We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Margo Lunsford a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Margo , looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Can you talk to us about how you learned to do what you do?

I’ve always known I was meant to be creative. During my adolescent years, I attended the Glassel school of art in Houston, where I focused on my technical skills across mediums. Then in high school, I led the Art honors society, where I drove community and events around the arts. After graduation, I worked towards my MFA at Houston Baptist University. On paper, I knew exactly what I was doing, far from it. It took a 10-year hiatus from art to understand my craft and what I wanted to accomplish with it.

While I was attending HBU, we worked within a communal studio space. My professor gave us a 1 liner direction on the first day of class: Paint what is inside your soul. He left it up to us (the students) to understand what that meant and apply it to the body of work that would end up at an end-of-year show. Everyone around me seemed to know exactly what to do, but I floundered.

I had many years of technical training and refining my skillset in the techniques of watercolors, acrylics, oils, sculpture, … you name it. But this new direction was foreign to what I understood. The work I produced was seriously dark and confusing, which scared some of my classmates. So, I dropped out.

I stopped practicing painting and art history and I went into graphic design. I obtained a sketchy 2-year art degree and went to work. I’ve been in design and technology now for 15 years and I have, for the most part, learned on the job. I’m now a Design Director at a leading technology firm leading design initiatives for brands like Mercedez Benz and NRG. It took a lot of grit, a handful of heart, and a good bottle of red wine to get where I am with my design craft. Because I shifted my passion to design, I understood the difference between technically perfect and art.

I’ve now reunited with my love for painting, which has been on a steep trajectory for success. And would you guess what I recite to myself now every time I start a new body of work? Paint what is inside your soul.

There’s one skill I would say is essential and it’s patience with yourself. Good wine takes time, just like great successes take time.

Margo , 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 was born as a Caucasian-Hispanic American. Growing up a multiracial child of six children (3 of which Latino American) created challenges for my identity growing up. Often internally asking the questions: Who am I? Whose side are you on?
Despite the challenges, I found growth & strength in the grey spaces. Leaning into my predominantly Hispanic upbringing and culture, I found inspiration and creativity to create art from a unique point of view.

I think I became so enthralled with the arts when I was young because I was bullied. Art became my outlet and my therapy. I struggled to make and keep friends. It was a hard time. One day in class my classmates (who usually ignored me) started gathering around me, looking over my shoulder to admire and vocally appreciate a drawing in my notebook. That moment of attention and appreciation was like a drug for me. I stuck with it ever since.

My reason for painting has evolved since. Ive lived a full life of heartbreaks, triumphs, and understanding my mental health. In painting, I’ve discovered deeply buried stories that I must tell. I draw from memories, which are often incomplete or distorted. My work focuses on themes that expose our deepest inner dialogs, battles with mental health, and conflicts with identity. While working I think about others going through similar experiences and my heart aches to ease their despair. I paint for them. When someone sees my work, I hope they connect it to their narrative and are incited to feel both their vulnerability and their strength.

I hope that my work amplifies the discussion of mental health in our society, and how events of our time contribute to the problem.

What can society do to ensure an environment that’s helpful to artists and creatives?

There needs to be a shift in mindset and perception that a career in the arts is less desired. The conversation starts early with our youth and the support of the arts within our minority communities. I challenge society’s assessability for these communities to the proper art education for those students showing potential and growth in their craft. I also think there should be more opportunities for emerging artists without the luxury of obtaining an MFA. Some of the most talented artists with the most powerful stories are eliminated based on a resume.

We’d love to hear your thoughts on NFTs. (Note: this is for education/entertainment purposes only, readers should not construe this as advice)

I’m a traditionalist on the topic of NFTs, and I also have a background in technology. I would rather promote the arts in a real-world than in an artificial one.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.artofmargo.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/artof_margo/?hl=en
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/margo-lunsford-28aa151a/