Do you ever feel overwhelmed by your physical or mental space? Do you forget to do things because you don't have a central location for your projects and tasks? Does managing your business finances give you butterflies? If your answers were YES, please know that you are certainly not alone and I am here to help you straighten that all out. My superpower is organization and I have FIVE tips to help you organize your work and your business! Organization will save you time, mone

Business As An Artist "Why don't you just sell online?" "Are you selling your work on social media?" "...but they're having an online event, that's a good alternative, right?" Yes, but also a big NO. Art festivals are my chosen business model for a few very important reasons and while I do sell online through my Scratchboard Shop, promote and sell on social media, offer reproductions and small original work, host seasonal sales, and participate in and host virtual events, non

One of the questions that I get all the time from family, friends, and clients, is ‘what do you DO all day’? Most people have no idea what it looks like to be a full-time professional artist (I didn’t when I decided to be one either), so today I thought I’d give you a glimpse into my creative small business…it won’t look like anyone else’s but it will give you a pretty good idea of what it takes to run a business as an artist. My day-to-day looks very different depending on t

(Canyonlands - Island in the Sky District - Grand View Point Overlook) This past weekend I arrived back in WI after 10 days on the road to Utah with plenty of stops along the way. We explored 5 different national parks in Colorado and Utah and spent a few days near Boulder, CO. I'm thrilled to share a little glimpse into this amazing trip through photos today and will probably ramble a little too much about certain hikes and experiences along the way (bear with me!!). I als

Recently, we've been having issues with the wi-fi in my house...I was working on a scratchboard commission though, so it wasn't a big deal really. I had the reference photo saved on my flash drive, so I didn't need the internet to be productive - it was a quiet work time, however, because I couldn't get a connection for my Pandora station (minor disappointment)! After a few hours, though, I thought 'ok, that's enough" and went to reset the router in time to get my afternoon

Intentionality! I certainly didn't come up with this - there is actually a whole movement around it - but I stumbled upon that movement after having used the hashtag on some instagram posts several times. At the time, I was using it to celebrate some intentional choices I made to do new things and shake up my day-to-day life (i.e. skydiving on a Tuesday after work). While that is still a huge part of its meaning, now I see it as a mantra for every aspect of life. It is so e

This year will be the first time I am offering reproduction prints of my scratchboard work at art festivals! Once I decided to go full-time, I knew this project was one I wanted to tackle right away and have prints available at my first shows of the year. I'm excited to offer this option so more people can take my work home, as they are a more economical option to my large scratchboard pieces. While I was planning to get this project started, I knew I wanted to be as respon

Hey there! This quote speaks to me in big ways!! As an avid hiker, someone who yearns for the solace of nature, a wildlife artist, sustainability junkie, supporter of renewable energies, and animal lover, it is important to me that I respect the natural order of Earth and try to limit the impact of my human footprint. Something so important in my personal life has, naturally, spilled over into my business life. So the reason we're here today - the third pillar of Melissa H

Happy 2017 everyone! This year is really BIG for me...in mid September of last year, among a lot of change in my personal life, I realized something - that I wanted to take the plunge and move to working full-time for myself. I had no real plan (I'd figure that out), but what I did have was an overwhelming amount of encouragement from my fellow artists and a support system in my family ('framily', I'm looking at you too - you know friends who are family :) ) that never wave

This day is one of my favorite at the beginning of every single year - the day I get to share ALL of the commissions that consume the majority my time from late September through December, sometimes right up until the day before Christmas Eve. These always have great stories behind them and it is so difficult to keep them a secret for so long, but now I get to share them all!! There are beloved pets that stole their owners hearts, precious companions that have left us, dear

This year has seen many different wildlife scratchboard pieces come across my desk - large green iguanas, stately lions, adorable little otters, and birds of all kinds, to name just a few. I've been working really hard in the off season (post September festivals) to create more and more wildlife art as I look into 2017 with a full plate of art festivals and fairs. The year 2016 brought great new adventures in my career as an artist (representation at a New York City gallery

