Meet Meghan Sours

We recently connected with Meghan Sours and have shared our conversation below.

Meghan, thank you so much for taking the time to share your lessons learned with us and we’re sure your wisdom will help many. So, one question that comes up often and that we’re hoping you can shed some light on is keeping creativity alive over long stretches – how do you keep your creativity alive?

Space to breathe away from the studio is essential to my creative practice. Stepping back allows me to gain clarity and perspective after countless hours of staring at my work. Often, when I’m away from the studio, my mind has more room to wander, sparking creativity and helping me solve problems within my work. I like to spend time with my family and immerse myself in nature. I also like to bake and find inspiration in the enlivening of the senses, relishing the texture of the dough beneath my hands, savoring its rise and aroma as it ferments, pulling a golden, crackling loaf of sourdough from the oven. Reading also keeps me creative, especially when paired with a steaming mug of coffee, or the simple joy of riding a bicycle and feeling like a kid again on a grand adventure.

Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?

I am a portrait artist working in the realist tradition, primarily through drawing and oil painting using an indirect method. My focus is on creating contemplative, intimate portrayals, particularly of women and children. With each portrait, I strive to uplift the human spirit—capturing not just a physical likeness, but the subtle shifts of expression that hint at an inner story. There is a quiet tension between what we reveal to others and what we try to keep hidden. In my work, I seek to gently expose that vulnerability. While I have spent the past few years focusing on commissioned portraits, I am now shifting toward more personal work that explores the complexity and tenderness of motherhood.

I am also the artist behind 60 Minute Art, a series of online charcoal drawing videos that blend classical techniques with fun, lighthearted instruction, making them accessible to all ages and skill levels. Our tagline is, “Create a masterpiece in under an hour.” My husband, brother and I started 60 Minute Art with the goal of helping beginner artists jump right into the joy of drawing. Charcoal is a low cost, versatile medium that can be handled much like paint, allowing for quick creations of full-value, finished drawings. Our aim is to inspire confidence in students and show them they have everything they need to create an artistic masterpiece.

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?

First, focus on honing your technical skills. Self-expression deepens with experience, but to make a lasting impact with your art, you must master your medium—so well that your work cannot be ignored. It is not just about whether or not you think you are gifted, but your tenacity. Every failed artwork or rejection holds a lesson that will help you grow. Take your time, this is your legacy. Study the techniques and compositions of the masters and glean from their knowledge. Second, seek out mentors and find community. Surround yourself with those who inspire and challenge you and may have differing techniques or opinions. Don’t hesitate to ask questions, learn from their experiences. Third, live beyond yourself. Whether through family, faith, or community, practice reaching out, serving, and listening. Being an artist is about how you connect with the world. We live in a strange time with social media where we are surrounded by people and yet everyone still feels lonely. Engage with others in person. Practice stepping away from the podium to truly listen to their stories; let them shape your perspective and, very possibly, your art.

What’s been one of your main areas of growth this year?

The past year has been difficult for me and my family. We left our home of 12 years in Utah and moved to North Carolina, where I was accepted as a resident artist at East Oaks Studio. It was a dream opportunity, yet it came at the cost of uprooting our lives and leaving behind our community. The transition was far more difficult than I had anticipated, and during this time, I experienced a second miscarriage. I was shattered, grieving deeply and feeling profoundly alone. I longed for validation, for someone to acknowledge my pain, but it also didn’t feel like something I could share through words, so I turned to my art.

“Secret Sorrow,” a self-portrait with my daughter, became my therapy. With every stroke I forced myself to remember and relive the painful experience of death within me when there should have been life, to imagine what could have been. I poured my grief into the drawing. The process took six months, each moment a struggle, as the piece became an intimate part of my healing journey, one I knew I would eventually share with others. As soon as I finished, however, I knew this work was pivotal.

Motherhood is tender, but it is also painful and sacrificial. Women endure so much, yet there are so few resources when it comes to loss; we grieve in silence or in whispers. This is the future of my work: to share the quiet, bittersweet, and vulnerable stories of women and their children. I want to create art that resonates on a deeply emotional level, offering understanding without words, a connection that speaks to the heart of our shared experiences.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://meghansours.com/
• Instagram: meggiesours
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@60minuteart
• Other: https://60minute.art/

Image Credits

Bryan Sours