Today we’d like to introduce you to Melissa Francis
Hi Melissa, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I’ve always loved drawing and crafting, and have been doing so since I was a small child. I never thought it could be an actual career, so I put it all aside as a teenager and didn’t pick it back up again until 2010, in my mid 20s, when I went to my first Anime Convention – OMGcon in Kentucky.
While at the convention, there was an area called an Artist Alley, and this is what inspired me to start drawing and crafting again. I decided that I wanted to try to have a table in one of these Artist Alleys, and 2011 is when I did so, with Anime Blues in Memphis being one of them.
For the next six years, I continued to keep adding new conventions to my schedule while working a full time job at Vanderbilt University Medical Center as an Administrative Assistant. Then in 2017, I had enough data from those conventions to feel confident enough to quit my day job and pursue being an artist full time.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Being a self employed artist has so many struggles that will never go away for me. The biggest obstacle has always been myself, though, with my self doubt. I’m a self-taught college drop out that sees so many incredibly skilled and talented artists at every event that I go to, as well as everywhere I look online.
Will anyone even like what I draw? Will I even get accepted into any events? Will attendees even want to stop at my booth?
Early on, I would only receive 2-3 rejections each year. Now, I have to apply to 50-60 events, in the hopes of getting accepted to 25-30 of them as more and more talent joins the scene. There’s always the looming worry about how long I can keep sustaining myself in the market.
Aside from that, there is also the business side: getting licenses, paying taxes, business insurance, etc. It can be overwhelming and stressful trying to make sure you do as much right as possible since there usually aren’t resources to guide you every step of the way.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
My primary focus of my work is a very simplistic style, often referred to as chibi, kawaii, or cutesy. In the past, I had tried other styles like full body people, realistic, painterly, etc; but I was so terrible at them, that I didn’t even want to continue to be an artist.
Once I discovered how fun it is to try to make overly simple versions of things, I was more confident in my work, and accepted that I have limitations in what I can do, and that’s ok. There’s a market for everyone’s own version of art.
I think what’s most recognizable about my work are the eyes and the blush, as well as the bold outlines and saturated colors.
I’m the most proud when I get the opportunity to do a piece for an event, and someone asks if I was the artist because they “recognized the style” when they see it next to my table with my other work.
What would you say have been one of the most important lessons you’ve learned?
The most important lesson is understanding that everyone’s journey is different. Success doesn’t have one box that it can fit into, and it’s ok to be proud of every step of the way, and it’s also ok to be proud of where you are and not need to pursue more.
I still get the random comments saying “one day you’ll work for disney” or “one day you’ll make it” or “one day your stuff will be in a store” but knowing that none of those are things I’m striving for helps me keep doing what I love each day. You don’t have to be an influencer or work for a major company or have a large fan base to be happy with where you are.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://mimosastudioportfolio.carrd.co/
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/mimosastudio
- Facebook: https://facebook.com/mimosastudio
- Twitter: https://x.com/mimosastudioart
- Other: https://mimosastudioart.etsy.com
