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

Michelle, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Are you happy as a creative professional? Do you sometimes wonder what it would be like to work for someone else?

Yeah… I’ve definitely had those moments where I wondered what it would be like to just have a regular job. Something predictable. A steady paycheck, clear hours, less emotional investment. Especially during slower seasons in my business, when I’m working harder than ever and not seeing the return right away, it can mess with your head a little. But the truth is, even in those moments, I know I wouldn’t trade this. Being an artist isn’t just what I do, it’s how I process life. It’s how I make sense of things, how I move through emotions, how I connect with other people. There’s a depth to it that I don’t think I’d find in a “regular” job.

What I’ve realized is that the hard parts don’t mean I’m on the wrong path. They’re part of it. And honestly, I’d rather deal with the uncertainty of building something meaningful than feel disconnected from what I’m creating every day.

So yeah, I’ve thought about it. But every time I do, I end up right back here, choosing this again.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your background and context?

I’m a mixed media fine artist, and my work lives somewhere between realism and something more dreamlike and symbolic. I paint women, animals, and elements from nature, but it’s never just about what you see on the surface. It’s about what’s happening underneath, the emotional layers, the quiet things people carry that don’t always have words.

I didn’t really “choose” this path in a traditional way. Art has always been how I process life. Over time it shifted from something personal into something I could share, and eventually into a business. But I’ve never separated the two. The work is still very much tied to my own experiences, my own healing, and my own questions about identity, growth, and transformation.

I create original paintings, hand embellished canvas prints, and mosaic works. My prints are a big part of what I do because I don’t treat them like typical reproductions. I go back into each one by hand, adding texture, movement, and real 24 karat gold leaf so they carry the presence of an original. Each piece is signed, finished, and comes with a certificate of authenticity that includes my poetry, which gives people a deeper way to connect with the meaning behind the work.

What I offer isn’t just something to hang on a wall. A lot of the people who collect my work are going through some kind of transition, grief, growth, rediscovery. The pieces tend to meet them in that space. They reflect something back to them that they may not have been able to articulate on their own.

I think what sets me apart is that I don’t approach this as decoration. I’m not creating to match a couch or fill a blank space. Everything is rooted in emotion, symbolism, and lived experience. Even the way I build my pieces, the layering, the imperfections, the textures, it mirrors that process of becoming.

What I’m most proud of is the connection. The messages from people who feel seen in the work, who say a piece helped them through something, or that it feels like it was made for them. That means more to me than anything.

If there’s one thing I’d want people to know, it’s that my work is meant to be felt, not just viewed. And if something resonates with you, there’s usually a reason for that.

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

There was a stretch not too long ago where everything looked like it should have been working… but wasn’t.

I remember sitting there thinking, what am I missing? Am I doing something wrong? Is this even sustainable? It’s a strange place to be, where you’re working harder than ever, doing all the “right” things, and still not seeing the return. That’s the kind of moment that makes you question everything, your path, your choices, even your worth in what you’re doing.

And I had that thought, the one I think a lot of creatives have at some point… maybe it would just be easier to have a normal job. Something predictable. Something where effort equals outcome.

But I didn’t quit. I didn’t pull back.

If anything, I leaned in harder. I refined my work, I got more intentional about who I was speaking to, I focused on depth instead of trying to appeal to everyone. I stopped chasing what I thought would sell and went back to creating from a place that actually felt honest.

What came out of that wasn’t just better work, it was stronger alignment. The right people started finding me. The ones who actually connect, who see themselves in the work, who value it beyond just decoration.

That period taught me that resilience isn’t always loud or dramatic. Sometimes it’s just choosing to keep going when nothing is giving you immediate validation.

And trusting that if you stay true to what you’re building, it will meet you on the other side.

Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

Yeah, there is.

At the core of everything I create, I want people to feel something real. Not just look at a piece and think it’s pretty, but feel seen in it. Like it’s reflecting something back to them they couldn’t quite put into words.

A lot of my work is rooted in transformation, identity, grief, growth, the in-between spaces people move through quietly. So my goal isn’t just to make art, it’s to create something that meets someone in those moments. Something that sits with them, not just hangs on a wall.

I think we live in a time where so much is surface level, fast, disposable. And I feel really pulled in the opposite direction. Slowing things down. Creating work that has weight to it, that carries meaning, that people can return to over time and see something new in.

There’s also a big part of me that wants to bring people back to themselves. To remind them that their inner world matters. That there’s depth there worth exploring, not something to numb out or scroll past.

If someone stands in front of one of my pieces and feels understood, even for a moment, that’s the mission. That’s the point of all of it.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.michellegreenart.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/michellegreen_art/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Mozzafiatoart/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@michellegreenfineart