BAP MEL NAS PT 2 FIN
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[00:00:00] Melissa: I find a pen and paper, as simple as that, is just helps you go, what is it? Write it down point, form black and white.
[00:00:06] Marijanel: It's more of just being content and knowing who we are and being confident in who we are as an individual and bringing that uniqueness to the table.
[00:00:14] Melissa: Think of yourself just constantly as, nobody can be better than me because I'm the only me.
[00:00:22] Marijanel: Welcome back to the Bold Artist Podcast. I am delighted to have Melissa Nasby of Soul Fiber professional, puppet maker and fiber artist, and the one who calls herself a professional mess maker. She's on the show for a part two. Melissa and I spoke last week and we had a really vibrant conversation about what keeps her creative, what were the steps between falling in love with fiber and becoming the most genius puppet maker that you can see the puppets here on YouTube right behind her.
She is just so creative and full of life in what she does. We have the conversation of her journey and a little bit about the obstacles that Melissa has faced along the way, including A D H D, which has definitely impacted and played a role in the artist that Melissa is today. So welcome back to the show, Melissa.
[00:01:18] Melissa: Thank you so much.
[00:01:20] Marijanel: I am so thrilled to be talking to you once again. As we mentioned in the last episode, you and I are actually personal friends. We get to live in the same city, and I've gotten to see your journey firsthand. And I have to say, Melissa is just one of the most genius artists that I know.
Full of creativity and such a delight to have you here on The Bold Artist Podcast. A lot of our listeners are painters and pursuing different mediums than you, but your story and the challenges that you face have definitely, uh, that you have something that resonates with all of us. Like your story is like part of the story of all artists overcoming challenges, and in last episode you talked to us about removing barriers and just learning to play, learning to explore.
So let's pick up where we left off there, Melissa. What are some of the barriers that you've encountered that you, you've had to figure out how to, to get through these obstacles in your life as an artist?
[00:02:20] Melissa: Well, that's a great question. And we all have them, you know, whatever they are. And how some people may only have a tiny little barrier, but it, it's, it's a block for them.
So I call them blocks in my own world, because with ADHD they're very real. It's like a roadblock, a wall. So, um, so for people without ADHD it just could be fear, usually fear of, uh, of wasting time or not being good enough or being accepted that those kinds of normal fears we all have. Um, when, when you're putting your work out there, it's very personal.
You know, um, some people are very good at separating their work from their heart, but I am not. Uh, I put my heart and soul into everything I do, and therefore I need to be proud of it and I need to love it. I need to be interested on a real level. So, um, I. The roadblocks are, are you doing things that aren't making you happy?
Are you doing it just to make money? If, if, remove the money then for, for a moment and practice for a bit and say, is this still bringing me the same amount of joy or more? Um, it, was it the money component of it that was, uh, stifling your creativity? Um, or do you feel rejected if it doesn't sell? And therefore, Feel you're not good enough.
There's all these awful things that go through. I think every creative's mind. When you hand make something with your own mind and hands, you, you put it out there for the world to judge. Right?
[00:03:55] Marijanel: Yeah.
[00:03:56] Melissa: And that becomes very difficult for a lot of people. So it therefore, they either stay in one thing where they, they did receive good praise over and they're very proud of it, so they stay in that comfort zone and they don't continue to play and experiment because they're like, well, I'm good at this, so I found it. Here I go. And that may be the case. You could be the best there is, but that could just be the tip of the iceberg of your potential. So to me, it's this constant, it's fed by ADHD, um, it's h ADHD is both a block and a superpower.
So it's hard to, um, really fully understand if you don't know someone with h ADHD and see, see it.
[00:04:37] Marijanel: Yeah. So can you take a quick minute? I, sorry to interrupt there, but maybe just, um, give us like the nutshell version of how an artist can, or like if an there's artists listening that don't suffer with any form of ADHD or don't know anyone, how can we simply understand what what it actually is?
[00:04:56] Melissa: Okay, so as very simply, it is, it's called a attention deficit disorder, um, or hyperactive disorder. I, I, it was the H I have ADHD. So I have the hyperactive component, which, uh, you know, in my life it's mostly a good thing, but it can burn me out. Uh, so, uh, we are all in, we're the people who are just 110 miles an hour, or you won't see us at all.
