Meet Wallace May

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

Hi Wallace, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
I went to school for art, but after college, I decided to pursue music instead. When the pandemic started, our band couldn’t play shows anymore, and it came to a halt. I had been painting in my free time, and my wife suggested I try putting my work on Instagram. Overtime I began to get commissions. I didn’t really think of it as a business for a long time since it seemed like a long shot, but after a couple of years, it turned into a full-time job. In order to grow it as a business, I had to really put myself out there in a way that I wasn’t used to. Promoting yourself can feel icky but I found it to be so helpful in getting people’s attention. Sometimes you have to let yourself get uncomfortable.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
My work deals a lot with nostalgia and memory. How we carry things in our mind and how they can change, distort, or vanish over time. I feel like the more I’m creating, the more I’m tapping into something new that I didn’t realize was there. While a lot of it can feel personal, I have such a want to share it with people. It took me about 4 years to get to where I am now. I wouldn’t say it was necessarily easy, but more that I just needed to stay with it and keep pushing through the difficulties that come along with being a working artist. When things are slow, or if I hit a creative block, I will start to question if i’ve made the right career choice. But I’ve found that by the time I get to this point, something really good happens that confirms that i’m in the right place. I wake up everyday excited to start working/creating and I feel so lucky that I can say that.

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.
I live in Silver Lake so to start, we would grab coffee at LAMILL followed by a walk around the reservoir. Depending on the day of the week, we’d head to a local farmers market to grab some of the best produce LA has to offer. For lunch, sandwiches are typically my go-to so I’d probably take them to Bodega Park or Wax Paper. You can’t go wrong with either. The afternoon would likely be spent lounging in the backyard or wandering all the great shops in the neighborhood such as Lake and OK. That evening, drinks and oysters at L&E and dinner at Botanica. I have to add, nearly all of the above can be done without a car. For the rest of the week, I will show them all the traffic LA has to offer, as well as a stop at the Huntington Library, a picnic at Point Dume, the LA arts district, Highland park (and anywhere else) thrifting, tacos and bean&cheese burritos from multiple spots, hiking in Griffith Park, art galleries, and depending on whose playing, a show at The Greek Theater.

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?
I have everyone in my life to thank for where I am now. My wife, who encouraged me to get started and my family and friends who have always supported me and cheered me on. I feel so lucky to be surrounded by so many wonderful and inspiring people. My grandparents also deserve a huge shout out for being such a big source of my inspiration.

Website: wallacemay.com

Instagram: instagram.com/wallymadethis