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

Hi Melissa, how has your perspective on work-life balance evolved over time?
Balancing Life’s Essentials: Navigating the Hierarchy of Needs

I am beginning to see my life as some sort of experiment from which I’m learning. I feel a sense of obligation to somehow share these insights and lessons that have arisen in the process through storytelling as a means to ease the suffering of mankind, thus improving humanity.

Writing is an art that requires more internal substance than external material. It requires an internal substance that reflects fractal pieces of our external world. Writing is hard when you feel like you need to dive deep within yourself and pull out the essential parts that can shed clarity and understanding on complicated life dynamics. With every interview I’ve done within just a one-year time frame, it’s been like peeling an onion and getting to the root of who I am and who I am becoming.

In search of self-actualization, I have been growing slowly while nurturing the seeds in my soul in hopes that one day I will shoot up like a bamboo tree. It’s said that rapid growth equates to large financial losses. This is very true.

I accumulated roughly 36 thousand dollars in debt (excluding previously consolidated student loans) after deciding to explore alternatives to teaching and leaving the traditional field of education a few months after my father passed away in the summer of 2021. People will see what they want to see; what’s most important is to speak your truth to the best of your ability and give it your all. People have a tendency to see what they want and don’t take into consideration the sacrifices and high risks that one has sought for growth to happen. Busi Kubuli said, “If all you see is all you see, then you don’t see all there is to be seen.”

This fundamental truth is also demonstrated in my use of allegories, a string of metaphors intended to provoke inquisitiveness and/or critical thought. About two years ago, I was amid the riskiest endeavor I had ever undertaken, yet I had no idea of the amount of risk and challenges ahead, making quite an additional investment in myself and my career as an artist and writer since 2022. I am currently at a place where I feel like I have expressed myself through the storytelling arts, and I have given it my absolute all without sufficient resources. For this very reason, I am content with what I have been able to accomplish thus far. I see the potential for more, but I am also very appreciative of finding some stability outside of my endeavors.

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.
Nurturing Bonds: The Interplay of Love, Growth, and Intimacy

Life was once harmonious, but all that changed when my time and money became limited, and my goals became numerous. It ignited chaos: wars, competition, and a fast-paced everything. The labyrinth is reality!

Now, life is a game. You either play by the rules or lose! But I intend to find a way around it. It is time to think outside of the matrix box. I need to adapt to what is most suitable, thus playing the hand I am dealt with wisely!

As a high school student, I won a spot to be mentored in graphic design and advertising, meeting professionals from Sun-Sentinel and other companies. After graduating from high school, I attended The Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale (AIFL) for graphic design, driven by a desire to merge my creative passion with a profitable career. After accumulating significant debt over the course of a year, I left the field of graphic design to pursue something with intrinsic value, ultimately realizing my calling as a studio artist. Everyone told me that I needed to tackle a career that would reap financial rewards! Since then, I held the limiting belief that I could not make a living as an artist.

That was the beginning of taking the road less traveled due to its high risk with many pitfalls, but it was also the road that allows me to live today without the regret of not knowing “what if.” I veered all over the place to pursue my objectives with unwavering determination. Notwithstanding, every job that I have undertaken has played a major role in who I am becoming. I initially envisioned myself not just as a designer selling to clients but as an artist expressing my own ideas and creativity. This internal dialogue fueled my desire to find a path that aligned more closely with my personal artistic aspirations.

In August 2008, I made the pivotal decision to further my education at Florida Atlantic University (FAU) in Boca Raton. Living in the school dorms for my first year, I formed a meaningful relationship with my first boyfriend, Pavel S., whom I met online after overcoming several unsuccessful attempts on dating sites. His family welcomed me, allowing me to live with him during my final two years at FAU. This period was marked by both personal growth and academic achievement. On May 6, 2011, I graduated from FAU with a BA in Art: Studio, concentrating on drawing, painting, and printmaking.

In 2011, I had a vivid dream. I saw myself running away in fear, and then I saw myself running after myself. The bridge collapsed, and I tried to save the fearful me, but we both fell into the water. A part of me was lost forever, and the other part of me flew up in the air like a phoenix. I haven’t had another dream like that, but it made me wonder if eventually, I will know everything, or that eventually, the truth will prevail. Pravda vítězí!

My curiosity and desire for truth and clarity have always led me into new adventures and discoveries. I use my innate ability to draw connections, form insights, and empathize for clarity, truth, and harmony; moreover, I combine rational thinking and emotional data with aesthetics.

