An Interview with Megan Marie Myers
"We can learn a lot from each other... Cheer others on in your community and in your industry; a rising tide lifts all boats."
Since opening our of office in Downtown Bend we've had the opportunity to feature some fantastic local artists. Painter, illustrator and Bend resident Megan Marie Myers creates beautiful original paintings, yearly calendars, picture books, puzzles and more. Through our conversation, we were able to gain some more insight into the life of a creative business owner.
Q: How long have you been a professional artist... and what motivated or inspired you to pursue a career out of creating?
Megan: I’m going on eight years as a professional artist. From a young age I knew that I wanted to have a career in the arts. I spent my early career in arts administration, working with professional public artists. Then I worked for a world-renowned art studio in Seattle. Being exposed to successful professional artists was very inspiring and taught me that it is achievable. I had a strong work ethic, a ton of creative ideas, and a solid foundation from my past employment experience, so I bet on myself.
Q: It sounds like one of those dream jobs where you get to be so creative and make people's walls + homes more beautiful, but we know that there must be a down + dirty side, too... along with all of the pretty, exciting stuff, what's the reality of your day-to-day?
Megan: Without a doubt, the creative aspect of my job IS a dream job. The time I spend painting, drawing, illustrating, designing, and collaborating with clients are the happiest moments of my life! But those creative activities are only a fraction of the job. Making my art a viable career means running a small business. It has had its challenges and major learning curves. The business- side includes things like building and maintaining a website and online shops, writing contracts, managing wholesale accounts and licenses, advertising and social media, organizing finances and bookkeeping, filling and packing orders, ordering materials and inventory, applying for shows and markets, working at events, hanging art shows, writing artist statements and interviews, managing donations and other charitable giving, creating operational processes, giving occasional talks and workshops, sourcing printers and manufacturers, working with product photographers, managing project milestones and resources, facilitating image- management, managing an employee, and personally addressing customer inquiries. Each of these tasks are multi-faceted and feel very different in nature to the creative work that I thrive on. There were many years that I took on everything by myself in my tiny art studio and was really over-worked. But I finally got to a place where I was able to hire an employee, a bookkeeper, and rent a co- warehousing space to store my merchandise and facilitate my packing and shipping. My day-to-day is much more manageable and enjoyable now that I have been able to hire support and spend more time in recent years focusing on the creative work that I’m stoked on!
Q: If you had one piece of advice to leave our readers with, whether they also aspire to create on a casual or professional level, or if they are looking to invest in works of art for their own homes, what would that be?
Megan: My piece of advice is for aspiring professional artists: When I was in school, it never occurred to me that if you decided to make art for a living, then it is a business. And you need to know about business just as much, or more, than you know about art. That said, foremost, I would advise anyone starting out to take business classes alongside your art classes if you’re serious about making a living at it. Learn everything you can about business and know that at least half of your time will not be creating. A harsh reality! But don’t get down on the business side, because it is SO fulfilling and you get so many friends along the way. I would also encourage aspiring artists to have mentors. And collaborate as often as you can with other artists or businesses. We can learn a lot from each other. Every huge leap I’ve made in my business was because another generous business owner shared their knowledge with me. And of course, cheer others on in your community and in your industry; a rising tide lifts all boats.
Q: Where can West + Main Home Magazine readers follow you, purchase a piece for their own collection or connect with you?
Website: meganmariemyers.com There is a page on my site which lists my show and market schedule. I keep it current so you can visit the work in person! Original artwork is typically hanging in a show every month of the year. You can also view available original paintings on the website.
Shop: etsy.com/shop/ MeganMarieMyersArt
Instagram: @meganmariemyersart
Wholesale: meganmariemyersart.faire.com/
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