We recently connected with Michelle Belton and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Michelle thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. When did you first know you wanted to pursue a creative/artistic path professionally?

Of course! It all started coming together after the pandemic, I went from being in the office 5 days a week with a 2-4 hour daily commute to abruptly working from home full-time. I am an adaptable person, so I immediately was able to navigate the waters of this transition. Now that I had these extra 2-4 hours available in my schedule, I found time to explore things I haven’t touched in a while and that was art.

Back in May 2020, I recalled a memory from when I was little… I would wake up in the middle of the night, grab my pencil in the dark on my nightstand, clip a book light to my drawing pad, close my eyes, and capture the image from my dream and bring it to life with every scribble. I have drawn a lioness and so many other drawings this way throughout my childhood. After coming back to reality, it was clear, I wanted to get back into it after soo many years!

The next day, I went to the Michaels craft store and bought colored paper, drawing paper, tracing paper, pencils, pens, markers, etc. The list could go on, I threw it all into my cart and set my mind to being creative again. I started trying calligraphy (harder than you think!), I drew kawaii characters and got all of the proportions wrong, it was a mess! I finally decided to just go with the flow, pulled out tracing paper, traced an image from a kawaii coloring book (some cute characters popping out of an ice cream cone!), and decided to use an exacto knife to cut patterned paper to fit like a puzzle on the traced out images of these characters. It was time-consuming and I did it all in one sitting. I realized then that I loved and missed the rush and excitement of letting my creativity flow.

That night, I made my decision, “I will start my own business with my art!”. I immediately went online and bought my iPad and apple pencil, (yes, on a whim just like that!), and waited for the day it would finally be in my hands. The last time I did any digital art was in High School, so this experience was going to be pretty much new for me, and I embraced it with open arms.

I drew every single day from online tutorials, researched the best way to sell my art digitally and I decided to pursue stickers and logo creation. I built my Instagram page in the summer and constantly updated it with my new artwork. I worked on engagement, regular posting, and hashtags, leading my audience to be excited for my shop to open in October 2020.

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

Yes, of course! I am a Digital Artist. I got into this industry on a whim based on a childhood memory I recalled back in Spring 2020. I would wake up in the middle of the night thinking “I have to draw this before I forget!” grab my pencil, drawing pad, and book light and get to work. This memory made me realize how creativity used to fuel me and that it was a part of my life that I was missing. I had the extra 2-4 hours in my schedule from transitioning from an in-the-office job to a remote job and I wanted to make the best of it! I began to strongly consider letting my artistic side run loose. I wanted to show the world what I am capable of in a meaningful way so I bought my iPad in 2020, created Marbled Mauve, and never turned back.

The products I currently provide are created with my own original artwork, from stickers, tumbler designs, art prints, and t-shirt merchandise. My sticker sheets ended up being the main star of the show. I did a ton of research at the time, and stickers were the most popular product. Since my main audience was small business owners, I veered my creativity toward small business needs for sticker sheets, and from there I continued to expand my audience and added new products over time.

The services I provide are graphic design, digital illustrations, commercial art, and 1-on-1 consultations. Most of my clients have been small business owners who want to expand their online presence and define their branding. My first-ever commission was a logo design 3-4 months into starting my digital art path. Shortly after, I ended up getting DMs asking for logo designs. At one point, I was balancing 3 logo designs and the best part is that those same clients still use their logo to this day!

What sets me apart from others is my transparency and the way I can bring my clients’ visions to life. We communicate via email/call/DM or video chat and I send a proposal based on our conversation. Once we officially start, the client is involved in approving all steps of the artwork process from start to finish with no surprises.

I am most proud of having my first-time clients and repeat clients feel like they are comfortable and listened to during our time working together. I love that long after the completion of the project, I can reach out to my clients and support them in their path to this day and I am glad they even feel comfortable doing the same.

I want others to know that starting my digital art business was easy. The hard part is continuing even after the constant failures. Every step of the way I have had mistakes, but I viewed them as lessons learned. Take the time to think about what you did, how you did it, where you did it, and if you showed it to the right audience. I have even felt fear with the risks I am taking in launching new services or products. One thing to remember is fear and excitement act the same way in our bodies so I just go for it!

Looking back, are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?

Yes! Now that I am a couple of years into my business, there are many resources I wish I knew. (1) Getting a mentor is top-tier. Not just one, but many in all aspects of your business. (2) Tutorials are your best friend, most of them have brushes that you can download for free including skills you can easily learn that become beneficial to your artwork in the future, (3) Networking, like-minded people are very important throughout your creative journey since they are only others that understand how you feel and what your going through. Go to events, art fairs, conferences, conventions, join groups, etc. This journey is by no means easy, it’s hard to do alone and you must have your people.

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

Being free to create. I can draw absolutely anything I want and am free to show it to the world or not. Artwork does not always have to be public, you can have tons of private work and tons of work that you can release to the world as a product. The creative outlet is very necessary, and as a digital artist, I love how my pen can vary based on pressure, styles, and textures, the possibilities are endless. There may always be someone out there creating the exact product or artwork you are working on, the only difference is someone may choose to keep it private while others choose to show the world.

Contact Info:

• Website: marbledmauve.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marbledmauve
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/marbledmauve
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDBBvzfXFUWQMEztx_E4tIQ