extremely motivating. Art2Life refreshed my art and my self confidence as an artist. Nichols Wilton, the founder and leader, is a graphic artist who started this program. He uses the best resources and has an international following. If I had known about such a program earlier in my art career, I would have been able to apply these teachings to my art. I can’t say enough about the teachers and the program.

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

The goal driving my creative journey is to understand myself as a person and as an artist. I want to express myself through my art in a way that people can relate to. I can only say that this is exciting and fulfilling. I’m not trying to make money doing art, which I realize is a luxury and also a good thing because my profit is so low.
While all of this sounds selfish, it makes me and my family and friends happier because I am a happier person.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.emerson-art.com
• Instagram: @m.emerson.mv