So there's a, there's a no no, no medium zone for, you'll even hear it in my voice and you'll like, wow, you're so much all over the place compared to what people call me animated and, and loud and, and I'm, all these things, um, that for my life, you try and sort of, Bring yourself a little smaller and a little quieter and, and you just can't.
ADHD is an energy and, and it's an inability to, um, we lack executive dis um, function. Okay, so executive def uh, dis dysfunction.
[00:05:55] Marijanel: We're following. It's all good.
[00:05:57] Melissa: I see speaking is hard. Okay. Um, executive function is when, um, we have the knowledge in all of our brain. We know we consume a great amount of knowledge.
We we're sort of addicted to it. It's, it's, it's adrenaline for us, but then executing what we've learned is very difficult for us. It's the communication between the two sides of the brain where you. You know how to do it. You want to do it, but doing it is the problem. So I have found the things that bring me joy in order to execute because I have to be excited about that outcome and that's why I have to take jobs that excite me.
And, and that's why I don't fit into a, a nine to five sort of office type environment is because I'm not stimulated enough, I'll be bored, I'll be zoning out. I can't, you know, I have to believe in whatever it is I'm doing, or at least be excited about it, um, so that I can focus and execute those ideas in my head.
[00:07:02] Marijanel: So you have managed your ADHD as an artist, you have manage. So well, because you've figured out all of these ways that you tick and then you've brought it into your realm. You've chosen the medium, you've chosen the diversity within that medium, you've just. Done, done, uh, such good smart moves and steps to manage your,
[00:07:26] Melissa: Well, it never felt like that, but
[00:07:27] Marijanel: Well, no, I see it. We all see it. Melissa, your work shows, your work shows it that you have managed it well, and yet there's, there's people, whether it, perhaps it's not ADHD that they, they're struggling with, but they're struggling with other blocks. Do you have any tricks or tips for how to like identify that block and then make it work for you. You're so good at making it work for you.
[00:07:53] Melissa: Well, thank you first of all for that because I don't feel like that ever, um, honestly, so, um, I think what it is, is once I identify the block, and that really does come from the practice of being honest with yourself. Okay? Right. We all, you know, we're our own biggest liars in our own minds, right? We're always trying to protect our own, uh, self from any form of rejection or failure. Um, so we have this built in all of us, ADHD or not, have this built in resistance, uh, to want to put ourselves out there and fail. But what I find is when I identify that like I said, with putting off live streaming, for example, this has been a big block for me I don't wanna admit how long I've been put in and off, but it's a long time. And I identify. So once it's like a stage of stages of, you know, grief almost, where you're like, okay, you're in denial for a bit, and then you write, you have to go through these processes with your own self, but the more you do it, the more quickly you start to recognize you're in that pattern.
And then I know what to do once I hit that marker. Right. So once I know, oh, I've been making a lot of excuses. About... this. Then I start to look at, okay, hmm, let's look at this in black and white. Get out a pen and paper and say, or you could trust your partner or whoever you know, your best friend or your partner to say to you, do you feel like I've been putting this off?
You know, or, or why do you say, do you think I don't want to, uh, join that guild or go to the gallery or, or, or whatever it is that's holding you back. And then I have an honest, uh, discussion with myself and I say, okay, well, you're scared. You're gonna say something stupid. You're gonna look stupid. Those are my fears because it's amplified by ADHD because with ADHD comes anxiety and, and I do say my mouth runs off faster than my brain can keep up. And that's it. It's funny because, you know, some people are just like that, but I'm. Really, really I know I'm like that. I know. I'm gonna say something . So it's it. It's real. But then I. Well, if I'm out there and telling people that this, this is the way I am, then maybe they'll have a little bit of understanding. And I'm starting to say, okay, then if that's my block, I'm gonna come out with it on my stream to say, Hey guys, I'm an artist and I'm Melissa, but I, I have ADHD. So you're gonna see me do some weird things backwards or say something before I've thought about it, but this is me and I still make great things and I still have lots to offer.
So, I identify the block and I have that hard conversation with myself, and I find a pen and paper as simple as that is just helps you go, what is it? Write it down. Point form, black and white. And then you say to yourself, okay, is this something that I should give up or move on because this block is, is never going away?
Or is there ways that I can start either move that block to the side, tear it down completely, and then sometimes I engage friends or family members to help and say, have I been doing this? I almost need a, a, a check person, you know? What you're saying.
