Meet S. Marie | Artist and Author

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

Hi S., can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
I always knew that I wanted to work for myself. Ever since I was a child, I was determined to become a self-employed artist. I’ve always written and painted. I’ve always been creating. I knew in my heart that was the path for me, but as I faced adulthood, the reality of being self-employed was daunting. To help prepare myself for this, I took business classes in college.

Yet even as prepared as I was, I worked for others until 2020. When I left my last desk job, I was given a choice: to search for other safer employment or dive head first into my dreams. I chose the latter and I am ever so grateful that I did. It is not without its challenges, but it is worth it.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
As I mentioned briefly before, I have always been an artist and a writer. I’ve always been inspired by the world around me: animals, mountains, forests, the sky, even the colors in nature are often my muse. I like to think my written works and my paintings are linked. Whether in their themes of the natural world or in their expression of color, both painting and writing are an escape for me, a form of therapy that I share with those around me.

I would have to say, that though I am still an artist and will always love painting, my focus has shifted toward the completion of my book series. Although my painting commissions are still open for both abstract work and pet portraits, the work I have been creating for myself and my patrons centers around the universe in my novel. I am beyond thrilled to continue sharing this world and am working on the sequel to my book, The Moon and Her Sun.

I believe it is key to allow yourself to shift your focus when you feel led to. I had always known that I wanted to be an artist, but being an author was something that I believed to be out of my reach. It was a future dream, a mountain that seemed far too daunting to climb in my twenties, yet here I am. I have been so blessed in my pursuit of my goals. I have been blessed with supportive family and friends and with the connections I have formed. But it is not easy. It requires discipline and perseverance to achieve your dreams. I am still not where I want to be, but I am working toward becoming the person I was made to be, and to me, all the challenges I traverse to become her, are worth it.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Having grown up near Stone Mountain, I would say that is where I would take (and have taken) almost all my friends who have come to visit Atlanta. I would begin the day with taking said friend to The Flying Biscuit Cafe, the original one, then hike Stone Mountain. After that, I would suggest returning to downtown Decatur or Little Five Points to shop, where much of my time was spent as teen, and then finish the evening at my favorite restaurant in the world, Melton’s App and Tap.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I believe that your community has a lot to do with your success in any business venture. Having a support system, from encouraging parents to friends that are the first to purchase your new products, are key to your success.

In terms of my first novel, The Moon and Her Sun, I have to thank my husband first, for his dedication to walking through my little world with me, helping me edit and plan. To my family and friends, who were quick to purchase a copy and dive in, and to Southern Willow, a publishing company that helped me navigate the process of becoming an author.

Website: https://www.authorsmarie.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/authorsmarie/

Image Credits
Love Stories Co. (portrait) Southern Willow Publishing (kindle images)