We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Mela CK. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Mela below.

Mela , looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Are you able to earn a full-time living from your creative work? If so, can you walk us through your journey and how you made it happen?

Yes and no. As of 2022-2023 I’ve been an Amazon employee and artist. Factory work is hard work as much as art. Physical labor is something I do like, being a painter on the streets as well. I had to get a second job again because of cost of living going up constantly. Client work has been on and off. But day to day I balance work with my passion. I know this is what I have to do to keep the art career going until things change. I feel like if it wasn’t for the price of living going up I could have gotten a lot more done. But I know amazon won’t be for forever. I have hope to go back to being full time with the support of my art community and fans one day.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I’m a Panamanian immigrant that grew up here in the US. Street art was my first love. I admired how people could just express themselves with so much skill in public places. But more than anything the stories people carry that shows in their personal style on the streets. It’s grown so much since i was young, street art. I’ve been painting on walls since I was 15. My inspiration coming from mostly animals, people, and plant life. However being almost 30 I have new goals to create stories in more of my illustration skills. Paintings and comic book work. I’m working on a comic “Bocas Del Toro” aside from the other small gigs I have. It’s in the works. But I guess what i’m most proud of is getting this far choosing to have art always be by my side. Day job or not. Keeps me moving and getting out of bed everyday. The friends I have made along the way and even the people who chose to step away. I guess the fans that stuck around since the beginning have the biggest impact and I thank you. I haven’t had the easiest life but the fans have made it worth it. If you’re just now learning about me I hope my art makes you feel inspired and…I don’t know appreciate that you can still find happiness in just an animal with hands and beautiful colors.

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

During 2018 I became homeless in Denver. Housing issues. I slept in my car and had a studio in Rhino art district. Didn’t last long having that studio because I was short on money all the time. And people didn’t really have time to help how they wanted. Can’t blame them because city life is always on the go and people already have their own problems. It was hard, but I still kept painting and doing popup shows. Wishing and dreaming one day all this hardship will turn into something good to make the family in Panama proud of, and the few others that live here in the US. Eventually I did get a decent job again and got off the streets. And believe it or not that’s not the only story, it’s just one of many life events I had to go through. But being homeless made me humble.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

The reward of being an artist is having the ability to be your true self. Let go of hurt and pain, or show how much you’re hurting and feeling about anything. It’s a human experience nobody can take away from you. Even though I had a rough life my lifeline was being a creative mind. A dreamer. Because in this state of the world you have to escape sometimes and get lost to find who you are again. Make something ugly, make something beautiful, make something that doesn’t even exist. Art won’t judge you, people can, but art will always have open arms for an individual to stay true to yourself.

Contact Info:

• Website: mel-ck.com
• Instagram: mela_ck_og

Image Credits
Thank you to KnobHill Urban Arts District and City of Albuquerque To my friends and family Gloria, Micheal M, Sulema, Mikayla C, Sepia, Wemfer, Muji, Nick Wicked artofwicked, Toast Ghost, Maurice M, Princess, Jose, Elisha and many others for always believing in me.