We recently connected with Megan Watkins and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Megan, thanks for joining us today. What’s been the most meaningful project you’ve worked on?

I would have to say my most meaningful project to date was when I created a series of abstracted plant paintings during the pandemic. During that period I was working as a social worker in a dialysis clinic and lost my mother at the very start of it. I was dealing with a lot of grief and loss, as were many people at that time.

Right before quarantine my plan was to go back to figurative work. I could not work with a live model after the beginning of the pandemic or for sometime after since I lived alone and worked with people with highly compromised immune systems. One day on a whim, I bought a bunch of house plants online. I did countless paintings and drawings from these plants over the next few years. By painting from beautiful living things during such a dire period, I was able to turn my grief into something that brought me joy.

I do not think without creating that body of work I would have made the transition to creating purely abstract paintings that I do now.

Megan, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I have been a painter for the last fifteen to twenty years. My style has evolved greatly over the last decade. I started primarily as a figurative artist and now I my style has shifted to pure abstraction. I have been seriously pursing my art for the last six years or so and have been featured in group shows in Nashville, TN, at The Rockwall Gallery and The Julia Martin Gallery.

While I have been steadily building my following on Instagram and social media platforms, I work my day job as an outpatient mental health therapist. I have also worked in social services and art education throughout my career. I recently obtained my certification as a Licensed Clinical Social Worker. My current job as a therapist has given me the freedom to explore the impact of the arts on mental health through my practice as an LCSW with my group therapy clients.

The next thing I am working on is obtaining a certification in grief and loss counseling to continue to expand my knowledge in the area of using art to help people heal from the losses in their lives in a creative way.

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative?

At the beginning of the year I cut my hours down to part-time. This is something I have been saving up for and debating about doing for a while now. The more I progressed in my painting career, the more I found it difficult to devote the time I wanted to my creative business working full-time as a psychiatric social worker. It was terrifying to quit my last job and put the faith in myself that I could supplement my income with my creative work. I am still not close to that dream yet, but I knew if I did not make the financial sacrifice on my work hours to invest in myself, I would continue to remain far away from what I wanted to do in life. I am honestly still not one-hundred percent sure how I am going to use my experience as a therapist and painter to build a business, but I welcome the challenge.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

Art is something I can carry with me lifelong. It does not matter what else is going on in my life. My art practice stays next to me like an old friend I can talk to at any time, even if we have not seen each other for a while. My painting practice is something that belongs to me only. The ability I have to create my own worlds on canvas can never be taken away from me.    

Contact Info:

• Website: www.meganwatkinsarts.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/meganwatkinsarts
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/meganwatkinsarts

Image Credits
All photos belong to artist