Meet Melissa Ceren | Mental Health Therapist, Fly Fishing Guide, and Colored Pencil Artist

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

Hi Melissa, what inspires you?
I am inspired by natural beauty. As a fly fishing guide and artist, I get the most excited when I catch a remarkably colorful trout. In drawing my catch, I get to relive the memory in a tangible way and capture that fish forever, even though I have released it back into the wild.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I started fly fishing several years ago when we moved out to Colorado. It has become a passion (maybe obsession) and it permeates through every aspect of my life. I created a fishing Instagram to connect with others, @big_mac_fishing, which has opened new doors for me personally and professionally. I have always been an artist, specifically with an interest in painting and photography growing up. It seemed like a natural progression to start combining two of my passions – art and fly fishing. Instagram has become a tool to share my art with others and generate revenue so I can keep doing what I love – fly fishing! Challenges throughout my journey have included struggling with anxiety, impostor syndrome, and fear of failure. However, I have been lucky to have abundant loving support and a passion to continue lighting my way. My ultimate goal with sharing my art is to inspire others, and especially women, to engage meaningfully in the outdoors.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
This would depend on the season. As someone closely connected with the outdoors, I am aware of the specific joys that each season can bring and how it may affect the fishing. Ideally, it would be in summer, when the wildflowers are abundant and the alpine lakes are no longer caged by ice and snow. My favorite thing to do is to fish for native Cutthroat trout – beautiful bright red trout that live high in the mountains. We would go on long adventures and then treat ourselves to local brews and pizza to replenish the fuel spent on the difficult hikes.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I am especially grateful for the endless support my husband, Peter, has given freely to me. He is always building me up and encourages me to pursue my passions.

Website: https://bigmacfishing.myshopify.com

Instagram: @big_mac_fishing

Other: I sell cups with my artwork through Andrea Linsday at https://www.wildenomad.com/products/the-double-cast-collab-2-glass-bundle