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

Hi Melanie, what is the most important factor behind your success?
The most important factor behind my success is being confident enough to push past my comfort zones and to know when to step back and relax.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I come from a family of artists, so there was never much doubt in which path I would take in life. I went to a prestigious art college on scholarship and then after that, I worked in the corporate field as a Graphic Designer, and later doing Trend and Color Forecasting at several notable companies. I drifted farther and farther away from the fine art that I had originally fallen in love with, and so I knew I would never be satisfied in my career. Taking a step back and reevaluating was key. I realized that I had to get back to true art, so I started Feather & Wink. It all fell into place so easily—that’s when you know it’s right.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
So much of the credit goes to the person who was the first to truly believe in me and push me to be my best. I had the most incredible high school art teacher who invested so much into who I am today. 25 years later, she’s still a very important part of my life. Shout out to Kim Weber!

Website: Featherandwink.com
Instagram: Instagram.com/featherandwink
Facebook: Facebook.com/Featherandwink
Yelp: https://yelp.to/BJzOKbQBKab

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutAtlana 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.