Meet Mary Morris Solomon

We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Mary Morris Solomon. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Mary below.

Hi Mary , really happy you were able to join us today and we’re looking forward to sharing your story and insights with our readers. Let’s start with the heart of it all – purpose. How did you find your purpose?

I feel that rooted deep down we all have a vibration that sits inside of us. It sort of marinates in our belly and from time to time shines out, but until we are ready to fully accept our full potential it stays in hibernation. As a child I would sit in my room drawing and painting as a way to find peace in a chaotic and unstable household. I would get lost for hours and hours with a pencil in my hand writing stories and illustrating them, creating worlds that I could be a part of that made me feel accepted and maybe even-dare I say- special. I would often fall a sleep at the table and wake up late in the evening and crawl into bed falling back asleep dreaming of these imaginary places and new friends I created on paper.
As I became a teenager, my drawings became darker, yet I would still retreat into this safe space that was just for me, late at night, during the quiet hours. Years passed and the time for these late nights slipped away. Once I was an adult those magical moments were replaced with rocking my daughter sleep, working full time to pay bills and filling endless hours with the responsibilities of adulthood. It wasn’t until an extreme and dramatic change happened in the world (the pandemic) that that vibration in my belly, my purpose, rumbled up and shook me to the point I could no longer keep it just for painting into the late nights. I vulnerably shared it with the world and the world said, okay, we’re ready for it now, too.

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?

What excites me is when a client reaches out and shares an idea or a thought they may have and I have the opportunity to turn that idea into a whimsical piece of art. Taking a dream, something that isn’t tangible and turning it into a visual element that evokes emotion! My favorite part of being a freelance illustrator is never knowing what the next person I meet is or what their idea my be, it’s always exciting and always a challenge. One of my avenues of revenue is my greeting card line. Painting a sweet or silly sentiment has it’s rewards when a person walks into my artisan booth or a retailer’s store, they pick up a card and that it can bring a smile or laugh from them, or even possibly a tear. It’s the authentic connection between an illustration to the human heart.

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?

The three qualities I feel impacted me are, not fighting what is meant to be yours. If the universe needs your skills or passion, it will constantly keep giving you signs, trust it. The second would be just jump, don’t over think it, just jump, we are all figuring it out as we go. There will never be the perfect time, you will never have the perfect space and there will always be a list of a million reasons why you shouldn’t do it, so just jump. The third is not having any regrets. I sometimes think about my last day on Earth, I hope I don’t know when that will be, but I imagine being surrounded by a few of my most beloved and in my last breath, what would be the thing I wished I had just went for? And do that today.

Thanks so much for sharing all these insights with us today. Before we go, is there a book that’s played in important role in your development?

The book Anxiety Rx by Russell Kennedy, MD. You wouldn’t think a medical book about anxiety would be the most important role, but it has really impacted the way I see my anxiety. I now, instead of seeing my anxiety as a weakness, I see it as a motivator to keep me moving forward. It has changed the way I see and feel stress in my business and life. This book explains why I am feeling worrisome and how to exchange that sudden cycle of panic and procrastination into power and passion. It has taken something I once was ashamed of about myself, something I saw as broken and turned it into my super power.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://marygoldtales.com
• Instagram: @marygold.tales

Image Credits

Katheryn Moran Photography