Today we’d like to introduce you to Melody Hansen
Hi Melody, 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?
After dropping out of art college in Toronto, where I studied graphic design, I started sharing drawings on Tumblr and Instagram. People became drawn to the depth yet simplicity of the drawings, and I began incorporating hand drawn and handwritten elements into my design work. I worked on my first album rollout with rap artist GoldLink 10 years ago, sparking a love for world-building. I moved to LA in 2019, and here, have worked on a number of album artworks with artists like grouptherapy. and Citizen Queen. I’m a graphic designer, but I approach the world and my work as an artist. I love to work with my hands, and blend digital with the tangible. Something I intend to continue doing, no matter how technology evolves.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Navigating life as a freelance woman with anxiety, I don’t feel life is ever a smooth road. Everyday tasks can feel challenging. I’m learning to overcome those anxieties. I’ve also struggled finding my place in the world. I daydream a lot and get lost in the poetry of life, and sometimes, would rather stay there than move through societal pressures to make money and prove myself worthy to be paid attention to. I love doing many different things, and often, I’ve felt society doesn’t really know what to do with that, especially being a woman. I struggle with how to present myself. I tend to want to diminish myself or make myself smaller for others to understand me. But I’m learning more and more to trust my gut, my ideas, my vision as an artist.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I’m a graphic designer and an artist. I build out visual worlds with musicians and brands, blending physical materials with the digital. Some of my work has included album covers, clothing collections, book illustrations, and campaign visuals. I’m known for my mixed media work—incorporating hand drawings, handwriting, handmade crafts into a digital space. As a designer, I feel most comfortable working with my hands, whether it be printing and scanning, building out a scene, or drawing with a pen. I’m most proud of my dedication to . Shortcuts aren’t very appealing to me, I like seeing signs of humanness in art and designs, even if they may be considered “mistakes”; there’s a certain theatricality to a design or artwork when it’s a little unexpected, and I love that. Art comes to life that way.
Do you have recommendations for books, apps, blogs, etc?
I watch a lot of films and documentaries (especially the ones about other artists), and find a lot of inspiration in them. I’m very inspired by directors like David Lynch, Tim Burton, and innovators like Walt Disney. I find David Lynch’s book “Catching the Big Fish” comforting, because his perspective on ideas is very much how I perceive them, too. And ironically, a favorite Tim Burton movie of mine is titled Big Fish. Perhaps something is in the water…I enjoy writing and sharing art on Substack—I have a newsletter titled PRETEND IT EXISTS where I explore imagination through folklore, fairy tales, art, film, and storytelling.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://melody-hansen.com
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/themelodyh
- Other: https://melodyhansen.substack.com/
Image Credits
Portrait photo (black and white) by Gabriela Hansen
