Check Out M’s Story

Today we’d like to introduce you to M.

Hi M, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Honestly, I couldn’t tell you the exact start of my love for design and creation. Ever since I can remember I have had a love for art of every kind. My Grandpa had been a photographer since I was just a little girl. Everything from videoing the family gatherings to capturing photos of our pets and the nature around us. I accredit a lot of my creative drive to him. His work ethic and true passion for creating continue to inspire me into my adult life. I remember my Grandpa putting hours into editing just one photo, he put love and intense thought into each picture he took and I have carried that ritual into my art. We bonded deeply through photography, in almost an unspoken way. Growing up with crafters, and a family that took such pride in cooking, all culminated into a love for creation as well. I picked up graphic design in 2020, back then it was just fan edits and silly collages of shows I loved. I took a long break but in early 2022 I found my way back to creating. This time it was different. It slowly became much more meaningful and the people who found my work felt that too. I think I can speak for most artists when I say, bringing something you feel to life is very therapeutic. Exploring different techniques and pulling inspiration from anything and everything has done just that. Being creative has shaped me in so many ways. Battling off the internal comparison to your peers and other creatives is never-ending, but the most important thing I have learned is that you don’t need to be Picasso to start creating. If you put your all into what you make, others will not only see but feel that. I have been so lucky to work with such amazing people throughout my time on my page, both clients and peers. I can’t wait to see what the future holds. I am still in the infancy of my creative career, my style is ever-changing just as I am.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Just as every rewarding thing in life, graphic design has presented me with just as much struggle as it has joy. For me, the most challenging thing has been figuring out how to establish myself and my page. Not only as a woman in male-dominated spaces but as somebody who’s never freelanced anything before. While I can’t say I am 100% there, I can say I have grown immensely and become much wiser. Walking the line between creating what you love and what gets clicks can be rough as well, especially when you start getting an audience. I think in those times it’s important to stay true to your values and creative side. Balance is everything when freelancing your work.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I am a graphic designer, an artist, but most importantly a creative. It has taken me a while to feel confident in saying that, but I have finally reached a point where I can. I primarily work in Xerox and a grunge style. I most prefer and enjoy taking album cover commissions including record or CD face design, and merchandise design. Commissions aside, I enjoy designing concept work for my favorite music artists. I struggle to find only one thing I am proud of when it comes to my work, I feel proud of it all. I am proud of what I’ve built and continue to put work into building. However, I do feel very proud when I can physically hold my work, whether that’s merch, or just framing it. Seeing things become physical brings me immense joy and pride.

So maybe we end on discussing what matters most to you and why?
Regarding art, the most important thing to me is creative expression. From the very beginning of my page, it has always been about creating art that portrayed how I felt and what I loved. I find comfort in creation, from making pieces about the darkest parts of my life to creating something that just looks cool. It’s never one thing, but the constant component in my work is putting feeling inside of what I make and trying to encapsulate that for not only myself but the viewer.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://sites.google.com/view/mdoesphotoshopportfolio/home
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mdoesphotoshop
• Other: https://linktr.ee/mdoesphotoshop