Meet Melanie Vigo | Paper Artist

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

Hi Melanie, how has your work-life balance changed over time?
“You have to work twice as hard to get twice as far” was the mindset that felt like a gift and a curse for me. Working twice as hard; or for what at times felt like quadruple times as hard, has helped naturally build up my work ethic. Unforunately, working twice as hard has also led me to overwork myself. Overworking caused my health to decline, mentally and physically. Working hard wasn’t the problem though, not having set any boundaries was the underlying issue. Once I realized that I needed to do a better job of prioritizing certain aspects of my life and started setting boundaries between my work and life, I started to feel a sense of ease. There are still times where I fall victim to the trap of overworking myself and then burnout but I do my best to be proactive about stopping myself from spiraling. Having a creative rut sometimes leads me to overwork. I try to put my brain in overdrive when in actuality I should be taking a break and enjoying life. We get so caught up with deadlines and societal pressures that we forget to take a breather. Inspiration is all around us but we have to take a second to take it all in. Life gently reminded me a few weeks ago that I was beginning to fall off balance. I think balance looks different for everyone. Just take the time to prioritize what you REALLY want to do and do it. Stop watching life through a screen and live it. Be present.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
My specialty is custom cards. I gather info, cute inside jokes/stories from the client and we work together to make a beautiful, unique paper creation. I want my cards to be original. I want people to be excited when they see a FiggyVee package in their mailbox. Seeing that package signifies that the sender put time and thought behind it. The card is a gift within itself. I also love music. All different genres throughout the years. I also recreate some of my fave album covers to share with fellow music lovers. I really enjoy recreating the album covers because I think the visual artwork sometimes gets overlooked. By recreating the album covers in a different medium it gets people to give the artwork a second look. It’s like listening to your favorite rap song and catching a bar you never caught before. I like recreating that “aw snap!” feeling. Giving the cover different dimensions gives it a different feel. It also helps open up dialogue among fellow fans on why they love it so much and other music recommendations.

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?
Florida’s bi-polar weather and I have a love-hate relationship, but when the weather is acting right Florida likes to show out. Let’s start the day off with breakfast at Hungry Pants because they have some mouthwatering CAULI tots with a chipotle ranch that I’m obsessed with. I have a green thumb so Leu Gardens is a nice place to walk around and admire all the plant life. Listen, I saw a woodpecker there for the first time in my life and it blew my mind. I thought it was the coolest thing ever. Their butterfly garden is beautiful and there are like 12 different gardens just in that one place. All that walking and selfie posing in front of the flowers is going to make us work up an appetite so we’re heading over to the East End Market to visit Winter Park Biscuit Company. I get the classic WPBC box and since I’m basically a big ass kid give me my Martinelli’s apple juice on the side. Once we’re done eating we’ll walk through the plaza and check out the different local shops inside. Then we’ll leave the car parked and venture off to Park Ave CD’s and then wander down to The Lovely Boutique Market. The Lovely Bouquet always has some cool pin finds. Go grab a drink at the Stardust before heading back over to one of my current faves; Domu. Their vegan ramen makes my stomach very happy. They also have a bar in the front with some phenomenal cocktails. If it’s Sunday on this day out, after eating some breakfast I would suggest going over to Lake Eola and enjoy the Farmers Market. I love the mixture of all of the different art, people, and food. I like finding new places around town and seeing what events are happening in my neighborhood but when nothing is really going on, these few spots keep me in my happy space. Note; these places are all around the same area because it’s easier for your girl to find plant based options without going too far 😉

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
My first shoutout would go to my parents for welcoming me back into their home while I realigned my life and worked on getting my business to where I would like. I think my parents were a little skeptical at the beginning on the idea that I would be building a business off of paper artwork and custom cards. But I’m proud that my hard work and progression in my art have amplified their support in me and in my future endeavors. This may also sound weird but a big shoutout to all my ‘internet friends’. They’re the people who constantly are there to cheer you on or cheer you up, whether it’s with words of encouragement or really funny memes. Having a good support system is key and I’m lucky to be able to have various forms of support behind me.

Website: Etsy.com/shop/Figgyvee

Instagram: @figgyvee

Other: Email: figgyvee@gmail.com