Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Melody Emrani. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Melody, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Do you wish you had waited to pursue your creative career or do you wish you had started sooner?

I think the journey of a creative person is always in motion, there is no beginning or end. For me my preferences, voice, and sense of self as an artist are constantly being shaped. But the decision to share my work, to let it leave my control and be seen and interpreted by the world was just as important as the evolution of the art itself.

For me, the process of becoming comfortable with my creative identity has been a gradual one and though I put years into education, practice, and technique, I think my art career only really began when I finally made the decision to step out the studio and share my work with the world.

I started drawing as a kid, often hiding my drawings under my bed, not that I was embarrassed by them, but because they were mine alone, a solo journey that I was on by myself.

But one day, I decided to take a drawing with me to school, it was something I was proud of and wanted to look at. That day, I got a lot more attention than I planned on getting for something as simple as putting a drawing on the front of a binder. Being young and shy, I decided that that about of vulnerability was too much. I took the picture off my binder and decided to keep my head down. This strategy worked all the way through to high school, where one day, a girl in my art class threatened to steal my work from me, and pass it off as her own. Unpleasant as the experience was, it also forced me to see my work under a new light—if people were willing to lie, for the opportunity to claim it, then perhaps there was more to my work than I was giving it credit for.

As I continued to grow, I enrolled in art classes at UCLA. I found myself in sessions mostly with women in their 60s. One day, during an expressive portrait drawing class, a woman peered into my drawing pad and asked me if she could have the drawing I had created that afternoon.

Over time, I began to understand that being an artist isn’t just about creating—it’s about the time it takes to develop a connection with yourself and being ok with people observing you. I felt like I was ready to get into an art career when I was ready to stand up for myself and the work that I was producing.

Looking back, I can see how much I’ve learned along the way. In terms of whether I should have started sooner or later, I feel that the timing was just right. While there’s a part of me that wishes I had shared my paintings more when I was younger, I also believe that a creative career finds you when you’re ready. It sweeps you up before you can even realize it’s happening.

If I had started doing shows earlier in my painting process, I think it could have affected ability to take creative risks.

Sometimes it’s about growing into your process and trusting that your moment will come when you are ready for what you have to offer people. Having a career takes a level of grit, having a piece of yourself on display for everyone to critique, admire, cry or question is not for the faint of heart.

So, in hindsight, I wouldn’t change a thing.

Melody, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I am a Los Angeles-based painter whose work explores the principles of essentialism in visual art. Drawing inspiration from Mid-Century colors. My paintings focus on distilling subjects to their most essential forms. By honing in on a singular subject and stripping away excess detail, My work emphasizes the core of the subject’s identity, allowing the viewer to experience the power of simplicity and clarity. Each piece is meticulously composed to project only the amount of information necessary to recognize and appreciate the form, inviting a deeper connection to both the subject and the viewer’s perception.

Working primarily in acrylic, I seeks to create moments of stillness and contemplation in a world often cluttered with distractions. The reduction of visual elements allows space for reflection, creating a balance between abstraction and representation. Through this essentialist approach,Melody challenges the viewer to focus on the essence of the subject, rather than its complexities or extraneous details.

Are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?

That I can ask the guys at the hardware store any questions I have about surfaces and the most likely has a solution to my problem.

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

Bringing warmth to someones home.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.melodyemrani.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/melodyemrani_art/?hl=en

Image Credits

These are my photos.