[00:11:05] Marijanel: That's such, such good advice, and I, I got thinking as you were describing this, Melissa, how unique of a person you are.
You are truly unique, one of a kind, and everything you make. all, all the puppets that I'm seeing behind you. Everything you touch and make is so unique, and I think that one of your gifts is just like helping people and helping artists even understand that it's okay to be different and it's okay to be unique and you're just bringing, when you do s you know, hit when you hit go on that live streaming, you're just gonna be bringing you, bringing your uniqueness, which is such a treasure. And I feel that there's so many artists who are just holding back, really bringing themselves into their art and embracing all the parts of themselves that would make their art unique. You know, just speaking of unique art for a moment and bringing ourselves to it, we ended part one of the podcast with you just talking about how your secret sauce is play and how you have been a professional mess maker.
You've had to make a lot of messes to discover what you love and that you, you said something to me maybe you can say it again if I can kind of like remember the gist is that you said something like, we have to be as dedicated to making a mess as we are to the art and that we develop the skills while we play.
Can you just recap that a little, even though we mentioned it last week, and then let's, let's dive in a little bit further. So like this whole thing about play, I wanna just find out what's so what, what's so unique and how we find our uniqueness and our style through play.
[00:13:01] Melissa: Yeah, I think your viewers especially will really find it beneficial to have this moment where they, they look at their art and they sit, first of all, are you thrilled? Are you happy? Are you totally there? Because some people just get there and they're there and they know their spot. They're, they're there. They're in their element. And we're not saying you have to necessarily keep going either, right?
Or for, but when you're, when you're just sort of feeling like I'm, I'm in this repetition mode and I'm doing the same thing, or I've become a slave to the dollar, or, uh, you know, I, I'm. . I'm just constantly making what other people want me to make. Um, there's a part of you if you're a creative being that just has to just be creative
to, for the sake of being creative. Yeah. And removing that end game.
[00:13:46] Marijanel: I have, I have personally experienced that where I felt like I just needed to make, to make, and it didn't need to make sense, and I don't need to explain it. I just need to make it . You know, there's been times that I've made something or done something or created some kind of project for myself that people will scratch their heads and say, why are you doing that?
And I'll say, I don't have a reason.
[00:14:05] Melissa: None of your business.
[00:14:07] Marijanel: I just wanna, I just wanna do it. And that's how a lot of creative people tick. But, but I think that is what makes us unique and when you can bring out the, the desire, like when you can match, I the desire that I wanna make this to skill and to all the experiment and play, there is something even more unique that comes out of it.
Like you're not just making cookie cutter art or paint by number. You are really bringing what's on the inside out.
[00:14:42] Melissa: Absolutely. And joining with other people. Other creatives because they think in a totally different way than you think. And while you're both. Wonderful and talented and creative beings, you, you very much think differently than every other human on the planet.
So we, we need to explore those differences because that may ignite something in you that brings a level to your art that you never even imagined. And I, I feel like people get. Tunnel vision when it's, um, their art form, then, then they're like, well, I only foil follow oil painters and I only because I'm an oil painter.
And that's.
[00:15:18] Marijanel: Well, we, we are taught a lot about nicheing down. That is something that's really taught like just, you know, art leaders, gurus, even on YouTube when you're, you're a content creator, they talk about nicheing and being really laser focused and there is value, as you mentioned in, in episode one.
There's value in mastering and being focused, but it doesn't always work for everyone and it doesn't work when you're in the mode of experimenting and playing where you have to like open up to other realms and, and other mediums to like just get experience and exposure. But tell me how, again, like, so you, you were saying that it's like we get too tunnel visioned and, and so do you feel like a niche or like picking your element can become too tunnel vision?
[00:16:06] Melissa: Um, for me, again, uh, from my perspective, it does. It just makes me, uh, already have a panic attack because I, I could never be so focused on one thing. It's just, it's, it's just me. Yes. But for those that can, I mean, it's great, but you're never just, we're not stagnant beings. Right. Our minds are constantly in need of, of new stimuli.
