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

Melissa, appreciate you joining us today. Have you been 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? Was it like that from day one? If not, what were some of the major steps and milestones and do you think you could have sped up the process somehow knowing what you know now?

I always knew that I wanted to be an artist. But I also knew that I wanted a family. I was able to devote more time to my art career as my children grew and started school. It was the perfect match as I was able to create work while my children were in school and attend art shows on the weekends. My business ramped up gradually as my time allowed. My pottery skills improved throughout this time and I honed my style. When I was able to go full-time into my pottery career, I already had many years of experience.

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 am a ceramic artist based in Mokena Illinois, a south suburb of Chicago. I make custom ceramics for restaurants, florists and homes. My specialty is working directly with Chefs and designers to create the perfect plate or vase to hold food or flowers. I will meet with Chefs to understand their personal style in plating and work with them to create the perfect match to showcase their culinary art. I work with floral designers to make the perfect vase to hold and display floral arrangements. I also work with individual clients for custom work for their homes.

Working with each person is a unique challenge and what makes my job fun. Listening to my client’s needs and taking notes helps me toward a successful commission. I am always looking for feedback on my work. This helps me be a better artist for all my clients. I love happy customers and I love to see how the object I made helps them with their vision.

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

People often idealize creative work and but do not necessarily understand the labor involved with creating enough work to make a living. As a ceramic artist, I am also a factory worker in a sense. The ideas and design are the art and the creation in consistent multiples is the factory work. It can be difficult for those outside of my field understand the complexities of the process and how the work is dirty, strenuous and time-consuming.

I think the process of marketing, pricing and selling work is the hardest part of the job. I have learned to take my personal ego out of the equation and look to the market to price my work. Experience has helped with knowing where to put my energy and to identify when something is not working. Most artists I know have reinvented themselves a few times over to adjust for market and life changes. Being willing to adjust and change direction is a natural and necessary part of the creative business. New directions and endeavors also serve to inspire creativity and the imagination.

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

I believe that society craves handmade original artwork and I am hopeful that appreciation will continue to grow. Much of my earlier work was purchased for personal use or as gifts and I know that the fact that they were original works was quite meaningful to the eventual owners. Supporting local artists and stores is the easiest way to ensure that artists can make a living and continue to create work. When art thrives in the community everyone benefits. Artists must also support each other’s efforts- particularly in the community. I would love to see more mentorships and outreach to young creatives to help more people succeed in the arts. The outreach that I have personally done has been very mutually rewarding for both the young artists and me.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.melissazmonroe.com
• Instagram: melissamonroe71
• Facebook: Melissa Zeigler Monroe
• Linkedin: Melissa Ziegler Monroe