We recently connected with Melissa Baker Nguyen and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Melissa thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us 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?

Yes, yes and yes! Today, totally happy as an artist creative, but yesterday, I quit 3 times. It’s one of those really weird and hard places to live in. Most days I am so grateful that I get to do what I love, and what I believe I was called to do in the world. Then you have those others days, I think we all have them, when we entertain the idea of “what if?”. Almost as though we forget how incredibly blessed we are to be able to create daily. Do I catch myself wondering what if I had a regular job? This year, yes, on the daily almost. I would find myself perusing Indeed looking for creative jobs near me… only to realize I am not cut out for any of them. When I do settle in and realize I am grasping at straw trying to find a “real” job, in the “real” world, I can recalibrate, and rest in knowing that there is a real purpose and plan for what I do, even if I don’t see it all the time. I know I am on the right track.

Melissa , 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?

I’m an artist, illustrator, creative, wife, dog mom, and accidental tourist. I have been creating all of my life, for as long as I can remember I’ve had a pencil in hand. Too often I got reprimanded for doodling in the margins of my note book during math class. I was pretty good student, I didn’t like school at all, which is hilarious when I think about it (you’ll see in a minute). I did my undergraduate degree in studio art, I was a painter, I was going to be a painter- who lived on a farm, raised animals, and painted. That was who I was going to be… scoot ahead a year- I had graduated, and I was filled with hope, and I got where I was going, and ended up working 3 minimum wage jobs just to get by. I am pretty sure we’ve all been there, a right of passage you may say. At that point, I was not willing to do this for the rest of my life, so I went back to school and got an education degree (right?! what was I thinking, the kid who didn’t like school was now going to teach it- yup, I see the folly of my ways now). I ended up teaching for 6 months, then my appendix ruptured, I went on sick leave, and never looked back.

I did however maintain a foot in the education world, I went on to teaching adults, and at the same time, I started to teach myself adobe illustrator, and photoshop, had a friend encourage me to “keep going, you are good at this!”, so did. I took continuing education classes to get really good at the Adobe suite and I ended up doing graphic design for about 15 years. And this is where the accidental tourist part comes in, my Hubby and I moved to Vietnam for his work, my work was mobile, I could take it anywhere- so off we went. We landed in Vietnam with 4 suitcases and ourself sweaty selves in 2016. It was great. I kept doing my graphics for my clients, dabbling in my art again, and figured this is what I’ll be doing for life. While we were overseas, I figured I should learn the language and I signed up for a class, while we were introducing ourselves, I made a bold statement that I was “an artist and graphic designer”. That was the moment everything changed. One of my fellow students, Christina, was a children’s author, and needed an illustrator- she informed me, before she had even seen my work, that she would like me to work with her on her next book. I said no a hundred times to her… but then I finally said yes, and it was the best decision I have ever made. I illustrated by first children’s book in 2017 with Author Christina Kirstoffersson Amelm, and I have since authored 3 of my own books, and illustrated a grand total of 10 children’s books.

Now I specialize in illustrating books for indie authors, those who want to independently publish. I also work with a Publisher here in Canada, and I really enjoy the process of working with them. My latest book was written by Canadian singer and song writer, Don Amero. These Roots of Love, a story about how love remains when life ends was an emotional book to illustrate. Don wrote this book for his nieces who lost their father at a very young age.

What working on books has taught me is that everyone has a story to tell, everyone’s story is valuable and worth telling. Sometimes authors get caught up in panic mode, what if this story has already been told?- it hasn’t. “What if it’s similar to something already out there?” – it won’t be. “what if, what if, what if”. Those “what ifs” will be the death of any creativity. I enjoy walking side by side with someone who is creating, I love being part of the process of encouraging and helping authors bring their stories to life, and their dreams to fruition.

You know, as an author myself, I’m proud of my work, but I am even more proud of the work I do in relationship with others. When I see someone hold their book for the first time, (trust me, this never gets old, no matter how many books you write or illustrate) holding the those printed words that came from your heart, your creativity, your soul- holding your dream… that never gets old!

