Meet Mel Necole

 

We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Mel Necole a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Mel, thank you so much for opening up with us about some important, but sometimes personal topics. One that really matters to us is overcoming Imposter Syndrome because we’ve seen how so many people are held back in life because of this and so we’d really appreciate hearing about how you overcame Imposter Syndrome.

I started treating my life as a huge development project which took away the pressure of needing to have a perfect product. Moving in this way allows me to see and embrace people for who they are and even the ways that they may inspire me without making me feel like I’m missing anything. Because I view myself as my Magnum Opus, I am constantly seeking to learn about the things that bring me joy. This has made the journey fun for me, and I am seeing it reflect in my work more and more. As cliche as it is, life is truly about putting your blinders on and directing your vision to your own lane because God wants to do something new there.

Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?

My name is Melanee Necole a multidisciplinary artist residing in Atlanta, GA. My work is centered around the idea behind the human experience and it’s symbolic connection to nature. I refer to my work as “planting seeds” and my goal is to affirm, inspire and empower the aesthete.

Creating in this way is very fulfilling because a lot of my themes come from my own experiences as well as the ones of those around me. With this, I view my body of work as a visual diary that I am able to share with the world, impacting me as much as I want it to connect with the viewer.

Currently, I am working on a series called “Late Bloomers” which is a collection for those who may feel behind in any area of their life. The goal is to remind viewers that we all grow in our own time, and to trust the season that you are in because you can’t miss what’s for you. For anyone that would like to tune in to this series, you can find it primarily on Instagram @melaneenecole.

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?

For me, it was definitely patience, creative vision and adaptability.

Patience can be applied generally to anything that you are pursuing because when you are in the early stages, patience is the conduit for growth that lasts. It can be easy to compare your timeline with someone else’s so my advice here would be to remember that slow and steady wins the race. In contrary to this microwave culture we are in, it’s important to build a solid foundation. As long as you are intentional about your progress, you will find yourself far ahead with time.

Creative vision was something that I needed to develop as an artist because it helped me discover the voice that’s threaded through my work. As a creative, it is a common aspiration to find your own style and figure out what sets you apart. Social media bombards us with everyone else’s ideas that sometimes it can be difficult to hear our own. Strengthening my creative vision gave me the foresight to see my ideas through. I often have this grand thought or feeling that I’m trying to convey, and then I work through that by adding visual elements that appeal to me and depict what I am saying. My advice here would be to check in with yourself daily whether that be through meditation, journaling or just simply listening to your body when it needs rest, change, etc. Neglecting self makes your inner voice quieter and you want to be able to hear it clearly. The more you listen to and act on what your spirit is telling you, the more you will be able to trust your creative vision.

Adaptability is also a universal tool but specifically for me, it helped me to keep an open mind as I developed on this art journey. As time goes, goals change and if one doesn’t learn to evolve with those changes, they can get stuck in what could have been. My advice here would be to give yourself grace when you realize you may need to pivot. Going in a new direction doesn’t always mean that you have to start from scratch. If anything, pivoting can sometimes accelerate you.

Alright so to wrap up, who deserves credit for helping you overcome challenges or build some of the essential skills you’ve needed?

My mom, hands down. This woman has always allowed me to express myself and she is the reason why I am not afraid to try new things. She is my biggest cheerleader but more importantly, she has been such a leading example of what it looks like to step out on faith. When I come to her with my doubts and fears, she is always one to speak life into my plans. There have been times where she has spoken on something that i didn’t even share, but it was exactly what I needed to hear in that moment. Everything with her is intentional and it has shaped how I move about in this world. I honestly don’t know where I would be without her.

Contact Info:

Image Credits

1st image: Chelsea Alexandra at Rolling Out

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