So even if it. Something as minor as breaking out of your normal color palettes or, you know, we're not talking, you have to go, you know, build something outta wood tomorrow because you're, you, you're an oil painter. No, that's not what we mean by diversifying and, and playing and experimenting. It's just for the, the actual dopamine it provides your brain to, to get excited about something, feel different things in your hands, play, get dirty, get messy, and then focus back onto your art and see what Now if you're looking through it, uh, through a different lens, you know, from the things you've learned, can you now have the idea of that little thing that was missing, you know, or, again, it, it can be such a small scale that, that, um, realm of creativity that you, you shift in.
It can all still be within oil painting, let's say. I, I keep using that as an example, , but, um, Now I'm no wanna exclude watercolor artists or anyone else . Um, but if you, there's so many amazing things you can do by bringing in another element into your watercolor painting or your oil painting. So whether that just is a new product or a new color palette or a new way to, uh, you know, display it a, a different type of canvas.
I mean, just to explore and open.
[00:17:57] Marijanel: Push your boundaries
[00:17:58] Melissa: To, yeah. To just, to, to reach a new level that you didn't even know existed. And it is creatives who constantly pave new ways of thinking. Uh, but if we're not out there trying it, Then it isn't happening. So give yourself that permission to, to try new things, whether you have an end goal in mind or not.
[00:18:16] Marijanel: We're taking a brief intermission in today's episode to thank Bold School for creating this podcast to give artists voices and a place to learn bold color art and painting in Bold School. In Bold school, we have a vibrant online community. Mentorship, support, challenges and online classes to equip you not only in skill, but in being a wholehearted artist.
Make sure that you hop on our newsletter list on boldschool.com to find out more about being a bold artist with Bold School.
So Melissa, I have two more questions for you and, and, uh, one is about the creative realm and then the other, I wanna circle back around cuz I have one more question about creativity and ADHD.
But, um, first you, as I mentioned, are so unique and what you do, like no one else in our town does this in our city no one else that I know for miles and miles. Like there is a community of you out there who are, who are in the fiber arts and specifically niching into puppetry and costumes and these large scale sculptures that you have mastered, but you are really unique even among your peers.
Now I have an interesting question for you. Being that you're so unique, do you still look around at other creatives and feel like competi competitive or the feeling like, um, maybe insecure in what you do. And, and if you do have those feelings, what do you do uh, to combat or get over the blocks of like the, we often talk about the intimidation that's out there in, in the art world or in the creative world where you look out and you feel, uh, Less than or inferior and afraid to truly be yourself.
Have you ever encountered that? And then what do you do about it?
[00:20:13] Melissa: Oh, every day. Every day. I, I think, again, that's when you're feeling so vulnerable. Putting something handmade out there, I think it's completely normal and healthy to, to really feel that vulnerability and think, okay, well, so, but you also have to say to yourself, well, some people aren't gonna like it just cause
[00:20:36] Marijanel: Yeah. You can't please everyone.
[00:20:37] Melissa: They don't get it. Some people don't have good taste. So , I like to take that one all the time. If they don't like it, it's, it's their fault, not mine. Right? But , you, you really, um, it, it's, it is hard. It, it, it's a learned skill, right? Like anything else, you, you must overcome that. So I often against my own will, will set myself up to expose myself to a situation like that on purpose. So whether that's seeking someone who you know is a better artist than you, or you feel is a better artist than you, um, and, and reach out to them or, or collaborate. A collaboration is the greatest tool. It can be very stressful if you're not in sync with the, the person you select to collaborate with, but oftentimes you'll find they bring a level to your thinking that you've never experienced, cuz you're not them.
[00:21:35] Marijanel: You reminded me of something you and I have collaborated before and I've mentioned it here on the Bold Artist Podcast, I believe. But it was when I was sculpting and I sculpted a wolf face. And you took the wolf sculpture and you did this, the other half, like one half stayed ceramic and the other half stayed or, or like you created a wolf sculpture on the other half and we sold it in a gallery.
I remember. That was eons ago.
[00:22:01] Melissa: And again, that was an area I would've never ventured into on my own had I had not meshed with your creative vibes. Right. And that was an, it was an amazing piece and it sold right away. It really was. Yeah. Again, I think your, the, the customers or buyers or clients do know when they're looking at something so unique.
And you bring that up a lot. Unique is a niche because there's so many people who just go, oh, that sells, you know, so I'm gonna make that. And again, there's nothing wrong with that. We all have to earn a living. I get it. I fully get it. It's just that I can't, that's not my thing because I will never be rich
I will never, ever maybe when I'm dead, but, um, I can't do it for money. Right. That can't be my motivation. So, but if I'm looking to someone who's a better artist than me, and I look up to them, uh, like I do, you like everything you touch is, is magic in, in my eyes. And then I think, oh, and you think that of me?
