We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Marsha Nicole Wilson. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Marsha Nicole below.
Marsha Nicole, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. We’d love to hear about how you got your first non-friend, non-family client. Paint the picture for us so we can feel the same excitement you felt on that day.
Photography-wise: Well, my first paid client WAS a colleague and their relative and that was the momentum that led to other paid clients. I was selected to intern with a fashion retail company in 2010 in New York City along with other hand selected interns. A major part of the internship was presenting group case studies together and while we were assigned groups, we connected with other interns throughout the summer internship program. One of the young women I was interning with learned that I was hosting a photoshoot as a part of the case study concept my group came up with and hired me to do her lifestyle photos, being my first paid photography client. She LOVED the outcome of her images and recommended me to her cousin. Her cousin paid me, as well, and loved the end product.
This was the foundation to my Marsha N. Wilson Photography business. It was the beginning of when I started researching what prices photographers charge for which services, creating my workflow for uploading and editing photos, and how I wanted to present my clients with the finished images (via CD, digitally, etc.). I would eventually go on to create a website, gain clients from word-of-mouth business, increase my prices to align with my expertise, donate my services to artistic organizations and gain a name once I moved to Atlanta, Georgia.
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
A multi-hyphenate is what I’ve resonated with calling myself. I have elected not to align with only one facet of myself, so I have given myself permission, grace and inspiration to explore all aspects of my creative acumen.
I am the photographer, film and television Costumer, graphic designer, fashion designer/stylist, music curator, intuitive/spiritual healer, to name a few. I grew up dancing, playing basketball (point guard, baby!), creating dope custom and personal playlists on tapes, CDs, and digitally, and anything else that was artsy and creatively expressive.
PHOTOGRAPHER | I was shooting with disposable cameras as a kid and teenager, including selfies (my selfie game’s BEEN strong *insert wink*). I loved the satisfaction of viewing the printed photos I took only in faith that the lighting was decent, angles were flattering and the story was being told efficiently. I upgraded to the pocket digital cameras and later evolved to DSLR’s (digital slow lens release) cameras in 2009 during my first photography class. From there, I played with videography and am currently editing and getting ready to publish a trailer for a potential feature film that I collaborated on with my artistic niece.
With my photography work, street photography is a favorite of mine, yet I was/am frequently doing headshots and lifestyle photos for up and coming and established artists, including actors, musicians, entrepreneurs, singers, dancers and more. I took a brief hiatus from photography around 2016 as I entered into the film industry. I re-emerged into my craft last year and am back to photographing. When I work with clients, I capture their essence. It doesn’t take me knowing them beforehand. It requires me to use my intuition to connect with them and see beyond the exterior in order to bring what I see within, without.
I am an artist of many mediums, as previously mentioned, so to prevent this from becoming my autobiography, I’ll briefly share my entrance into film + tv, as well as my intuitive business.
FILM + TV COSTUMER | In 2015, my mother kept feeling inclined to visit the unemployment office for the both of us. We were walking outside in the neighborhood one day and decided to go inside the office and apply. My mother loves to joke that eight years later, her application has yet to be assigned to a counselor, but mine went through quickly. The counselor I was matched up with took to heart my desire to work in a creative industry, something that aligned with who I am, not just to work for work’s sake. She told me about a new training program that Georgia Department of Labor and IATSE 479 (International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees union that I am now a part of). I interviewed for the training program and was accepted. I got to work on the sets of feature films and other productions with people who have been in the industry for several years. It was a phenomenal experience! My first position was as an office Production Assistant and Accounting Assistant, then a Locations PA. My Locations Manager knew I was interested in working in the Costumes department, so after working with him on a few productions, he connected me with the designer and supervisor of the production we were working on at the time: “Manhunt: The Unabomber”. I dayplayed (worked a couple of days) in Costumes and the department supervisor later asked to hire me full time. I went from Locations PA to Set Costumer, an hourly pay that was doubled. I joined the IATSE 479 union in 2017 as a Costumer and have been working in film since. I have worked as a Background Costumer, where I have a lot of creative liberty to dressing the background actors, Set Costumer, Office Costumer, Key Costumer, Supervisor, Designer and most recently Truck Costumer for the “The Color Purple.” Graphic design is one of my favorite crafts and one that I had the pleasure of integrating into my Costuming work, creating boards for Background actors to have visuals for what attire to bring with them on work day; boards of photos from actor fittings for producers/writers/directors to approve; and visual collages to assist the Costumes department with having a unified understanding of what aesthetics the Designer expects when we are dressing the actors. Currently, I am emerging as a writer, producer, editor, cinematographer, actor, and music supervisor and looking forward to sharing my original work with the world very soon.
