T：When did you start your art and creative journey?

M：Art has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember, but I didn’t pursue it as a career until about 3 years ago. I couldn’t find anything I was passionate about. I kept switching from job to job and nothing was sticking nor bringing me joy.  I thought that I owe it to myself to at least try and do something I enjoy doing. The next day I went to a local art shop, picked up art supplies and began painting.

T：Have you ever had any big challenges starting a career being an artist? What kept you going despite of all these challenges?

M：The biggest challenge was not knowing what this career would actually look like. All I wanted to do was paint and I thought that’s all there was to it. I didn’t have any clue on where I was going, how to connect with potential clients nor how to handle the office work that came with it. These things had to be learned along the way. Through the beginning stages, there were ups and downs, falling, getting up again, learning how to multitask between creating and emails, documents, facing creative blocks. I realized that in order to pursue art as a career, I had to learn to go with the flow and take each day as it comes and everything would fall into place.

T：How would you describe the style of your artworks? What inspired you the most throughout the creation?

M：To me it feels peaceful, calming and positive to paint. I hope that viewers feel this way when they look at my art. Nature, sunshine and the endless summer have huge impact on my creative state. Color and music too.

T：What are the narratives you wish your audience to take away from your artworks?

I hope people will slow down a little and breathe, be in the moment. In a busy life, it’s so easy to get sucked into being on the go all the time. Take time to pause, take time to rest and reconnect with nature. It can seriously transform from the inside out.