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

Melanie, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Are you happier as a creative? Do you sometimes think about what it would be like to just have a regular job? Can you talk to us about how you think through these emotions?

I’m extremely happy working full-time as an artist and don’t wonder about having a regular job because I took that route first. I’ve loved art since I was a child but being an artist full-time didn’t seem practical. Instead I worked all sort of jobs from a pharmaceutical sales representative calling on physicians in a rural Louisiana territory to an advertising account director working with one of the biggest pharmaceutical companies in the U.S. to a moderator leading medical education meetings.

Nothing was a good fit. I started taking painting classes on the weekends and painting whenever I could. I eventually took a part-time job and had the time to concentrate on painting. I worked part-time for years while building my art business. It was a great way for me to take a risk with the safety net of a salary and health insurance. I’ve been a full-time artist for several years and it’s by far the best job I’ve ever had. I’m glad that I took the path I did because the marketing, sales and public speaking skills I learned have been so helpful to me as an artist and teacher.

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

I’m an acrylic painter in love with happy color. I use layers of color to create dreamlike landscapes and florals. A gallery owner once said that my work “evokes a range of emotion from quiet contemplation to bubbling-over joy” and I just loved that description. My studio is in Mountain Brook, Alabama and I sell my work through my online shop.

I also enjoy creating and teaching online painting courses. “Fearless Florals” is a course I developed to walk students through how to paint beautiful florals without fear. Hundreds of students from around the world have taken the course. Students have said that the course provided a new found confidence, jump started their painting and showed them a method to paint in a style they love. The course really helped them to overcome anxiety about painting and that means a lot to me. Painting has brought me so much joy and it makes me happy to help others find that joytoo.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

Prior to the pandemic, my art business was built on in-person art shows and live workshops. Of course, when the pandemic hit all that stopped. I had always planned to create an online version of my floral painting workshop but I never did it. The pandemic forced me to jump in and create the course. It was the best decision ever.

It turns out I love creating online courses and enjoy the challenge of figuring out how to do something new. I had no idea what a big project creating a course was and that was a good thing. It was also a good thing that I didn’t have a plan B and just had to keep solving the problems that popped up along the way.

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

By far the most rewarding aspect of being an artist is that I get paid to do what I love. I also enjoy setting goals and figuring out how to meet them. I love the flexibility of owning my own business and the sense of accomplishment when I finish a project that seemed overwhelming at the beginning.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.MelanieMorrisArt.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/melaniemorrisart
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/MelanieMorrisArt