Rising Stars: Meet Melissa Miller

Today we’d like to introduce you to Melissa Miller. 

Hi Melissa, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstories.
Art is in my bones. I’ve been creating all my life in one way or another. Life has its seasons and rhythms, so my creative journey has had to follow them. College, marriage, having children and travel provided opportunities to create in ways other than fine arts. My season of entrepreneurship in fine arts began in 2019 when we bought a house with a space that was perfect for an art studio. I bought an old dining table, some shelves, and a corner desk and started to unpack. It didn’t come as any surprise to me how many supplies I had stored in boxes. Unpacking them all and giving them space to breathe and be seen was inspiring! With time on my hands when our kids were in school, a space to spread out, and all my beautiful supplies in front of me, I began to create! I quickly knew that what I was creating wasn’t meant to be kept hidden. It was meant to be shared; to go into the world to inspire and nourish the hearts of those who see it. With little more than an idea, I began a business, Bless My Soul Studios. And with little understanding of the world of commerce, web design, or marketing, I started a website. Along the way, I’ve tried new things, succeeded at some, and failed at others. I’ve met new people and learned so much. The journey of entrepreneurship isn’t easy. But my daily rhythms of creating and learning are a delight. The people I’ve met as a result of taking this path enrich my life. I am thankful for this season of having the time and space to create. My hope is that what I create and send into the world will continue to enrich, inspire and nourish the lives of its viewers for many years to come. 

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
My journey has been filled with unexpected twists, turns, and hard lessons learned. One of the toughest lessons I’ve learned is that you can’t do too many things and do them well. I am a dreamer, a thinker, and wonderer. Every day new ideas pop into my mind about what could be done. At first, they all seem viable and exciting! I want to chase them all and share them with the world. But the more ideas I chase, the fewer I catch. And as I attempt to chase another good idea, I leave great ones behind. It’s been helpful to learn to accept that many ideas are good and may be worth pursuing one day. But, few ideas are great. These are worth chasing. I’m learning that saying, “no” to the good ideas gives me the freedom to say a resounding, “yes” to the great ones. When I can give my full attention to chasing one great idea at a time, my energies can be concentrated on giving that one great idea everything I’ve got. I can work to bring it to a level of excellence. Then that one, well-formed and expertly executed idea can go so much farther into the world than a thousand good ideas. The principle is simple. The application is difficult. But when I apply it, all the other struggles cease from feeling like a gerbil wheel of endless tasks that get me nowhere. I start to actually move. My work begins to find the people who need it. My mission starts to become reality. 

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Being a person of faith, everything I create flows from my faith. Beauty doesn’t need a reason to be seen and enjoyed. It goes out into the world and does its work of healing, inspiring, and nourishing humanity. It isn’t frivolous or indulgent. It doesn’t save lives. But it’s part of what makes life worth living. 

My watercolor landscapes are reminders of the beauty of the world. I hope they inspire the viewer to pause from the busyness of life and take a moment to breathe in beauty and breathe out words gratitude. And if you are a person of faith, I hope they will inspire moments of worship. 

While my watercolor works remind us to really see what is right in front of our eyes, my charcoal pieces remind us of truths that are unseen but are felt. These are visual representations of lessons learned and still being learned. I hope they will inspire viewers to hold on to what they know to be good, true, and beautiful, even when the world around them tries to convince them it’s impossible. 

Peace, in the middle of chaos. 

Forgiveness in the middle of pain. 

Justice that will one day be perfect. 

Love that conquers quietly. 

My work with charcoal and the lessons these pieces tell can be seen in my videos on my website. 

Art is a journey, just like life. We begin, follow the path to see where it leads, work through unexpected twists and turns and learn beautiful lessons along the way. My Creative Retreats are designed to take others through a journey of creating and learning that nourishes and inspires the soul. I want to take participants on a journey that will inspire faith. During my creative retreats, I lead small groups through a rhythm of creating, reflecting, and writing. By the end, participants have a piece of artwork to take home that reminds them of what they learned as we reflected together on lessons and truths from the Bible. 

My watercolors, charcoal pieces, and creative retreats aren’t technically astounding, but they come from a place deep in my heart. I hope they connect with the heart of the viewer and move people a little closer to a faithful life, well-lived. 

If you had to, what characteristic of yours would you give the most credit to?
I believe the most important characteristic of success is knowing your objective. If you don’t know where you’re aiming, how will you know if you’re going in the right direction or if you’ve arrived? Knowing the objective clarifies the values that define how the work is done. It helps eliminate distractions and guide decisions. It props deep motivation that keeps you going when things get tough. When one course of action doesn’t work, knowing the objective helps you learn from mistakes and gives you courage to try something else. An objective needs to be broad enough to provide freedom to try new ways of arriving at the same point of success yet narrow enough to weed out the good ideas so that the great ideas can be identified and embraced. Know your objective. Keep it in front of you and pursue it! 

Contact Info:

• Website: www.blessmysoulstudios.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/blessmysoulstudios/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/blessmysoulstudios
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9IMR7lKfWv8pUzJxldDm0w
• Other: https://www.pinterest.com/Blessmysoulstudios/