And then, okay, if we join those energies together, it's unbeatable. Untouchable by anyone else. Because we are both two very unique artists. And it doesn't mean, oh, you're better or, I'm better or worse. It, it's more about think of yourself just constantly as, nobody can be better than me because I'm the only me.
[00:23:24] Marijanel: Exactly. I love that, that that is actually the approach that I try to take, and it's not, it's not a form of pride or arrogance, it's more of just being content and knowing who we are and being confident in who we are as an individual and bringing that uniqueness to the table. And, um, and so you perfectly answered that question.
I know. I was, I was like, what's the secret sauce to knowing you're unique and how, how you face it when you feel intimidated by the other creatives out there and you brought it back round once again, Melissa, to you know yourself so well and you know yourself, that you put yourself in the face of the challenge and you say, I am intimidated, and so I'm gonna purposely collaborate with them, or I'm gonna purposely reach out, or I'm gonna put myself in a situation to expose myself to get stronger.
And that is what one thing, only one of the things that I love about you, that you know yourself so well to set yourself up for success. You, you look at your blocks and you say, how do I get over them? And I'm gonna set myself up to, to succeed. And you know, I, I got to tour your studio to a small degree. I don't think I went downstairs cuz you have a lot of space dedicated to your art.
But I was in the upstairs and one of the things that I noticed and, and we had, had a brief conversation about was that you set yourself up and, and correct me if I've, like, if I'm painting the wrong picture here, but you set yourself up with these stations where you have like this project happening over here, and then over on the other side you'll have something else happening, and then you'll have these different like little pockets or little stations to your studio.
And I was asking you about it and you said, well, because of my ADHD, I need to have different spaces to, like, when my brain switches modes, I go to a different space and I have this space as like my do it quickly kind of between things. And then this one's my like really focused space. And you, you have actually learned of yourself how to set up your space to be the most productive for your own attention span.
Am I am am I remembering this correctly?
[00:25:41] Melissa: It's so perfect. It's exactly, and I, I understand that a lot of people don't, maybe they don't have the space. I'm at the, I'm at the age where my children are adults and have moved out. So yes, I, I've fully taken over the rest of the entire house to create these little areas because I know that that's how I'm the most productive.
And the, the downside of ADHD for me is if I don't feel like I've made something or made progress or created something that day I get real down on myself and real, there's a lot of negative talk that comes with it. It's, it's this burning underlying, um, anxiety that I'm like, well, you're not, you're not producing as fast as this other artist or you're not, you know, uh, what have you been doing with your time? You know, I, I feel this constant need to produce and, and feel like I've accomplished something so that I also have learned appeases my nerves, right? I need to be productive. So in order to do that, I realized I can't just be productive in one thing. Remember that, that's bad for my brain. One thing, one focus is, is a bad recipe for me. So if I'm able to set up these projects all around where I can burn out my dopamine on one. I get to a point where I'm either exhausted or I have no more new ideas. I walk away from that one and straight to another one.
And it can be an totally different medium, but that allows my brain to relax, reset creatively. I stop thinking about, uh, the other project that was giving me a bit of, you know, a challenge or whatnot, and it's no different than, you know, get fresh air, go for a walk. That what all of the good things they tell just regular folks to do when you know you're getting tired or burnt out.
And I just know that I need to keep going though. There's no kind of shutoff dial for me. I'm, um, I'm awake or I'm asleep. And those are the modes. And when I'm awake, right, it's go, go, go. And it's produce and then that keeps all the negative energy away. Where, uh, what'd you do today? Or feeling lazy or, or, uh, those are the negative thoughts I get with, um, ADHD.
So I need to do this and I've set it up where, okay, now I've, at all times I've got headdress on the go over here. I gotta puppet on the go over there. Yeah. And a sculpture. And then that way each one as I walk up to it, fresh and new reignites all of those awesome feelings. You know, all the awesome vibes that you wanna have when you come to a project Fresh, right?
[00:28:15] Marijanel: Yes, yes. I was. I was just really struck by the fact that you knew yourself so well, that you would set yourself up with all the, these success stations. You know, like you just knew. My brain's gonna switch modes, and I'm just going to get through my productive day, moving from station to station, which is brilliant, and something I actually think about and implemented.
