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

Meagan , looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Do you think your parents have had a meaningful impact on you and your journey?

The thing my parents did right was give me a deep sense of freedom paired with responsibility. From an early age, I understood that my life was mine to navigate—that my choices mattered, and that I would be accountable for them. That trust shaped how I moved through the world. It taught me to rely on my own instincts, to take risks without waiting for permission, and to stand firmly in who I was becoming.

That freedom made it possible for me to grow into myself as an artist and a strategic visual designer. I wasn’t handed a blueprint for success; instead, I learned how to build one. I learned how to listen to my own voice, how to experiment, fail, adapt, and try again. Becoming a full-time creative required self-direction, resilience, and confidence—qualities that were quietly formed long before I knew I would need them.

I grew up in a lower-income, rural town where life wasn’t always easy or predictable. There were limits, tensions, and realities that forced maturity early on. But within those struggles, there was also clarity. I learned how to observe people, read emotional landscapes, and find meaning in small, overlooked details. I learned that complexity and contradiction can exist side by side.

That perspective lives at the core of my work. I bring a sensitivity to nuance, a respect for lived experience, and an ability to find beauty where others might not think to look. The challenges of my upbringing didn’t harden me—they sharpened me. They taught me that identity can be self-made, that freedom is powerful when earned, and that creativity often grows strongest in imperfect conditions.

Meagan , 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 strategic visual designer and artist based in New England. My path into design wasn’t traditional — I started at community college and later completed art school in Boston, which shaped both a grounded, practical approach and a strong conceptual foundation.

I work with values-driven brands and organizations to create visual identities, brand systems, and creative direction that feel clear, human, and built to last. My work spans brand strategy, visual identity design, and art direction, with a focus on translating complex ideas into visuals that feel intuitive and intentional.

I’m known for balancing strategy with intuition and am especially drawn to projects that are evolving — growing brands, new ventures, or organizations ready to move beyond trend-driven design. I help bring clarity and cohesion without sacrificing personality, so clients can express who they are with confidence.

I’m most proud of building an independent creative practice rooted in trust, thoughtful process, and a strong point of view. At the core of my work is a belief in honest design — work that is purposeful, considered, and made to last.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

One of the clearest examples of my resilience is simply the way I built my career. I didn’t come from a traditional pipeline or a safety net, and I didn’t wait for permission to call myself a designer or an artist. I started at community college, finished art school in Boston, and figured out the rest by doing the work — taking on projects before I felt fully ready, learning as I went, and trusting that consistency would matter more than perfection.

Early in my career, there were long stretches of uncertainty — moments where the path forward wasn’t obvious and the work felt fragile or unfinished. Instead of pulling back, I learned how to stay with it. I kept refining my point of view, saying no to work that didn’t align, and slowly building a practice that reflected who I actually was, not who I thought I needed to be to succeed.

What that experience taught me is that resilience isn’t about pushing through at all costs — it’s about adaptability, self-trust, and patience. Choosing to build something independently, to grow at my own pace, and to keep showing up even when things felt unclear shaped both my career and my work. That resilience now shows up in how I approach every project: steady, thoughtful, and grounded in the belief that meaningful work takes time.

Are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?

I often think about how much easier my early creative years would’ve been if tools like the iPad Pro with Procreate existed back then. Having something that portable and intuitive would have made a huge difference. A lot of my early work depended on being in a studio, having access to certain materials, or sitting at a desktop, which can slow things down when you’re just trying to get ideas out of your head and onto something tangible.

What I love about Procreate is how low-pressure it feels. You can sketch anywhere, try things quickly, and move easily between loose ideas and more finished work. That kind of freedom makes it easier to experiment and take risks without overthinking it.

More than anything, I wish I’d had tools earlier that made creating feel more accessible and less precious. Anything that shortens the gap between an idea and making it real is powerful. I’m grateful to have those tools now, and I love seeing how they’re helping newer creatives explore, learn, and build confidence in their work

Contact Info:

• Website: https://Meaganducharme.com
• Instagram: Ducharmer.design
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/meag-ducharme-a3757b44?utm_source=share&utm_campaign=share_via&utm_content=profile&utm_medium=ios_app