Meet Molly Quinn | Artist and Business Owner

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

Hi Molly, what are you inspired by?
I’m very inspired by magic and nature. Since I was little, I’ve believed that magic resides everywhere, from harboring far in the depths of nature to being reserved within ourselves. I hope viewers feel the same magic in their environment and within themselves as they look at my work.
With that, I’m also inspired by bodies. A long-term goal that I have for my artistic career is to celebrate all types of bodies. One of the reasons why I make so many of my illustrations as magical beings like fairies and witches, is so that anyone with any kind of body can see themselves as magical, delicate, and ethereal beings as well.
Queer love is another inspiration for me and my creative process. As a queer person, I’m very privileged to be able to express my own sexuality through my art and to illustrate a safe and magical space for other queer people to also enjoy and feel welcomed in.
The magic I create in my work isn’t just that of a literal fairy or witch with pixie dust and potions, but the magic of feeling home in your own body, of doing your favorite hobby, of falling in love, of embracing your queerness, of being in nature, and of cherishing whatever moment you’re currently in. At the end of the day, I’m just painting people enjoying what they love.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
Having an art business is extremely rewarding, but it is not easy and has many challenges that come with it. Some lessons my art business has taught me is managing a work/life balance and staying true to my artistic vision.
I went through a major burnout phase earlier this year and am honestly still recovering from it. While my burnout was caused by many factors, I think one of the biggest was an unhealthy work/life balance.
Before, when my art business was my full-time job for a while, it was very difficult for me separating the work from the rest of my life, feeling anxious during any time that I wasn’t working on something for it. I let this ruin the times when I should have felt allowed to enjoy the things I was doing with family, friends and other activities by myself. Although my art business is no longer my full-time job, I’ve learned to appreciate and honor the time I am able to spend on it, and fully enjoy all the other things in my life, too.
Another lesson I’ve learned is staying true to my vision for my art. Despite the fact that the future for my art business is not set in stone, as I feel it’s ever-changing and evolving, it’s become very important for me to make art that I enjoy making. This may seem obvious, but another factor that led to my burnout is how I became stuck making art for what I thought my viewers would like, instead of what I would like. At that point, it wasn’t fun for me anymore and instead became very stressful and full of expectations. Since then, I only make art that I’m currently interested in and passionate about. I still make goals for my art and business, but I’ve learned not to put so much pressure on myself for what it ‘should’ be or how it ‘should’ look. Rather, I focus on what I would like it to be, how I would like it to look, and that it feels good for me to make.
I’m excited to see where the future of my art is destined to go. No matter what happens in my journey, I will always learn and grow from its challenges, just like how I’ve gotten to where I currently am today. I will always make art that is welcoming, inclusive, soft, whimsical, safe and hopeful. I think we need that now more than ever.

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.
If my best friend was visiting me in Colorado, my first instinct would be to take them out of the city. Although there’s lots to do in Denver, like go to the Denver Art Museum, Meow Wolf and one of the many seasonal festivals, I can’t let them leave without exploring the mountains. Lake Haiyaha, Emerald Lake and Golden Gate Canyon State Park are a few of my favorites to escape to for stunning hikes and views. Breckenridge, Vail and Glenwood Springs are great for small, mountain town getaways with memorable restaurants and activities to enjoy.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I want to shoutout my husband for always supporting me and my dreams. Being together for nearly 10 years, he has been my rock, my cheerleader, my occasional art assistant and my motivation to keep creating and chasing my passions.
I also want to shoutout my best friend and fellow artist, Amelia. She’s helped me through countless creative struggles, breakthroughs, breakdowns, transformations and much more in my journey. Thank you for always listening.
Finally, I want to express my appreciation to my friends and family supporting my artistic career with love and acceptance.

Website: https://www.etsy.com/shop/MollyQuinnArt

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