We were lucky to catch up with Michelle Reid recently and have shared our conversation below.

Michelle, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. I’m sure there have been days where the challenges of being an artist or creative force you to think about what it would be like to just have a regular job. When’s the last time you felt that way? Did you have any insights from the experience?

I had a “regular job” for a long time working in hospitality which, if you know you know, will strip away any sense of entitlement that you have. It teaches you to listen your client, put their needs first, and be grateful for their business. I don’t think I would have gained this level of success without those transferrable skills. Plus, you learn to work in a pressure cooker of long hours, and working nights/weekends so when the chaos of running a booth at an art expo sets in, I feel like I’ve been training for this a lot longer that I’ve been putting brush to canvas but I had no idea when I set out to make my mark in the art world how happy I would be to fully immerse myself my new career.

I’m not that kind of artist that claims they “would die if they couldn’t create” I’m slightly less dramatic. However, I am plagued with and ideas and passionate brainstorming all day long. I NEED to have a place to bring them to life or else it festers into a mild insanity. I’m feeling challenged and happier than ever in this lifestyle where being creative, perceptive, and independent are all assets and being weird is my secret weapon.

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?

Michelle Reid is an award winning Canadian artist who has quickly become recognized for her unique expressive-impressionism. Her contemporary landscape paintings in oil are distinct, vibrant, and full of hope.

She has been painting for just over 7 years and currently features both contemporary nature and urban subjects in her work, noted for capturing the sunlight through colour but also for conveying a sense of the spirit of a place. Her work shines so bright you’ll want to reach for your sunglasses.

Michelle: “I love capturing the moments that I feel grateful to have
witnessed, when the light hits just right and illuminates a mistakenly mundane moment. A reminder that beauty is all around and that joy can be inspired in the smallest shift of perspective”

Have any books or other resources had a big impact on you?

I love to watch rock documentaries or listen to podcasts while I create. I can relate so much to the origin stories of my favorite musicians. Their dreams, struggles, perseverance, lows are all very all very relatable to my experience as a painter. And seeing that its all part of the journey to success is very a very encouraging reminder to keep showing up for the work. One of the things that seems to link our struggles together is that we don’t do our best work when we’re comfortable. It’s better to operate from a place of fear. My fears are that I can’t create what I see in my mind accurately, fear that a new direction won’t be accepted, fear that my concept won’t land. The struggle of challenging the work to be better is where the best ideas are born. The magic lies in the things we’re afraid of and I’m very excited about exploring these vulnerabilities.

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can provide some insight – you never know who might benefit from the enlightenment.

The best and worst parts about being an artist is that we eat, sleep, and breathe this lifestyle. It’s not a compartmentalized 40 hour work week. Inspiration comes when we’re busy doing other things and the struggle is to recognize the moment and make space for it even if you’re in the middle of a conversation, doing errands, or sleeping. It’s like trying to hold onto that last thought before you doze off, fleeting. And that’s just the ideas part. The next struggle comes when I try to use materials to recreate what I see in my imagination. A very hard thing to do as my imagination is infinite and art supplies have very real limitations. I have to struggle to reach a level of satisfaction that somewhat represents the magic I see in my mind. It’s very frustration and can drive us mad. In most cases, I think it eventually does.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.michellereidart.com
• Instagram: @michellereidartist
• Facebook: @michellereid. landscape artist
• Youtube: Michellereid2796