Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Michelle Ley. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it 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?
I honestly couldn’t imagine myself doing nothing else, art has always been an escape for me. When I was a kid I had a hard childhood and it was the only way to run away from my troubles without ever actually having to leave. Nothing I’ve created has really made sense and I’ve worked with just about every medium. Well, in hindsight, my mind doesn’t make sense and neither does the world around me so I suppose my art is a perfect rendition of that. Growing up I never knew what I wanted to do with my life and hell, I still don’t to this day. Nowadays I’m a full time bartender and I absolutely love it; probably because there’s an art to making a drink and I’m always getting creative with my cocktails. I can honestly say I’ve never held a normal job so to speak, if you saw my professional resume you’d surely raise an eyebrow. Sure I worked in an office but it was inside a prison dealing with tasks related to the unit: and it wasn’t even a 9-5, I worked nights!
I always find myself going back to bartending though, I hate sitting down and staring at a computer; it’s so boring! I am currently in school collecting more degrees and licenses for I don’t know what. Every time I think about going to a corporate lifestyle I freak out lol. Im the type of person who would fall asleep at their desk and get fired. I should know, it’s happened before! I just think I would be miserable.
Im currently designing my own clothing life and I think eventually I’d want to open my own cocktail lounge. I see myself as an entrepreneur so I don’t think I’ll ever end up holding a normal job position. Every time I think of such a thought it pushes me harder to make a unique life for myself so I don’t have to hold a mundane position just to afford a nice life for myself. I want to get paid and really enjoy the work that I’m doing. I want there to be excitement in each day and endless opportunities for growth.
Michelle, 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 didn’t know I was an artist at first. I guess I figured it out when five year old me couldn’t stop doodling on her desk and got in trouble for it. I didn’t even have a sketchbook at first, I used computer paper and kept it in a binder or tacked the sheets to my bedroom walls. I started drawing cartoons for the other kids in my class so they could decorate their binders. Not everyone was privy to my ideas. Considering I grew up in a town where I was the one of the only people of color, most everyone around me look down on me and what I liked to do. I started to become more private with my art because everyone around me always had something criticizing to say; like I wasn’t a child just trying to make sense out of a chaotic place.
I’m pretty talented at just about everything I put my hand to. I sketch, paint, design clothes, customize shoes, do photography/videography, digital art including cartoons and album covers. I’ve done sculptures for people, woodworking projects, I craft, I’ve made music, I act, and even do tattoos.
I’m most proud of the fact that I can crate anything i put my mind to. Once I stopped second guessing my talents it opened up so may doorways and allowed for so many opportunities.
I want every one to know I work hard and put my all into everything I do. Everything I make comes from love and I will stop at nothing to make sure you’re satisfied with your product.
Are there any books, videos, essays or other resources that have significantly impacted your management and entrepreneurial thinking and philosophy?
I’m currently getting a certification in project management which is literally learning how to manage projects for companies. Regarding what I want to do once I get certified I haven’t a clue but it has taught me some valuable skills personally and professionally thus far. I’m learning more time management and organizational skills, how to prioritize tasks and sets schedules for them. It has certainly come in handy for me as a creative and I didn’t even realize it at first. I also use YouTube as my biggest resource; as we all know you can learn just about everything from there!
What can society do to ensure an environment that’s helpful to artists and creatives?
My advice is to shop local and shop small. Visit more flea markets or farmers markets. Craft fairs and other pop ups will have you finding hidden gems as well. These big scale corporations do not care about their customers, only the profit they can make off of them. I think communities should host more of these markets because it brings people together on a ,ore personal and loving level. Creative people put love and pieces of themselves into their creations. They love being able to make someone’s day. This world can be cold and cruel but artists break that barrier by interpreting such hostilities and creating something magical. If you want love and warmth brought into your life support a local artist. The passion we have for our crafts and our supporters will positively impact your life. You never know what kind of enriched soul you’ll come into contact with.
Contact Info:
- Website: Coming soon!
- Instagram: @the.hardest.artist
Image Credits
Michelle Ley