Meet Steve McElroy

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

Steve , we’re thrilled to have you sharing your thoughts and lessons with our community. So, for folks who are at a stage in their life or career where they are trying to be more resilient, can you share where you get your resilience from?

I love this question, because it’s so important for any career, and life overall. I personally made a decision early on that I would learn to enjoy the process as much as the destination. I decided that I would never get too far ahead of myself and only focus on quality, positivity, and putting something interesting in front of people. Success is never an accident, it’s an ability to find a need and fill it. In my own case, art became my own self-created fantasy world which I could use daily to put forth inspiring messages to others through beautiful symbols and imagery. So somehow I knew that if I enjoyed it during the creation of it, others might feel my passion for it too. And it works! People are highly intelligent and curious, and it’s so true that if you do what you love…success follows! And isn’t that refreshing to know? WE control our success…it doesn’t control us.

Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?

I decided to become an artist midlife. I chose it, it didn’t choose me. I have created and sold thousands of drawings, paintings and sculpture in many countries of the world. I enjoy it as much today as I did 29 years ago! My work is always positive, enlightening, inspirational in theme and intent. And people are so nice about it! I want my work to marvel their eye, but also I want the viewer to escape and think for that one moment in time. My work is always titled with a message of hope…..like Step Outside the Box or Remember to Live a Colorful Life. I want the viewer to walk away inspired to begin anew in their own life, in whatever they choose to do. My work comes from a place of sincerity, because to always remember that how you make people feel as you walk through life is a gift we should remember is the greatest responsibility of all! Art has given me a thrilling way to travel through life. I hope your readers do a search of my work and, in doing so, decide that today…right now…is their brand new chance to become what they intended!

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?

I had some early mentors who were true believers that one must cut through the clutter of life and stay true to your passions anyway. Never let life steal your identity. It’s under your control, always! To me to keep one’s childhood zeal and belief is the greatest asset of all. If you believe it, others will too. And only compete with yourself. Never compare your accomplishments to others. It simply doesn’t matter. What matters is that you woke up everyday and stayed on the course you intended. Certainly you’ll have setbacks, but train your mind to shake them off daily, and start fresh with the same zeal and passion tomorrow. You’ll make yourself happy when you decide to practice this….and in the process you’ll make those around you more happy too! I decided…and you can too…that your life adventure is written by you daily, and no one can take that away. It’s your choice, and luck plays no role in it. Manifest it and go get it!

One of our goals is to help like-minded folks with similar goals connect and so before we go we want to ask if you are looking to partner or collab with others – and if so, what would make the ideal collaborator or partner?

I love collaborating with brands and creative people. Two heads are always better than one. I have created rug designs, scarf designs, puzzles, fabric, even art for commercials and tv shows. Executives and marketing people know that I’ll create something that helps them sell more of what they do…in a positive and tasteful way. One can’t fake it. We always have to give it our all so that the message and quality shows! For this reason…one project at a time…I earned the right to be included in The Artist Rights Society….the same as Picasso, Warhol, Matisse and others of the past. What a thrill to know that when one works hard and with passion…people notice. So I hope other brands in the future will approach me so I can show them something inspired and thrilling visually to help them!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.SteveMcElroy.com
• Instagram: @SteveMcElroyArt
• Facebook: @SteveMcElroyArt
• Twitter: @SteveMcElroyArt
• Youtube: FedEx commercial “From Canvas to Collector” with Steve McElroy
• Other: My work is the current theme for FedEx worldwide “From Canvas to Collector” with Steve McElroy on their websites, in ads and on YouTube. My butterfly and other work will appear in the August 2025 issue of Veranda Magazine and in the books Casa Santa Fe by Rizzoli and The Glamorous Home by Jan Showers out October 21, 2025.

Image Credits

Steve McElroy Art
Steve McElroy