As an intuitive, I tapped into my spiritual gifts when I was 3 years old, including clairvoyance, clairsentience, clairaudience, etc. I saw a little brown girl ghost wearing a dress and a hair bow in the middle of her head, and she scared the heck out of me! I told my mom about her and my mother said, “I have a feeling that she is a friendly little girl and that once you befriend her, she will go away.” I must’ve befriended her because she went away almost instantly. My relationship with a Higher Power (I refer to as God, Spirit, Source, Divine, Love, Olodumare, etc.) expanded drastically with every age. By 14, I had received the gift of speaking in tongues and laying hands as a healer, simply by touch. As a teen, I was always fascinated by astrology, but steered away from it because societally, it was deemed demonic and I was afraid to explore further. I am eternally grateful that I have my own intimate and connected relationship with Spirit, because as I continued to evolve, Spirit gave me the okay and interest to explore tarot. I began reading tarot for myself around 2018 and for others around 2019.
My business, Mellow Neptune Waters, includes hosting tarot card and intuitive readings for anyone who is available and willing to receive a message from Source, their angels/guides, and any of their other guiding forces. These readings may include channeling messages from the client’s ancestors directly to them. Messages that are confirmations of what the client already knew, but needed more info on tend to come through, as well as new information to be mindful of. I know some are scared of receiving readings, largely because of folklore/tales of tarot from the media. Tarot, for me, is such a beautiful conduit, transporting information that provides you with clarity and guidance on matters pertaining to healing past encounters, addressing current matters and either preparing for or rerouting the fate of future endeavors. It is an empowering craft not intended to bestow fear, but to fortify and embolden those who are recipients of the reading. Hosting readings is one of the most gratifying sensations. I love supporting people in gaining a sense of grounding and understanding beyond what they had access to at the time. No reading is a bad reading. They all provide some guidance and give you the power to choose what you desire for your life. We have far more say in our paths than we sometimes realize.
What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?
The most rewarding aspect of being a creative is BEING! It is a safe space to dodge pretense and dive deep into authenticity. The thing about creating is that it celebrates vulnerability. Who wants to engage with someone’s music, paintings, scripts, storytelling, poems and clothing designs that FEEL contrived and forced rather than inspired from an organic place? It almost seems strange to say this, seeing as how the entire world thrives off of creativity/artistry, but making money by engaging with people who appreciate and resonate with your creations is the ultimate satisfaction. Yes, it is validating at times of uncertainty. It is also whimsical and internally gratifying. I feel my most Me when I’m able to create a product that I loved producing and someone else wants to be a part of it on some scale.
Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can provide some insight – you never know who might benefit from the enlightenment.
Okay, so. A few things: one, everyone is creative, whether they’re tapped into that aspect of themselves yet or not. Two, those who aren’t full time creatives may not understand or agree with how many of us go about creating revenue. As previously mentioned, the entire world indulges in art, be it television, music of many genres ranging by culture, writings/books, photographs, apparel, etc. However, not everyone respects what goes into sharing our creations with the world, so “convincing” people that our art is worthy of being valued for monetary gain is a job in and of itself. There’s almost an entitlement that some have towards art: they expect to have access to it anytime they want and don’t think they should need to pay for it at full price value, almost as though art isn’t essential.
Many of us leave traditional jobs with consistent pay for the enjoyment of following our passions. This often requires CREATING streams of revenue as opposed to joining in on already existing financial systems. In spite of each artist’s spiritual beliefs, it takes significant levels of faith to pursue creative careers, especially careers that we are having to pave. It’s a bit different working as an artist with a corporation, for example, that has creative departments. That can have its restrictions, too, but it comes with consistent pay and often other benefits, including health benefits. Creatives who are creating income from their art must be persistent, hopeful, and, I’d say, connected to why they LOVE their art in order to maintain. I have had moments in my career where I stepped away from photography because I was utilizing it primarily for financial support, to the point where I was starting to resent my craft. I didn’t wanna fall out of love with photography, so I took time away from the professional aspect and kept it solely fun. I returned to integrating the fun and inspiring aspects of photography with incurring funds. It all feels aligned and liberating.
Contact Info:
- Website: marshanicolewilson.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/genres_of_art and www.instagram.com/mellowneptunewaters
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/mellowneptunewaters
- Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/marshanwilson
- Twitter: twitter.com/genres_of_art
- Youtube: www.youtube.com/mellowneptunewaters
- Other: TikTok: www.tiktok.com/@mellowneptunewaters Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/user/122808125
Image Credits
Photo Credits: Marsha N. Wilson