Meet Megan Roy, an illustrator and graphic designer from Los Angeles, California! Megan is doing big things & continues to evolve as a creator. Be sure to check out her fun designs and read more about how she expresses her creativity- and thinks you should too!

WHAT ARE YOU UP TO RIGHT NOW?

I’m a freelance illustrator and graphic designer, working on everything from greeting cards and invitations, to illustrated cell phone cases (one of mine was just released through Nordstrom as part of July’s Pop-In shop), to designing labels for food products.

WHAT'S YOUR DAILY ROUTINE TYPICALLY LOOK LIKE ON A WEEKDAY?

I work from home so I have the benefit of being able to make my own schedule and I have a lot of flexibility. Normally, my dog wakes me up at 6:00 a.m. for breakfast, so I feed and walk her before anything else. Then I’ll check and respond to emails, update my calendar with any new projects, and take a look at what’s on my to-do list that day. From about 8:00 – 12:00 I try to finish 1-3 projects then eat lunch. After lunch I’ll usually start something new, even if I left a morning project unfinished. I find I work better when I can jump from job to job instead of focusing entirely on one thing all day. Around 4:00 I take my dog for her second walk (she’s spoiled!) and then it’s about dinnertime and the workday is over! After dinner I’ll catch up social media and post to Instagram. I get a lot of business through that platform so I’ve made it part of my regular schedule.

WHAT DO YOU LOVE MOST ABOUT BEING AN ILLUSTRATOR?

I love that it feels so natural. I’ve worked in other industries doing a lot of different jobs, and I always felt like I was constantly playing catch up. I really had to make an effort to motivate myself to do the work I was supposed to be doing, but with illustration I just wake up and want to do it. It feels right.

HAVE YOU ALWAYS BEEN A CREATIVE PERSON? WAS THERE A MOMENT YOU KNEW THAT YOU WANTED TO GO INTO THE CREATIVE INDUSTRY?

When I was very young, I wanted to be an artist because I thought Eric Carle’s illustrations in “The Very Hungry Caterpillar” were the coolest thing in the world. As I got older, that idea got a little more diluted and, while I knew I wanted to go into a creative field when I started thinking about college, I wasn’t sure what direction to go in. At the time I picked the film industry and got a degree in a television production. I do think that degree is useful to me today though, because all visual arts (whether it’s filmmaking, photography, design, illustration or something else) have the same basic foundation.

WHAT OBSTACLES HAVE YOU FACED AND HOW DID YOU OVERCOME THEM?

My biggest obstacle was just getting to this point because of my confusion about which creative path was the right one for me. It was a lot of trial and error, honestly. I tried to take jobs, try things, and then think about why it was or wasn’t working instead of blindly moving forward and hoping for the best. It takes time to get to know yourself and what you want out of life.

HOW DO YOU REPRESENT THE TRAIT CREATIVE?

This is a funny question because a lot of times, I think you don’t realize you are something until someone points it out to you. How would you know you’re creative if you’ve never been anything else? I guess that’s the answer though. I represent the trait creative because I don’t know how to be any other way.

WHAT DOES THE TERM 'BEING CREATIVE' MEAN TO YOU?

It means following your instinct and learning to ignore negative outside influence. It’s a willingness to try new things, ask questions, and be curious about unconventional experiences and ideas.

HOW DO YOU EXPRESS YOUR CREATIVITY OUTSIDE OF YOUR JOB AND WORK?

I’m pretty passionate about animal rescue and make an effort to volunteer as a photographer and/or videographer at local dog rescues. They hardly ever tell me “get this exact shot of this dog,” because with animals you never know what’s going to happen. You just have to go with it and try to capture the dog’s personality. The creative possibilities are endless because every animal is unique and responds in differently.

DO YOU FIND THAT YOUR CREATIVITY RUBS OFF ON OTHERS? HOW SO?

I try to say yes to all new experiences and opportunities, and I think when I’m in a group or with a friend, my enthusiasm for new adventures makes them more likely to join in as well.  

ASIDE FROM BEING CREATIVE, WHAT ARE THREE OTHER PERSONALITY TRAITS THAT DESCRIBE YOURSELF AND HOW SO? 

I asked my best friend to answer this question for me because I find it really hard to describe myself (does that show creativity?). This is what she said:

“Adventurous because you’re always up for something new and exciting, even without a real plan. Compassionate because you care a lot about the people in your life and do a lot for them, and you have things you care deeply about like animal rescue. Driven because you’re dedicated to making your business work and you’re not willing to settle for a job you aren’t really passionate about.”

WHAT ARE YOUR HOPES AND DREAMS? WHERE DO YOU SEE YOURSELF IN FIVE YEARS FROM NOW?

My biggest goal is just to continue being able to support myself through my own work and to evolve as a creator. I try not to have specific expectations aside from that because I want to see how it plays out organically! More fun that way.

WHAT'S THE MOST VALUABLE PIECE OF ADVICE YOU COULD GIVE TO ANOTHER YOUNG WOMAN ABOUT WORKING IN THE CREATIVE INDUSTRY AND EXPRESSING THEIR CREATIVITY IN THE WORLD?

I spent a long time trying to be practical about my creativity but it just didn’t work for me. I think you have to be willing to follow your gut. As soon I started doing that, things began to fall into place naturally. If you’re scared, it means you’re doing something right.

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Email: meganroy1@gmail.com