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

Hi Melissa, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
I was working for the art department for a retail company for 7+ years when I realized that I was feeling creatively stagnant. I had stopped learning new skills and did not enjoy the corporate schedule and its demand to feel inspired and creative during a set 40 hour work week schedule. I realized that the place I maintained my creative spark and passion was in the freelance work I was doing on the side. I was feeling inspired and passionate about every job I took and that’s when I decided it was worth the risk to start my own business.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
Inspiration comes in different forms, sometimes it’s singular and other times it is drawn upon through collaboration and conversation. I enjoy the collaborative nature of working with clients to create custom installations for events, headquarters, window displays, etc. For my personal artwork, I find inspiration in many different places, usually focusing on the most delicate or fragile qualities of objects or ideas. My most intimate works stem from personal observations and interactions with people and the world from my perspective as an Asian American woman. I’ll grasp onto a thought or feeling and try to create a physical representation using different mediums. Currently I’m working on a series titled, “Filtered Reflections” that is meant to illustrate the sometimes negative impacts of social media filters and unrealistic standards of beauty and the impact both have on self-image and individuality.

I am where I am today professionally because of a lot of hard work and because I follow my instincts. It’s not always easy. Like many other creatives, I am a perfectionist and find myself second guessing decisions because I’m afraid of failure. It took a long time to realize that not trying was a guaranteed failure. Risks are scary in life and business but every risk I’ve taken has brought me either a great reward or a lesson learned. When looking back, the business opportunities I regret are not the ones that didn’t go as expected. I regret the opportunities that I did not accept due to fear of failure.

Up to this point, my business has been primarily a design, fabrication, and installation one stop shop for different brands and companies. I have a diverse range of clients and I pride myself on catering my work to fit their unique style and brand. As my brand and business grow, I’m excited to start to offer my personal artwork to the world and see where this new path may lead.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
My story wouldn’t be what it is without all the women who have supported me in life and my professional career.

Website: https://www.melissaminhdesign.com/

Instagram: melissa.minh.design

Image credit:
Main photo is taken by Adam Davis

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