I know I'm in a different realm or different mediums than you, but I think about that and I'm like, okay, this is what I do and when my brain is done, I'm gonna move over here. And so I learned from you in that realm. And so, Melissa, can you touch for just a minute? On because you've mentioned your kids have moved, uh, you know, grown up and moved out.
And, um, your, your life with family, how the support system around you has helped to facilitate your life as an artist, because I know you have a lot of amazing support. And also because you do have ADHD, you're, you are unique in this way. So what does the support system look like, look like for you?
[00:29:14] Melissa: Well, and the support system is critical, and I know there's people out there that just don't have it.
Um, so it's, it is difficult. Um, but that's, that's something. Then I would suggest you join, you join courses in like-minded, you seek out the like-minded individuals in your home then if you don't. If, if you don't have them, you know? Like a partner. I am so lucky that my husband of 27 years is a brilliant creative as well.
So he's a but more in the woodworking department. He's a construction, uh, carpenter and a timber framer. He has a ton of skills, so that supports me tremendously because he is able to, is there's a point that I get to that I need a, an armature or an under under structure that's, it's really more, you know, hammer and nails kind of thing, which I can do. I have the skills, I just. Yeah. You know, there's no dopamine in that for me, , so
[00:30:08] Marijanel: Yeah. Yeah.
[00:30:08] Melissa: Those are the jobs I wanna pass off, you know, to hubby. And he supports me with his heart and soul, so he always is available and ready to build me whatever I need. And that elevates my art. Uh, without it, it wouldn't be the same.
And that's, that's just, there's. Getting around that. Um, if you have someone in your life with, with skills, it adds obviously, right to your ability to, to put out quality pieces of work. Uh, but not everyone needs that, you know, I am a sculptor. So not everyone needs that kind of support, but I do. And I have it.
So I feel very, very lucky.
[00:30:48] Marijanel: Yes. And that's support in the skills, but there's also the support in, in all of the loved ones around you, understanding how you tick. And that you need space and that you need to create, you need to make a mess and you need to play like there's making .
[00:31:03] Melissa: Yeah, that's a whole different level of support. Yeah, that's, that knows that, okay. Mom's in her zone, you know, like, don't bug her. You know, because I get the hyperfocus, right. That's very much part of ADHD. And I, I will work 16 hours a day on something and I won't eat or pee or, you know? It's just awful. It's not healthy, but it's how I tick and everyone in my family is also ADHD, so we all get it.
We, we know. Um, but they know that, and my husband's so tolerant and supportive of that cuz he knows I'm, I'm hyperfocused. There's nothing that's gonna break that until I am physically drop of exhaustion, or, or run outta materials, whichever comes first.
[00:31:43] Marijanel: Yeah. I'm thinking back to a time when in the puppetry you actually purchased a truck, a puppet truck.
And so this is one of the things about Melissa that uh, I'd love to just paint a picture of here is like, this woman knows how to grab ahold of her ideas and make them happen, and you do the most interesting things. And so tell me, just in closing, we do need to wrap it up, but. What are some of those, these most interesting things that you've ever done?
You, you've had a puppet truck where you took around puppet making supplies, a kid's birthday parties, and you have done just so really interesting things. Uh, just give us a couple, give us a couple more.
[00:32:23] Melissa: Well, the, you know, what the puppet, uh, business, I think, um, is my proudest achievement. Uh, it doesn't, I don't wanna confuse any listeners that it, uh, Equates to financial success.
We're not gonna go down that road.
[00:32:37] Marijanel: Okay.
[00:32:37] Melissa: But it, uh, it does. I'm so proud. I, I developed that puppet company from scratch, from the idea percolating in my brain, um, to making it happen and then physically making it.
[00:32:53] Marijanel: Yes, you executed.
[00:32:54] Melissa: I spent a year researching clay. One year. Yeah. I devoted to,
[00:32:58] Marijanel: So let's interject this into one of these interesting things about Melissa.
And the reason we're sharing it on the Bold Artist Podcast is to inspire you. To inspire you to get outta your boxes, create, play, think bigger, because this woman knows how to do this. But Melissa has a secret clay recipe that she doesn't tell a soul. And it, like, doesn't crack when it dries. She makes this and she implements it into her puppetry and her artwork, but like you researched and created this clay like a scientist until did you found the perfect formula and you keep it under lock and key.
