Meet Michelle Pryor

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

Michelle, we are so deeply grateful to you for opening up about your journey with mental health in the hops that it can help someone who might be going through something similar. Can you talk to us about your mental health journey and how you overcame or persisted despite any issues? For readers, please note this is not medical advice, we are not doctors, you should always consult professionals for advice and that this is merely one person sharing their story and experience.

I tend to mention my anxiety and depression a lot because it has negative and positive effects on my creative process. I can use the most recent time of October 2024 as an example, i was mentally and creatively exhausted for weeks and could not get anything done. I’m a ” do everything at night” kind of person but i did nothing but cry and sleep even though i craved a nice long paint session to calm my anxiety. Although i regret not getting much done i half heartly accepted the fact that i needed to rest and recharge to get back in motion. To be honest, I have yet to overcome my mental health issues but I’m on a path to learning how to use them to my advantage and be a more self aware person and artist. I think its important at times to listen to your body and mind separately because even tough my body was active and willing to work my mind wasn’t.

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?

My name is Michelle or Chelle and I grew up in the Park Heights area of Baltimore Maryland. I have been creating since I was probably about five, I remember around that age getting an empty photo album, and a box of scrap paper with colored pencils from my grandmother and I started my first book of sketches and doodles. Growing up I would sit for hours watching cartoons and sketching them along with trying to create my own fashion line. Growing up in Park Heights I had a lot of outside influences, good and bad, but I knew being a creator was always mine to pursue and having family that supported that made my journey not easy but manageable. I say manageable because I didn’t have everything i wanted but my mother, grandmother and grandfather made sure i knew the value of what i was given and how to make it work in my favor. I’m forever grateful for them because i have no idea what else i would have been doing with my life if they didn’t encourage me to stick to what i was passionate about.

I create so many different kinds of art that sometimes i ask myself what type of artist am I?. Its special and different because I don’t like to be categorized. If you see my displays i can have a painting of a beautiful little girl in a dress sitting on a park bench and next to it a collage of anime characters and under that digital art or handmade keychains.

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?

My three impactful qualities as an artist are my good and bad intrusive thoughts that keeps me exploring my creativity, the awareness of my surroundings and my open heart and mind to the process. I may be afraid to try new things in life in general but when it comes to being a creator I’ve learned not to hesitate and to try it until it either sticks or doesn’t. My most recently learned quality is having an open mind and heart to the creative process and it give me the ability to know when to take a break from a piece to maybe re-evaluate the concept or just to clear my head and come back to it when it feels right. My advice is to just let it flow because what’s meant to be is gonna feel right in every way possible so accept the signs. In the past I’ve let depression and anxiety keep me from creating and i regret the time i can’t get back, so now i try not to waste the opportunity to create.

All the wisdom you’ve shared today is sincerely appreciated. Before we go, can you tell us about the main challenge you are currently facing?

My number one obstacle is just the unknown of everyday life as an adult. If i had things my way i would definitely be a full time artist but things cost money unfortunately and my art career has not taken off for me financially just yet. I would just love more time in a day to create and be at peace.

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