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

Melanie, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. We’d love to hear the backstory behind a risk you’ve taken – whether big or small, walk us through what it was like and how it ultimately turned out.

Starting in 2012, after graduating from college with a Bachelor’s of Arts degree in Illustration, I spent the better part of a decade bouncing between jobs that I was not passionate about, jobs that while creative adjacent did not allow me to be truly creative. I was a good worker, a responsible employee. I performed to the best of my ability and would have retired comfortably in thirty or so years. Then I drew a cute ghost with a little speech balloon saying, “Yup, Still Dead…” He made me laugh.

While working for a paycheck, I spent my night’s drawing, trying to stay creative. Starting in 2015, I spent a few weekends here and there vending at art markets. I showed up with my original watercolors and sometimes I sold one or two, sometimes I didn’t. I set aside $164 and I printed out a few inexpensive posters and some buttons and I sold a few more. Things began to snowball quickly for me, and I was doing one or two markets a month and selling pretty good. I bought a professional printer and had some other products made with my illustrations. Some people bought originals, I saw regular customers almost every weekend and became a regular in Salem, Lowell, and art markets around New England. In 2017, I printed a few business cards and a vinyl sign with Still Dead Illustrations, naming it after that little ghost I drew.

Before I knew it, five more years had passed, and I realized that I was part of a community of artists and vendors. We talked about the ups and downs of markets, the sweet customers who made us cry, and the rude people who made us furious. We talked about our hopes and our expectations for what we could be doing in the near future, and it occurred to me that this is what I wanted to be doing all the time, this is what I wanted to focus my time and energy on. I didn’t want to split my attention and momentum on a day job I didn’t care about with a side hustle. I wanted the side hustle to be how I spent my days. I wanted Still Dead Illustrations to be its own thing.

I’ve been working really hard to build my business, and in April of 2022 I made the leap into doing this full time. I don’t have the regular week-to-week paycheck that a 9-5 guarantees you, but, despite the ups and downs of freelancing, I’m happier now than I ever was working as a graphic designer or a retail clerk or a clerical assistant or any of the other “real jobs” I had. I may not have the “real job”, but I’ve made Still Dead Illustrations its own thing, I’m proud I took the risk to make my own way.

Melanie, 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?

My name is Melanie and I own and operate Still Dead Illustrations. I am a freelance illustrator focusing on Halloween themes and the intersection of scary and cute. I mostly work in ink and watercolor, though I do some acrylic and digital painting as well.

I first started using a calligraphy pen for my illustrations around 2008, and my linework has become one of the signature parts of my style, something I was not able to accomplish with previous mediums or tools. I put a lot of effort into my craft and am passionate about what I do. I worked hard to create my own style and it appeals to a wide audience.

In addition to selling original artwork and in-house archival prints, I sell a variety of merch. All of the products I sell through Still Dead Illustrations feature my own artwork. These include stickers, buttons and pins, t-shirts, hats, and a variety of other unique offerings.

My artistic inspirations include Sam Kieth, Bryan Lee O’Malley, and other comic artists and Patrick McHale, Pendleton Ward, and other cartoonists. I hope one day to be as influential as them. I’m also inspired by other local artists and am proud to be part of a community that believes art should be accessible to everyone.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

The most rewarding thing for me is when my art has a positive effect on people at my booth. I mostly draw illustrations for myself, but when something I’ve created resonates with someone else, it is a privilege that I cannot say enough about.

A lot of times, adults will be looking at my artwork with children in tow. I am always cautious because kids are unpredictable and my artwork is precious to me. I still get nervous showing my work to anybody and children are shockingly honest. That being said, the feedback I’ve received from children has been meaningful and positive. They’re comments are the ones that I remember the most and that mean the most to me. Whenever somebody, regardless of who they are, has a positive reaction to my artwork, that’s the most rewarding experience for me.

How can we best help foster a strong, supportive environment for artists and creatives?

As long as society continues to believe that Art is for Everyone, I think we can continue to build a community. If I didn’t have the community of local vendors and artists as a support network, I wouldn’t have made it this far. Thanks to local brick-and-mortars like Curation 250 in Lowell, MA and Hive & Forge in Salem, MA, I’m able to reach an audience I would not otherwise be able to reach. Market organizers like the Salem Flea and the Anti-Robot Club out of Providence, RI have created a curated environment in which creatives, hobbyists, and artists can all thrive and communicate.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.stilldeadart.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stilldeadart
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/stilldeadart

Image Credits
Dana J. Quigley Photography
Melanie Christopher