[00:33:31] Melissa: I do. I do. I'm actually worried cuz I don't even have it written down and my memory is, is bad. So ,
[00:33:38] Marijanel: Well you need to put it in a safety deposit box and leave it. Like Will it. Will it.
[00:33:41] Melissa: I better. I better get it written down. That'll be my luck. I forget my own recipe, but yes I did and it, it's critical in everything I do.
Um, and, when I release things on the internet, I'm noticing more and more there's millions of clays out there. There's some fabulous clays out there. But the, the specific recipe that I developed is, um, is something that I'm realizing, uh, people are really struggling to find out what I've done.
So, uh, you know, I really at first did plan on marketing it, but I, realistically, I've got, again, I know myself and I know that probably isn't going to happen , but at the same time, um, it is something I keep tight to me because I, I'm really proud of it. I, I took a lot of time and energy to develop it, and it, over time, it's just, proven itself more and more and more. And I'm able to do sculptures that other people can't.
[00:34:35] Marijanel: Right.
[00:34:35] Melissa: Because of the weight of my clay Also, um, the, you know.
[00:34:40] Marijanel: You made it lightweight.
[00:34:42] Melissa: Correct. Yeah. And then, you know, there's always pros and cons of, of every medium as we know. Right. So, um, most lightweight clays then send, then they don't take texture as well, or, They go puffy when they dry or they crack or they need to be sealed.
All these different, uh, components that make up every, every different type of clay out there, I'm very, very proud to have made one that, um, it doesn't dry out, it doesn't crack, it doesn't shrink. And it's lightweight and it holds detail. So I'm able to do some of the things I'm doing, um, whereas other people are really struggling.
When I put a picture out on the internet, they're always after me to try and figure out. What did you use? How is that? Why? And I'm like, like, you know, I don't wanna be that person.
[00:35:24] Marijanel: The thing, well, here's thing what you can, what you can give to them. The secret that you can give to them if you're not ever going to give your recipe, is you can give to them the secret of play.
And you can say, here's what I can tell you if you play. If you experiment enough, you're gonna solve your problems. You're gonna move through your blocks, and you've gotta love the play in making the mess as much as you love making the art, that's your secret. That's your secret sauce. We came up with that in episode and you helped.
[00:35:55] Melissa: It is. But you helped me with it. See, I didn't know what it was at first.
[00:35:57] Marijanel: Yeah, so you can, you can tell 'em, I can't give you my recipe for the clay, but I can give you the recipe for play. That rhymes.
[00:36:06] Melissa: Oh, there we go. My new slogan.
[00:36:10] Marijanel: That's amazing. So anyway, Melissa, thank you so much for joining us on, uh, today's episode and also in episode one.
You've been such a delight to have on the Bold Artist Podcast, and everyone can see the description boxes in the show notes for Melissa's link. You are really active. It appears to me you're really active posting things on your Facebook. You've got a website, and everyone can look you up and see the amazing history of your work from, uh, all of these characters and puppets, headdresses to large scale sculptures that are just mind blowing.
And what do you have on the go right now in closing? What do you have on the go on your table? Well, I know you have multiple tables, but the one in front of you, what's, what's on the go?
[00:36:55] Melissa: Well, I, I'm actually, my new, uh, fixation is, um, I want to make the full gowns and costumes to go with the head pieces that I'm currently making.
[00:37:06] Marijanel: Oh, perfect.
[00:37:06] Melissa: But as you know, I said I don't have a, a relationship with a sewing machine, so I'm learning how to fabricate sort of ball gowns without sewing. So it's a huge challenge.
[00:37:16] Marijanel: Oh, that's amazing. Well, everyone can find Melissa on her socials and her website and see how that, Turns out . Let's see what she comes up to go with her headdresses. Melissa Nasby, thank you so much for being on the Bold Artist Podcast.
[00:37:29] Melissa: I had a blast. Thank you for having me.
[00:37:32] Marijanel: Thank you for joining us on The Bold Artist Podcast. You can find all of our links in the description box and show notes. Make sure that you're on our newsletter list. You can get on that list at boldschool.com to find out all of our current news happenings what's going on in the Bold School community and in our online classes.
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Can't wait to see you there. Until next time, keep creating.
