We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Morven Moeller a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Morven, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. What’s been the most meaningful project you’ve worked on?

Like most creatives, I struggle with imposter syndrome, but there are moments when I am reminded how meaningful my work is. Those moments keep me going. Just this past weekend, vending with my pride merchandise at an anime and pop-culture convention, I had the opportunity to provide a teacher with a variety of pronoun buttons that she’ll display in her inclusive, English classroom, gently encourage a supportive mom of a genderfluid child while she adjusts to her child’s changing pronouns, and welcome families who are looking to buy pride merch for their out children and friends. I do this work because I love to make art and want to make a difference. When I see that I’m making a impact, no matter how small, I know that I’m doing the right thing.

Morven, 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’m Mo (they/them) and I am the artist known as Portfoli.Mo. In short, I draw digital art then make cool goodies with the designs.

Lately, I’ve leaned into the ‘unhinged’ aesthetic, because living day-to-day in this late-stage capitalist society has earned me a warped sense of humor. Most of my art is saturated, sparkly, and colorful, often pride-inspired or in a rainbow palette, but the themes vary. Sometimes the art comes across as dark, dirty, or corporate; other times, it comes across as loving, inclusive, and self-loving. And while it may seem strange at first, I think we all find ourselves having these dichotomous feelings about ourselves and the world. I sell a variety of items, including prints, charms, lanyards, stickers, button badges, enamel pins, zines, and books.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

Seeing your art “in the wild”. I vend at various events and sell my merch online, but nothing beats the moment I’m at a movie theater or in line at the boba tea shop and I notice a button or enamel pin I designed on a bag ahead of me. I do a little happy dance, because not only did someone buy my art, they’re displaying it. I like that I have a chance to help someone convey themselves to the world, to present themselves authentically.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

I listen to every piece of advice that people offer, but I don’t always incorporate that advice into my practices. Sometimes I know that it just won’t work for me or my products; sometimes I feel that the suggestion is unethical; sometimes I just don’t want to – and that’s okay. When I first started vending over 10 years ago, someone suggested that ‘no one ever sells something sitting down’ and I still wrestle with that advice today. I feel very guilty when I need to sit down at my table (from exhaustion or pain or just because), but I shouldn’t and neither should anyone else. I think that a better way to word the same advice might be ‘try to stay active and engaging at your table’, but even that isn’t totally true in every situation.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://portfolimo.com/
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/Portfoli.Mo
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Portfoli.Mo
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/morven-moeller/
• Other: Portfolio Site: https://portfolimo.myportfolio.com/

Image Credits
Portfoli.Mo Pumpkin Magical Girl was entered into a DTIYS of @holobat ‘s character (on Instagram). Portfoli.Mo Pumpkin Girl was part of a one palette, many artists collaboration hosted by @the_best_ginger_ninja (on Instagram).