Meet Maude May

We recently connected with Maude May and have shared our conversation below.

Maude, first a big thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts and insights with us today. I’m sure many of our readers will benefit from your wisdom, and one of the areas where we think your insight might be most helpful is related to imposter syndrome. Imposter syndrome is holding so many people back from reaching their true and highest potential and so we’d love to hear about your journey and how you overcame imposter syndrome.

Getting older certainly assisted me in overcoming imposter syndrome. I realized that there wasn’t
anyone telling me what I could create or how I could make it. I knew I had the skills and that I was “the boss of me.”

Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?

I am a collage artist – layering images utilizing hand stitching and photography. Compelled to create visual stories I combine discarded snapshots, copyright-free Library of Congress images and my own photographic works creating both simple and complex fabric art. I strive to move the viewer towards discovering and honoring the mysteries of the people, ideas, places and possessions that were once deemed precious and have now been left behind.
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I have been making art in one form or another since childhood – stitching pre-printed samplers, fabricating elaborate collaged drawings and designing tiny dresses for my troll dolls. With advanced degrees in ceramics, textiles and photography, my passions have led me in many directions and my career has encompassed a wide variety of professions: pastry chef, art director, location scout, miniature golf course designer, photo stylist and paint-color consultant. For more than two decades I owned a graphic design business, meeting with clients, designing invitations, favors and collateral for corporations, non-profits and private individuals.

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

I’ve explored many different art forms: ceramics, photography, textiles, graphic design and more. What I realized was that when I lost interest it was because I didn’t want to invest more time in taking my skill in that particular medium to the next level . This was very freeing and allowed me to focus on the areas where I wanted to improve my proficiency. Being a beginner is hard but very rewarding in the long run and discovering subsets within my chosen media keeps me going.

Is there a particular challenge you are currently facing?

Finding enough time to work — my dear husband spent 35+ years as an environmental attorney and is now retired and wants to play — I want to work in the studio for long periods of time — my hand stitching process is a slow one and individual artworks take days to make. He is very supportive of my work but I am aware of the push/pull that my solitary studio practice creates.

I’m still figuring this out.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://maudemay.art
• Instagram: maudeanne

Image Credits

All photos of artwork taken by me.