Today we’d like to introduce you to Melani Alberts
Hi Melani, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
My art journey really took off when I was 8 years old and I saw my sister do a beautiful drawing. I gazed upon it lovingly and then thought, “meh. I can do better than that.” And that is how I started drawing portraits. You could find teenage me sitting hunched over and pencil smudged trying to capture all the detail of a movie star who was my latest crush. I would like to formally thank Josh Hartnett, Ewan McGregor and many of their contemporaries for motivating me to hone my craft.
I continued in portraiture until I was about 25 and started to post on Instagram. I slowly started to explore other mediums, like watercolors, alcohol markers and calligraphy. I remember my husband bought me an art desk when I was about 28. Having that dedicated area, almost allowed myself permission to really take my art seriously. That is when I started to sell my art on etsy.
During the pandemic I downloaded TikTok. I started to post my art there but this time I was encouraged to try all different types of art. I started to work in miniature. I took up sculpting and customizing toys. Then came the advent of my “food wall” where I started making oversized foods. Most recently I have been turning garden paver bricks into books.
Now I take commissions and basically create any art or craft that speaks to me at the moment. One day I’m painting a Hobbit hole on a brick, the next day I’m making a tiny foraging basket for a miniature witch diorama and then the day after that I can be found hands deep in spackle “frosting” an oversized circus animal to hang on my wall. Social media allows me to follow my artistic whims and share the process along the way.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
As with almost anything, it has not been a smooth road. Honestly the biggest struggle for me is the monetary side of social media. I sometimes make money from TikTok, but Instagram, which is the app I am currently most popular on, does not compensate their creators. So I can make a video that has 18 million views and not receive a dime in compensation. I understand making content does not automatically entitle someone to money, but it can be discouraging to look at numbers I get on Instagram and calculate how much money I could have gotten had I received the same views on TikTok.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I make art and other random creations that could be considered art. I think some people wouldn’t consider a handmade oversized tootsie pop hung on a wall as art, but they’re just no fun.
I don’t think I’m “known” for anything. I don’t think I’m successful enough yet to have a steady following. I am entirely to blame in this, as I refuse to niche down. I think I like too many things and get excited about too many different projects to really retain a specific type of audience.
I am most proud of the way I can walk around my home and see my art all around me, in all of its forms. It’s on my walls, on shelves, stored away as holiday decor. I just like that I’ve created things that make me feel at home. Also that one video that has 18 million views, that really puts a pep in a couple of my steps when I remember about it.
I think the thing that sets me a part from others is just the sheer amount of different types of art I do. I’m not the best artist but I might be one of the most chaotic.
Can you talk to us a bit about the role of luck?
I am very lucky to have a husband with such a steady income. This financial freedom buys me time. Time to create without having to worry as much about seeking my own income, since what I do is not the most financially lucrative. I am also lucky to have a partner who is very supportive of all of my projects. He never laughs at an idea. Most importantly I think he is truly proud of what I create. Even the weird stuff.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/melanimichelleart/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/melanimichelleart/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@melanimichelleart
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@melanimichelleart
