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

Michelle, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Did you always know you wanted to pursue a creative or artistic career? When did you first know?

I’ve been an artist my whole life. Everyone in grade school knew me as the girl who could draw. But when college rolled around and it came time to choose a career path, I chose to become a teacher. Growing up, I genuinely loved school and I loved my teachers– so much so that I wanted to be just like them. Although my passion for art was always with me, I never considered pursuing it professionally. Somewhere along the line, I believed the lie that being an artist isn’t a real profession, and I followed my path to become an Elementary school teacher. After spending an obscene amount of money on my higher education and graduating at the top of my class with a Masters degree, I taught in the classroom for a couple of years before making the awful realization that this career I had chosen was not at all what I thought it was going to be. Feeling lost and unsure of what I was going to do, I turned to my art. At the end of 2021, I took a leap of faith, quit my job as a teacher, started my own art business, and never looked back.

Michelle, 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?

My name is Michelle and I’m a professional muralist & artist from Long Island, New York. I am the sole owner and face behind all things Art By Michelle Marie LLC! I specialize in painting commercial and residential murals as well as seasonal storefront windows. In addition to the service portion of my business, I also run an online art shop where I sell a variety of goodies that feature my original designs and creations.

Prior to running an art business, I was an Elementary school teacher certified in reading, general education, and visual art. I taught reading and 4th grade for a couple of years, but quickly started to realize that the career path I had chosen simply was not for me. During my time as a teacher, my anxiety was at an all time high. I had no idea what I was going to walk into on any given day of work. I looked forward to Friday afternoons, and dreaded Sunday nights. It was then that I knew I had to make a change, and so I turned to my art. At the end of 2021, I decided to take a leap of faith, leave the classroom, and start my own art business.

Back when I was in college, I worked as a sign artist for Trader Joe’s. It was my job to paint large, eye-catching chalkboards and displays for the store. This is where I found my love of creating bright, bold, large-scale work. When I started my own business, I knew I wanted to lean into creating works like these on a larger scale. Painting a mural was always on my bucket list, so I found a blank wall in my grandmother’s house, asked her permission to paint it, and my first mural was born. I posted the mural to social media and shared my entire process from start to finish. Not long after this, I began painting murals for local businesses, libraries, and schools in my area.

After painting a few murals, I decided that I wanted to dabble in the world of temporary/seasonal window art. A lot of the work I created at Trader Joe’s was based around the seasons and holidays, so I already had a portfolio of cute characters I created that I thought would be perfect to paint on windows. I started by painting the windows at my own house, posted those pictures to social media, and pretty soon had a bunch of inquiries in my inbox of people asking me to paint their windows too. Today, painting seasonal windows for local storefronts is one of my absolute favorite parts of running my business!

When I’m not painting walls or windows, I run a successful online art shop where I sell a variety of stationery goodies, drinkware, accessories & more. Every single thing in my shop features my own original designs. I’m always adding new and exciting things to my shop. Most recently, I published my very first coloring book!

My journey to where I am today has been a winding road, but I wouldn’t change any it for the world. Career paths can often come with detours– but I’m a firm believer that you always end up where you’re meant to be. Life is just too short to wake up every day and dread going to work. It’s my goal to add a little bit more color to this world, and I’m so thankful that every day I get to do what I love.

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

The most rewarding aspect of being an artist is seeing my work being enjoyed by others. It could be when I’m out painting a window and someone passes by and leaves me with the nicest compliment. Or when I watch people light up and laugh when they interact with my art in person at local art shows. I love getting to see how my art positively impacts others in my community.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

There have been many times over the last couple of years where I’ve pushed myself way outside of my comfort zone. Leaving my career behind was incredibly scary, but it was a necessary step for me to grow to where I am today. As a one-woman-owned business, I have had to learn to wear all the hats. I am the artist, but I also had to learn to be the business owner, photographer, social media marketer, administrative assistant, website designer… you name it! The challenges I faced in the classroom made me resilient to the challenges and obstacles I’ve faced while building my business. I’m now confident in my ability to tackle any challenge and figure it out along the way.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.artbymichellemarie.com
• Instagram: @artbymichellemarie
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/artbymichellemarie/
• Tiktok: @artbymichellemarie

Image Credits
Siobhan Becker | Photos By Siobhan