My first love, Pavel S., a creative designer and manager who is highly proficient in web design and development and a rally-sport enthusiast originally from Prague, Czech Republic, plays a significant role in my life. He has been a muse for the character Phlox and has inspired the concept for my Eudaimonia project. The theme of “racing against time” encapsulates life’s journey and the fleeting nature of existence, underscoring the importance of cherishing every moment. The character of Magnolia is inspired by my personality and life experiences—not as a complete replica, but as a source of nuanced inspiration.

Last year, Pavel expressed his disdain for romantic relationships by referring to them as part of a “Disposable Society.” Those words resonated with me and later revealed the modern trends of “Risky Romance,” “Disposable Love,” and “Transient Love.” I felt like that was also a bit ironic, as it was easier for him to avoid dealing with the pain or his feelings for me. Instead of making an effort to mend our relationship—which was never actually bad to begin with—he chose to date other people.

I didn’t deserve what he put me through, but I’m not holding it against him. I’ve been celibate, holding on to the hope that he would return. Now that hope is fading, and the idea of remaining celibate is fading with it. I use real-life experiences to compose visual and authored fictitious stories, making the journey a by-product of my creative process. At the end of the day, it’s my story. My insights, my lessons!

Insights are like dreams; if you don’t pay particular attention to them and nourish them, they disappear. I believe that by healing yourself, you heal others. I am committed to creating meaningful works of art—not just to entertain, but to inspire and make a positive impact on the world. After spending countless hours researching, sorting through information, and extracting insights for clarity, healing, and creative inspiration, the experience has been far from pleasant. I hope its value is recognized and appreciated, leading to long-term revenue generation for growth and sustainability.

Inspired Endeavors: Project Aspirations and the Power of Allegory

MelissAllegories is an evolving narrative that spans five interconnected worlds, each with its own unique characters and settings. This narrative explores fundamental human values such as hope, self-actualization, and human flourishing. Central to this work is At the Garden, which delves into themes of personal growth and enlightenment through temperance, emphasizing harmony and the greater good.

Additionally, my project Eudaimonia serves as a platform for artistic growth and experimentation, particularly through relief painting. This marks a pivotal chapter in my artistic journey and is designed to elevate my business, Smile Sweet Sunflower LLC, while enriching my career as an artist. My focus is on contemporary and illustrative techniques, using my unique approach to bring my visions to life.

While spending time outdoors and immersing myself in gardens is my hedonism and pastime pleasure, I am particularly interested in “secular spirituality,” a journey of spiritual inquiry independent of any specific religious tradition, drawing wisdom from various perspectives, including Stoicism. This approach resonates with empowerment, self-reflection, perseverance, and healing. Through my art, I strive to transcend religious boundaries, promoting unity and empathy with a distinctive spiritual and philosophical depth.

I’ve adopted the perspective that the greater good is realized when I work on myself first and foremost. I often act with love, empathy, kindness, and consideration, and I continue to seek truth and understanding. Despite everything, I’ve chosen to hope and see goodness in myself and others, always.

I hope to live a healthy and balanced lifestyle with enough resources to comfortably continue developing my skills as an artist, writer, and creative professional. I aim to finish writing my book(s) and produce more meaningful and impactful works of art that will allow me to establish a good reputation in the arts. I’m open to collaboration and hope to meet other like-minded artists and creative professionals who share my ideals and vision.

I’ve discovered that my work process aligns more closely with that of book cover and gift card designers. I am considering working on my Eudaimonia project, and afterward, creating a step-by-step design plan to hire fabricators and/or other artists to execute my ideas. I will be focusing heavily on design, as opposed to painting myself, and considering hiring help. It’s just not realistic for me to do it all myself. Additionally, I am thinking about developing my narrative for Lèben: world and character building, as well as familiarizing myself with topics relating to UX, web design, and businesses.

I think certain people can inspire or move us and make us feel thrilled about being a part of humanity. This kind of support is also empowering—the kind that waters my garden! I have been walking a fine line with my business venture. I am seeking your support to make the most of this opportunity to continue to further develop my allegorical narrative and my new project, Eudaimonia. The funds will help me pay off some existing obligations and enable me to produce more work and content. Every bit of assistance will help me move forward in my journey.

By making a donation through Better World, you can help me continue my work in fostering growth through art and creativity. Whether it’s a one-time contribution or a recurring monthly or annual donation, your support makes a real difference. Join me in fostering growth through the transformative power of art and creativity! Visit Time2Bloom’s Better World page (https://time2bloom.betterworld.org) to support.

You can explore allegorical stories through serialized episodes on Kindle Vella (https://www.amazon.com/kindle-vella/story/B0D72FYJVY), leading to a full narrative release that delves into themes of spiritual growth, personal development, and philosophical inquiry across platforms.

