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

Meghan, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Can you open up about a risk you’ve taken – what it was like taking that risk, why you took the risk and how it turned out?

Risk taking has been important to me from the start. I moved from a small town to New York City right out of school and without a job. Flash forward almost 10 years, my whole life is here and I think it’s the best decision I ever made. I spent some time traveling alone in my early 20s. That felt so scary to do the first time but led to a sense of independence and love for travel that challenges me.

I think the biggest risk I’ve taken was leaving a comfortable job to pursue my own business. I had been dreaming of working for myself for years, slowly taking steps to do so but never feeling like it was the “right” time. Finally in 2021, something told me to do it. I was burning the candle at both ends between working my full time job and taking on freelance projects. I knew that the work would come if I opened myself up to it. So I left the world I knew and dove into the totally unfamiliar world of running my own business. And it worked. I started getting referrals immediately and have been steadily busy for 2 years. I love feeling like all of my work is benefitting me directly and having the flexibility to determine my own work life balance.

It feels a little cheesy to say, but I live by the mantra “do one thing every day that scares you.” Even if it’s a small thing, it keeps me in the practice of getting out of my comfort zone so that it feels less scary to take a bigger risk. And those big, scary risks? I’ve never regretted a single one of them.

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 background and context?

I have been wanting to live a life full of art since I was a kid. Both of my parents went to art school, so it always felt natural to me to do the same and pursue a creative career. I was much more into illustration and fine art when I was younger, but pursued graphic design because it felt like the compromise to be creative while making a solid living. Almost 10 years out of school, I’ve circled back to trying to make more art than design.

I struggle with what to call myself these days. Graphic designer, art director, creative consultant, collage artist, mixed media artist. They all fit and at the same time none of those titles feel quite right. I never wanted to niche down because I feel suffocated only doing one thing. I’ve learned that this is what sets me apart though. I do all of the above, and (I’ve been told anyway) I do it all quite well. I think that the balance of design and art gives me an interesting perspective in client work because I can think in the nitty gritty details as a strategic designer but also tap into my artist mindset to come up with unique and broad ideas to push a client’s visuals.

Art is what lights me up the most and ultimately it’s what I want to spend my time doing. Because I make almost all of my art away from the computer, it feels cathartic and relaxing to give my eyes a break from pixel pushing and work with my hands. Art is so subjective, but I hope to evoke strong feelings with mine. It’s meant to be messy and surreal and make you uncomfortable. It’s meant to make you say, “what the heck am I looking at?” and continue to think about that feeling long after you walk away or close Instagram. I want to encourage people to explore their dark and light sides and relationship with mental health.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

The most rewarding, and perhaps also the most torturous, part of being an artist is having the means to express my feelings, my anxieties, my desires, and have a physical manifestation of them. I can look back at a piece 6 months later and I’m transported to what I was feeling at the time I made it. I don’t hold back and I think those strong feelings are obvious in my work. It’s important to me to embrace that dark side of myself. Art is beautiful in its ability to help people express themselves in ways they otherwise couldn’t with words.

How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?

When I graduated from art school, I had big plans to work for a trendy small boutique design agency in New York. I had dreams of creating gorgeous minimalist designs for fashion brands. But after applying to many studios and agencies I perceived as super glamorous, then applying again a few years later, I had to accept that maybe that wasn’t my path. It was disheartening to hear nothing back or maybe get through a few interviews only to be rejected. I questioned my skills as a designer.

Ultimately, I stopped trying to be a part of something I didn’t fit into and decided that it would be better to call the shots by working for myself. It didn’t take long for me to get sick of working for others, and I knew that I could be successful if I put as much effort into myself as I was for the companies I worked for. I made the pivot from applying to various studios to spending my time preparing myself to leave my full time job. In the end, I found more fulfillment in the work I was doing in my own design style and my time opened up even more for me to include more art making.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://papercutcreative.studio
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/papercutcollages/