We had the good fortune of connecting with Mary Marsh and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Mary, why did you pursue a creative career?
Pursuing a career in the arts was never a question for me; being an artist was the first & only job I said I had ever truly wanted. While I did attempt to major in child psychology my first year of college, I always knew deep down that it would not be a forever thing. I was born to be an artist in some way, shape, or form & the universe never let me stray from that.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
Being an artist was never a question for me, it was just a matter of what medium I would go into. When I was around 9 years old, I had begun winning multiple awards for my drawings and acrylic paintings; I was incredibly skilled in naturalism, and dedicated all of my after school hours taking art classes & working on my talent. Growing up with such a high interest in advanced level art made it difficult for me to relate to kids my own age; I knew from a young age that I was different, and because of this I struggled with friendships & my self image. After experiencing my first major depressive episode at 15, I found that I was heavily reliant on using a canvas to work through what I was feeling. At that point, creating became more than just an interest, but rather a crucial point for my survival. By the time I turned 19, I decided to try my luck at working in the beauty industry to pay for my college textbooks. Somehow, I got hired to work at a high end retail location & was over the moon excited. I always liked makeup, and I figured it was close enough to painting that I could learn super quickly – I was wrong. Applying makeup to a stranger’s face, in front of a team of extremely talented coworkers, was far more intimidating than I could have ever imagined. Not only was I trying to learn the backends to my first retail job, but I was attempting to manage a work/life balance, and trying to figure out my personal identity, all whilst navigating my first year of college. I was completely overwhelmed & ready put in my two weeks when my best friend was waiting for me at the employee entrance. Physically shaking me by the shoulders, he started in on a pep talk, refusing to let me quit that day. Because of his encouragement, I stayed & decided to put all of my energy into becoming known for my makeup artistry. Fast forward to 2019, I had a degree in Fashion Studies, gained enough recognition and respect as a makeup artist to work for myself full time, & began formally treating my depression and anxiety.
Since working for myself full time, I’ve experimented in all forms of makeup, but primarily found myself happiest working in fashion, editorials, & bridal. While I’m aware that my mental health will always be an existing demon, knowing that I have the responsibility of showing up to a job is what keeps me going. It’s not only a form of stress relief, but it makes me feel like I have a genuine purpose on this earth.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
The first thing I’m taking my best friend to do is get coffee. We’re going to Rey Sol in Ridgewood, and I’m gonna get on the ground to take the best angled photos of them with their delicious, affordable, and super Instagrammable beverage. Then, we’re gonna take the bus or the ferry to New York. Ideally, it would be restaurant week at Eataly, where we would have drinks & dinner & shop around the market. Maybe if we’re feeling spicy, we would hit UES Ice Cream Shop for a fun speakeasy experience.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
There are so many people who deserve recognition for helping me get to where I am today & where I will be in the future. My parents, my family, the friends-turned-family – all have had massive impacts on my career. My story, however, is fueled by the 5 year old girl who, despite being laughed at, told everyone she would be a famous artist one day. If it weren’t for my overly passionate delusions, I would have never fought as hard for this career as I did; so to that, I’d like to thank my childhood self.

Website: www.Mary-Marsh.com

Instagram: @thisismarymarsh

Image Credits
Andre Orcozo @_drephotography, Vanessa Parish @nessnessphotography, Alli @floracophotography, Brent Dwayne @mdportraits_photography

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutAtlanta is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.