We recently connected with Nicole Brandt and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Nicole, thanks for joining us today. So, naming is such a challenge. How did you come up with the name of your brand?

My company is called “Mesopotamian Art.” I was in a PhD program for Assyriology, the study of ancient Mesopotamia, at the University of Chicago when I decided to try and turn my art making hobby into a business. I am an unknown name in the art world, no one would think to seek out art by my name, so I decided to use keywords related to what I make to garner interest instead. A lot of the artwork that I make is inspired by my studies and I wanted a business name that reflects that. I thought about search engine optimization and what key terms would funnel interested people towards my art, and I settled on the very pragmatic and searchable “Mesopotamian Art.” As I gain more of an individual identity in the art world, I may rebrand, but for now, “Mesopotamian Art” works well.

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

I am a visual artist. I have been a creator my whole life and create art in a wide variety of styles and media. The artwork that I make and market through my business, Mesopotamian Art, is largely done in a style that celebrates bright, fun colors, and draws inspiration from history, archaeology, and ancient culture and foodways. I was spurred to take my art making hobby to the next level and start Mesopotamian Art by a few different things. My professional background is in academia. Until recently I was working on my PhD in Assyriology, which is the study of ancient Mesopotamia, the land where Iraq is today. I was inspired by so many things from my studies that it flowed naturally into the artwork that I was creating. From a business perspective, I thought that there might be a market for this artwork amongst people in my field, fans of history, and current populations with cultural ties to the ancient people that I study. This encouraged me to get my art out there for people to see and start buying. The second thing that influenced the direction of my art business was that at the time that I was getting started, I was in an abusive relationship. Daily life was a painful and miserable experience. I found that using vivid, intense colors in my creations helped to bring little bits of color and joy into my otherwise dark existence. In using color as my own form of therapy, I was able to find a unique voice and style for my art that I decided to make central to my art business while keeping my other creative endeavors more at the hobby level.

Any resources you can share with us that might be helpful to other creatives?

One of the most valuable resources I have learned about on my creative journey is the existence of online artists’ communities. I believe that humans are meant for community, and for most of my journey I didn’t have a community of other creatives surrounding me. In 2021, I joined two online artists’ communities anchored in different goals and objectives and got connected with a wide network of artists from around the world. In these communities I have learned about the business side of being an artist and have found support, encouragement, and direction in my artistic and business pursuits. Since they are online, these communities are accessible and I am able to participate and contribute to them more easily than I would often be able to with an in person community, and an additional benefit is that worldwide membership means I am exposed to more perspectives and insights without having to seek far for them.

Do you think there is something that non-creatives might struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can shed some light?

A common misconception that I think that non-creatives have about we artistic folk is that our work just comes easily. I am passionate about my work. I love to create. But that doesn’t mean it comes without effort. Referring strictly to art making, I spend a lot of time practicing skills, experimenting with different media, and exploring new techniques. I make a lot of art that is never seen by others’ eyes. Beyond that, there is all of the work that has nothing to do with the creative process that must go into running an art business. Working as an artist means building and maintaining a website, staying on top of social media, packaging and shipping work, staying in contact with clients, and so much more. Some creatives hire this necessary work out, but many take it on themselves, and the time, effort, and artistry that go into the less creative side of the work often go unnoticed.

Contact Info:

• Website: mesopotamianart.com
• Instagram: @abstractly_archaic

Image Credits
Jes-c French