You can learn more about me and my work by visiting my splash page at www.MelissArtworks.com.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
West Boca Branch Library is such a beautiful little area with such a spacious exterior! While there’s no room for a gallery installation like the one I’ve set up at the Sunrise Dan Pearl Library with support from the Broward County Cultural Division and Broward County Government, they do have the cutest children’s section and a permanent collection of artwork on a few walls. Plus, the outdoor garden has so much potential!

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?
I am currently working for Spotlight Media Solutions, Inc., an advertising agency owned by the Bermans, primarily as a liaison between our clients and design team. If recognition is like the spotlight, credibility is like the foundation. While the spotlight or the web design draws attention and highlights achievements, Spotlight Media (which is the foundation) provides the solid support and trust necessary to sustain that recognition. The owner/manager is very strategic in both the hiring process and how the business is run; he simply won’t hire anyone, as he values authenticity, effectiveness, loyalty, commitment, and long-term relationships.

With lots of attention to detail and a high-security system put in place, the business takes precautions to secure themselves and the clients while also working to build mutually respectful, meaningful, and trustworthy relationships with their employees. Getting this opportunity was serendipitous, as well as a play on words due to the algorithm processes. Nevertheless, the timing felt right. In fact, the timing was perfect! In the past, I’ve neglected my personal goals and sacrificed so much of my time in temporary or stepping-stone types of jobs that only provided me with very little developmental and/or financial growth and ultimately only valued my productivity, thus keeping me operating consistently without considering my potential for more. Moreover, being devalued and given unfair pay, like getting paid less than others for doing the same amount of work (and sometimes even more).

I truly value this opportunity, and I don’t take this business transaction for granted, per se. It is providing me with some mental and financial stability, as well as skills development, such as researching, writing, and working with a multitude of businesses. I honestly would not mind establishing a long-term relationship with them; however, my life right now is rather unpredictable, and we are both taking a chance or a bit of a financial gamble with one another, which gives me more respect for them and vice versa. As I work to invent a fictitious world after hours, I am allowing the universe to steer me as I race against time.

Building Wealth: Crafting the Right Environment and Network for Success

I am okay with where I am at this very moment in my life because I have already explored so much, and I am still working on my entrepreneurial projects at a steady and slower pace while still seeking prospects and support. Adobe Creative Suite always felt more like a requirement than a desire for marketing purposes and mass production. Macintosh/Apple projects seemed too mainstream, and I wasn’t originally keen on a career in marketing and advertising. I even questioned whether I should engage in digital art and/or design, so I’ve sought to express myself creatively in a way that brings intrinsic value to me and serves humanity.

Now it has become clear that I’m a contemporary artist, a conceptual artist, and an indirect, functional artist. Perhaps, an emerging functional or UX designer, a 21st-century symbolist or illuminator, and a storyteller—a multi-faceted creator encompassing roles as an author, illustrator, and designer. It took me a while, but I discovered that it is not so much about the medium I use; it’s about what I express with the tools at my disposal. Storytelling matters!

Now I find myself reviving my photography skills! Back in the day, my teachers told me that I had a good eye. My last photography professor even told me that I should be a photographer. But, you know me—I did it my way! Now here I am, trying to get back into photography, but not necessarily as a professional photographer. I just think it’s a bit ironic since I could have applied myself a bit more earlier on regardless.

I think that my initial discontentment with marketing and advertising at an earlier age did not surface from a means to protest the way the industry works but simply from my own desire to promote my own ideas and visions. Now that I have come this far in my own journey, I feel more comfortable learning about other businesses’ visions and missions. I consider myself a writer, visionary, and designer. As an artist, I create illustrations based on ideas and reference my designs to execute them.

The marketing and advertising industry serves as an intermediary between businesses and consumers, much like how money is a tool used to achieve goals, and a lawyer represents and advocates for a defendant. Not all businesses will have people’s best interests at heart, and the tools we use can also be subject to scrutiny. While I may not know everything about this, what I do understand is that we can all strive to make informed choices about who we collaborate with and the methods we use for financial growth.

Nevertheless, navigating ethics in business is challenging, especially since we all want to live well. As Sam Harris has noted, while his ethical business strategy works for him—offering his meditation app Waking Up for free to those who can’t afford it—it may not be applicable to everyone. This model, built on trust and a commitment to accessibility, suits his mission but might not translate well to businesses like Netflix, where different dynamics and the need for sustainable revenue streams could lead to exploitation if similar practices were applied.

Website: https://www.melissartworks.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/time2bloomofficial

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/time2bloom

Twitter: https://x.com/time2bloomshop

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/time2bloom.co

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@time2bloomshop

Other: https://linktr.ee/smilesweetsunflower

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