We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Michelle Reeves a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Michelle, we’re so appreciative of you taking the time to share your nuggets of wisdom with our community. One of the topics we think is most important for folks looking to level up their lives is building up their self-confidence and self-esteem. Can you share how you developed your confidence?
Confidence and self-esteem didn’t come easy to me. In fact I grew up feeling less than adequate and unworthy. While confidence and self-esteem are closely related, they most certainly are not the same thing….at least for me. When I was young my self-esteem almost crippled me. While I was confident in certain abilities I had which were always in either, sports or art, it wasn’t enough to guide me. So when I say I’m a “late bloomer” it couldn’t be more true. I’ll explain:
After I graduated high school I had no direction. I went to one year of college and hated it, which I think happens often when kids go and have absolutely no idea what direction they want to go in, so I dropped out. Art didn’t even enter my mind at this point. After several decades of sales/marketing jobs, of which I excelled and was promoted swiftly, this gave me professional confidence. However, I decided to go back to school to get an interior design degree at the age of 52 as I felt there was something missing in my life. It was through course-work that I started to paint and it literally exploded out of me, hours a day, everyday, for months. I knew this was where I was supposed to be….and boy did it feel right and good!
Self-esteem is a very personal outlook of oneself. It can make or break you. While, through life I had an amount of confidence, the self-esteem part of my soul was hurting and fractured. As I started to paint, healing began. It was organic and I didn’t really even know what was happening. Once I recognized that part of myself that had been stifled and finally set free, my spirit started to come together. It was during this time I also started some serious attitude changes and embraced positivity, love of self and gratitude.
Today, at 57, even though life is tough, I feel whole and on the right path. Because I had a healthy dose of confidence in the beginning, I paint for myself and I’m so gloriously happy and grateful that there are those out there that enjoy my work.
Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?
Painting occurred late in my life. In 2017 a gentleman asked a question during a job interview: “What are you passionate about?” Pondering the answer to that question led me back to school to get an Interior Design degree, hoping this would fill a void. Along the way, through course work, I found my true self and at 52 years old, started painting.
After a lifetime of feeling hidden and unfulfilled, renewed child-like joy and professional purpose bubble out and is reflected on the canvas. The relief of knowing what I’m supposed to be doing and the emotive translations of life are expressed with careful color consideration and texture building.
As a self-taught painter, every canvas is a learning experience and as a former make-up artist I am very affected by color and have been my whole life. I am inspired by what I see in nature which springboards me in a painting direction. I don’t paint what I see, but rather the impression, color and movement of the subject or imagined content. Many paintings are an exploration of “what if”, and stretches me. I can feel the growth as I push through the “ordinary” phase to get to the finished product. Every painting is a failure until I get to that nugget of truth and bravery to try something that could ruin a painting. But unless I can get to that uncomfortable place of exploration, then I’m not growing and I’m not offering something worth giving.
Floral beauty has always been my sanctuary causing a visceral response to the beauty and possibilities of nature. It comes as no surprise that when I started to paint, flowers literally exploded out of me as they bring so much joy and wonderful memories. I communicate my point of view, good, bad or ugly, through flowers/nature and color/texture – putting voice to canvas through paint and palette knife/brushes, in an impressionistic/abstract fashion. Being a life-long fan of Claude Monet and spending countless hours as a child combing through coffee table books, has greatly influenced me.
It brings me great joy when someone says a painting makes them happy to look at it. Many artists will tell you they paint with emotion on their sleeve, and those emotions are reflected on the canvas. I do the same, but sometimes I get a zap of impulsive energy that is reckless and physical. For example, “In A NutShell” is two paintings in one. The under painting is a graphic doodle on a large 48×60 canvas, and the over painting is partially painted with my hands.
Risks move me forward and My Coloring Book Series is a good example and has significant meaning to me. While attending an artist residency in France in September 2021 I created a series of small paintings that mimicked my childhood coloring books, which was totally unintentional and fun to realize. The thick black lining, intricate backgrounds and embellished details were all things I colored on coloring book pages as a child. Now, the black/gold or white outline details the abstract brush strokes, flowers, leaves, branches that loosely resemble flowers and fauna of different kinds. I believe I’ve come full circle and am grateful everyday that I get to paint!
This fall you’ll find me: September 1-30, 2023 I will be at Grimaldi Gallery in NYC in the “Celebrating Life” Exhibition and Paris, France for a couple of months for research.
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?
Anyone looking to “do something else” or wanting to “find their thing” need to ask the right questions. Skills will come with practice but the right questions will help naturally align with your qualities and your souls purpose. So my advice is for anyone looking to align themselves with their true self is to ask yourself these 3 questions:
1. “What did you enjoy doing as a child?” This is important because we never outgrow who we really are. I’ve ALWAYS LOVED ART but never gave my self permission to be “good enough” to pursue it! Shame on you Michelle!!
2. “What did others always say you were good at?” This is important because if you have low confidence or self-esteem, others affirmations as a child can help unearth what you may be blind to. My parents always told me how creative I was and talented in creating. But sadly I didn’t see the value.
3. “What were you good at as a child?” If you were good at math, but you loved to read, I’ll bet that the editing or publishing companies would love someone with a methodical brain. Could that be “your thing”?
Our inner child has an enormous hold on us. And as I stated, we never outgrow who we are. So, when I went back to my soul roots and started to paint, my life literally fell into place. And as a mature woman, we can get overlooked and dismissed very easily. We can feel empty after giving our all to others, so I’m here to tell you to have a conversation with your child self and see what happens. I’m so glad I did!
Okay, so before we go, is there anyone you’d like to shoutout for the role they’ve played in helping you develop the essential skills or overcome challenges along the way?
This is going to sound arrogant, but it was me. Painting, art in general is a personal endeavor. Someone really can’t hold your hand. You have to be willing to build and develop essential skills and overcome challenges to become successful. So to answer a different question: Where there key people that helped you move forward and encouraged you? The answer is an emphatic YES! My husband Steve, who encouraged me to go back to school, who was thrilled at my excitement with painting, who doesn’t dis-like a single painting (which I find hard to believe), and who loves delivering paintings to galleries. My sister Dawn and her husband Johnny (my brother from another mother) with encouraging words and were my first clients and are so devoted that they share my website with everyone they meet! Who gifted me with a HUGE canvas to challenge myself.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.michellereevesart.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/michellereevesartnashville
