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

Hi Micayla, have there been any changes in how you think about work-life balance?
Balance that’s tricky. I used to think I had a good balance between my work life, sports life, social life, and art life. Just because I was doing multiple things at once, gave the illusion that things were balanced in my life, but in reality all those things were out of sync. I realized that I’d have to make sacrifices in order to prioritize the things I wanted the most. In doing so I felt a sense of harmony between these areas in my life. Instead of only giving a third of my attention, I am almost in a space where I can fully give myself into what I want to pursue. You make time for what you care about, and the quicker I learned that, the less I stressed and the more I could paint.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
My work is still finding itself, and that’s beautiful. Most of my work is very realistic portraitures with a graphic element. Majority of my works are of African Americans, representation is powerful. If you didn’t know my name before reading this, now you know. Ultimately I just want to create art, and I’ll base my success on if I’m doing what I love full time. Am I a professional? Maybe not to the public yet, but I’m great at what I do and am only getting better with each brush stroke. Each move I make out of my comfort zone to get more exposure has been trial and error. Definitely not easy but also I’ve learned to not stress and go for it man. Remember the name, Micayla Eligwe.

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’m an active person, so I would definitely take them to or through a workout expo. You hang out with me we work hard and play hard. My husband and I would most likely host a game night, house party, and take them out to an Afro spot. I don’t eat out much, since I cook majority of the time. But I’d take them to some of my favorite vegan spots (Jeff’s vegan/vegan house to name a couple), which would put us in the Dallas area. We would have to check out the farmers market of course. Most of the time it would mainly be good vibes and conversations.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
My husband VcMor he’s been by my side supporting, encouraging, and inspiring me along my journey.

Of course my parents they are big supporters of my gifts.

Instagram: Mjbrown_art

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