My goal as an illustrator, and a human being is to spread goodness, share positivity and hope for a better world. To leave my little mark in the world, It’s funny, my hubby and I were never able to have children, and this is a whole other layer of my life that in someway fuels me, to leave a legacy. One that maybe I’ll never see, but I hope the children who read my work, the authors I work with, and everyone I meet feels.

I’ve since been stretched with new projects I’ve never done before, I’ve been given the opportunity to work with a small business called ‘Suttons Buttons’ and they make the cutest pjs for kids. I was approached to do some pattern work for them. That was out of my comfort zone, that was a huge learning curve. Yes I can draw, sure I can create, but will what I create be good enough? Doubt is the biggest killer of creativity ever. I learned somewhere along the lines to say yes quickly and figure it out as I go. So that’s what I did, I said yes to an opportunity (Now, I was honest, I’ve never really done this before, let’s see how we can work together and create something amazing). It is my favourite thing to do. I absolutely love creating patterns that get printed on children’s pjs, and kiddos get to wear my artwork. HOW COOL IS THAT?! I still pinch myself when I see a toddler wearing one of my designs. It’s amazing.

Surface pattern design is something I plan to continue with, creating happy prints for kids, and adults alike, sometimes new dreams pop up you didn’t even know you had, I’d say run with them and see where they’ll take you.

I think if I look back on my life as a creative, I always knew I was artistic, but had no idea what to do with is… it all started to come together when I started to say yes. Yes is scary, but yes is also the beginning to new things, and sometimes we need to walk through open doors, even if it means being brave, we only need about 3 seconds of bravery to say yes… I’d like to encourage you to be brave, to say yes, and see what comes of it.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

Oh, this is good. I had to unlearn that everyone knows what they are doing. Everyone has it all figured out. They don’t. We don’t. We’re all just experimenting at this life, what works?, what doesn’t?, how we move forward?, how we pivot and change? and how resilient we are when faced with problems. We don’t actually have it all together. No one has it all together. What we like to do is pretend we have it all together. I find this detrimental to the upcoming generations who look to us as if we know what we are doing, especially when a great deal of us don’t. I tend to be quite honest, I’ll tell you I’ve struggled with the imposter syndrome, even naming what it is that I do, I tend to include a few things, I’m an author, illustrator, creative, surface pattern designer, I can’t quite commit 100% because what if I’m not good at that, what if I’m not 100% at that. I think this might be something that we all go through at some point. Remember that “normal job” we talked about, well, you are given a title, your title describes what you do, you have job description, if you don’t know how to do something, someone teaches you, right? As a creative who works solo most of the time, I write my job description, I change it all the time, somedays I’m more confident than others, I add to my list of things I do, other days, I tell people “I’m a creative, and I’m not even sure what that means today”. So I guess unlearning that “Fake it t’ill you make it” idea, It’s ok, to want to try something new you’ve never done before, it’s ok to be new at something, It’s ok to be honest and say “yes, I’ve never tried this before, it sounds like fun, let’s see if we can do it!”

I’m still learning this, I’m still trying figuring it all out- one thing I know for sure, is there is a whole lot I don’t know, and that’s ok.

** Freebie for all of the creative: I’ve also learned, I don’t have to be good at my hobbies, and my hobbies don’t have to become jobs- which sometimes we try to do, instead, I can do a hobby poorly just for the sheer enjoyment of doing it :)

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

I think the most rewarding part of being a creative is seeing your work out in the world. When you give life to something that only existed in your heart and mind, it’s wild. To make something out of nothing is incredibly satisfying. I often think of the builders in the world, they must just drive around and point at things, I built that, I made that bridge, you see that stadium, I helped make that- it’s wild, I don’t know how else to put it. It’s like a little piece of your heart is on display for the world to judge… and sometimes that is scary, that is almost always scary, but also wild!

Contact Info:

• Website: www.lostbumblebee.com
• Instagram: lostbumblebee / Melissa.bakernguyen
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LostBumblebee.creative

Image Credits
Ashley Marie Creative