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

Melissa, appreciate you joining us today. What’s been one of the most interesting investments you’ve made – and did you win or lose? (Note, these responses are only intended as entertainment and shouldn’t be construed as investment advice)

One of the best recent investments I made was bringing my print studio home. I’m a printmaker, specifically screen printing, which can be a whole thing in terms of space, drying rack, access to water, darkroom, etc. During the pandemic I left the studio space I was renting and worked on rebuilding everything at home. It took a few years, but I can now make an edition of screen prints from beginning to end out of my home in northwest Detroit. I miss having studiomates and the community that provides, but this situation forces me to seek other ways to find community, which as an introvert has been good for me. And I’ve found I’ve been more creatively productive working from home. My artist practice is deeply embedded into my life, so it’s worked really well for me to bring it home.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I studied art in college and came across printmaking and screen printing in my last semester, and fell in love with it right away. I was a photography major and felt like it was too late to change majors at that point, but I kept screen printing on my own. I’ve worked at two commercial print shops, including one in Detroit I co-owned with a couple of my friends (Ocelot Print Shop). I feel lucky because I can complement my imagination with the technical knowledge I gained working at the print shops. At this point I’ve been screen printing for over twenty years. At Ocelot Print Shop I started teaching screen printing workshops and found a real passion and sense of purpose there. I remember the first time I made students laugh – I realized the power you have when you’re “leading” and have the attention of a group of people. I don’t take it lightly.
I believe art is for everyone and I try to create welcoming art experiences for people of all skill levels and backgrounds. I think these kinds of experiences, where we pause in our day-to-day and take a break from the phone to make something with our hands, is where change can happen. You can imagine your life (or even the world) being a little different, and if you can do that, there’s no limits.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

Art provides a unique ability to connect with people. Especially because I’m going to do it anyway (make art), it’s nice that I can share it with others and spread the joy. I started a Patreon a little over a year ago, and that has been a really rewarding experience. I make an original screen printed postcard once a month (which is mailed out to Patrons) and post weekly about my artist practice – what inspires me, how I come up with ideas, and how I turn those ideas into prints. Whether it’s in a workshop or over Patreon or making someone’s wedding invitations or a custom portrait of their pet, art provides a unique way to connect with other people. You hear about their experiences, learn about their passions, and through art you and your creativity become a part of their story.

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative?

The journey of an artist can be hard to explain – in my experience it’s not really linear. There isn’t an established pathway, where you do X and then you achieve X. Though I imagine every artist’s journey is different. My journey has no endpoint. Exploring art will be something I do in some form for the rest of my life – what form that will take exactly I don’t know. Being an artist means being led or directed by something that doesn’t have an obvious tangible “win” or endpoint. I don’t like to delineate between creatives and non-creatives because I think everyone is creative. It’s more of a choice of what kind of a role your creativity will play in your life, which can fluctuate over time, depending on what else is happening for you.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://melissadettloff.com
• Linkedin: https://linkedin.com/in/melissa-dettloff/
• Other: Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/melissadettloff

Image Credits
All photos by Melissa Dettloff