Let's Not Let It Be A Fad It's no secret that 'Going Green' is a popular advertising + marketing slogan being used by every different product that you can think of right now. The 'Green Revolution' is a fad, there's no denying that. I hope, however, that the core principles guiding this current cultural movement are not lost on us when the 'glamour' of being 'green' - a green company, a green consumer, a green advocate - is overshadowed by the next 'big thing'; the core pri

Happy Thursday everyone! Today, I want to talk with you briefly about achieving goals and just how hard that can be. I'm going to talk specifically about my journey starting a creative business, but really hope that anyone who is working toward a goal or reaching for a dream can relate! Personal goals and dreams usually stem from our passions and passion is exactly what is needed to fuel our journey toward success - however you choose to define it. Being over two years out

Happy Endangered Species Day!! Today we celebrate wildlife + wild places and focus on how and why so many species are struggling to survive. Not only should we take this opportunity to educate ourselves on how our actions impact the survival of our nation's wildlife, but also how we can make a difference everyday! There are so many species, known and unknown, around the world that are close to extinction, but we can help turn their fate around. Melissa Helene Fine Arts and

Pet portraits are some of my favorite projects to work on. Not only do I love drawing and scratching animals, but pet portraits are extra special for the person commissioning them. Very often, unfortunately, these portraits are requested to celebrate the life of a beloved pet who has passed away. For anyone who has ever had a special animal friend, losing them is as hard as losing any other family member. Other times, pet portraits are commissioned to honor a special bond

Amur Leopard (Panthera pardus orientalis) Quick Facts: Status: CRITICALLY ENDANGERED Population: around 60 individuals Body Length: up to 5 feet Weight: 70 - 105lbs Lifespan: 10 - 15 years Habitat: temperate, broadleaf, and mixed forests Diet: roe and sika deer, hares, badgers, mice, and other small animals The amur leopard, the world's rarest cat, is found in the northern-most part of the species' range, Far East Russia. This rare species has adapted to life in the temperat

Happy Earth Day to you all! Today is a great day to celebrate and appreciate the world that we live in by finding your own special way to honor the earth. Some people will gather a group and pick up trash along the roadways (a very needed thing), others will venture into a natural space to study the specimens within and document what they find, and some may strap on their packs and head into the wild to breathe in all that it offers us has human beings. Whatever you decide

Orangutan (Pongo pygmaeus) Quick Facts: ENDANGERED Population: 40,000 (down from 60,000 just a decade ago) Height: 4 to 5 ft Weight: 73 - 180 lbs Arm Span: males may stretch their arms up to 7 ft Average Life Span: 30 - 40 years Habitat: tropical rainforest Range: Sumatra and Borneo (the only species of ape to come from Asia) Diet: fruit, leaves, bark, insects, and on rare occasions, meat The long-haired, orange primates are closely related to humans (sharing 97% of the same

Red Panda (Ailurus fulgens) Quick Facts: Size - Head and body, 20 to 26 in (50 to 65 cm); Tail, 12 to 20 in (30 to 50 cm) Weight - 12 to 20 lbs (5.4 to 9 kg) Lifespan - 8 years Diet - herbivore; bamboo, fruits, acorns, roots, eggs Habitat - high-altitude forests and mountains; Nepal, Myanmar, and central China Population - less than 10,000 individuals STATUS: Endangered The red panda has been classified as a relative to the giant panda, as well as the raccoon. They are curre

Good Tuesday morning everyone! Today I wanted to take a few minutes to reflect on a few things. First of all, I want to thank you again for your continued support. I am humbled, deeply honored, and incredibly excited to announce that I was named RAW Minneapolis Visual Artist of the Year - RAW is an international organization for artists, by artists and their mission is to provide artists in the first 10 years of their career with the tools, resources, and exposure needed to