Today we’d like to introduce you to Meagan Boyd.
Meagan, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I think for me, I started out like most artists- with a sincere desire to express. I played around for a while with many art forms in high school and college, but painting and drawing were always my strong points. These mediums were where I felt the most in flow- liberated by all the ways painting can manifest. My focus was always on creating art. I made the choice that making art would always be a priority, even if that meant making lots of sacrifices. I was not born into a wealthy family, so going to art school was a time in my life that I was plagued with the anxiety of what paying student loans would like on the salary of a barista or vintage shop worker who painted all night in her free time. I actually ended up dropping out my sophomore year at CCA and figured I’d transfer to Cal State Long Beach where the tuition was more affordable. But when I moved back down to So Cal from Oakland, I ended up getting a job working at a gallery in West Hollywood where I learned a lot about the business side of being an artist and started to refine my body of work in a more cohesive way and began sharing it online in a similar fashion to the way the gallery would share the work of their artists. I found Instagram to be helpful tool to gain more visibility.
Initially, I was just really excited to share the new work I was creating, but as my audience grew, I was being offered more art shows and being asked to work on many interesting projects. Eventually, I was being asked to sell my art prints, paintings, custom illustrations and commissions. I was willing to do all of it if it meant I could live solely off of my art. Over time, my career has evolved and it continues to shift and expand with new ideas. I can’t express how grateful I am that my work has connected me with some of the most inspiring people I’ve ever met. I’m very lucky, but it did take a lot of dedication and hard work.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
There’s been plenty of times that I have felt scared about earning enough as an independent artist, but the trick is continuing to show up with your offerings as much as you can. There are so many people in this world that want to support artists and art always gives life more meaning. Keeping that in mind no matter how hard things get seems to help in times when I’m feeling low.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I am a visual artist, a mother, a daughter, a sister and an explorer of all things esoteric and mysterious. Some may even call me a witch, a term I find endearing, deeply powerful and even sacred. My favorite medium is painting, but I also view working with herbs and creating magical spaces is another very potent mode of expression for me as well. I’ve exhibited in various galleries nationally but have always worked independently without gallery representation. I’ve participated in artist residencies in New Mexico, New York, and abroad in Switzerland. My paintings have been featured globally in various publications including Vice’s Creators Project, Hi-Fructose, Flaunt, Disfunkion, Paulette, and Bust Magazines. You may find my work on the pages of Taschen’s Library of Esoterica- I have contributed paintings to three volumes including: Astrology, Witchcraft, and Plant Magick.
What separates me from other artists? Well, first of all I feel like I’m an outsider most of the time. It could be just in my head, but I bet lots of artists feel that way. I guess I can only speak on my personal process, which essentially is creating visual poetry of the sacred and wild elements of existence, usually in the form of painting. I would describe the visions depicted as cosmic encapsulated snapshots of my internal truths- informed by surrealism, esoteric symbolism, and the ancient wisdom of the divine feminine. Through the making of my work, I aim to depict scenes of tender humanness in connection to animals, people, nature, and the collective spirit of oneness.
What was your favorite childhood memory?
Climbing trees with my sister and making secret potions at my grandmother’s house in her Korean tea sets with flower petals and orange peels.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.meaganboyd.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yinshadowz/
- Twitter: https://mobile.twitter.com/yinshadowz
Image Credits
Julia Corbett took my portrait, all other images courtesy of me, the artist.
