Hi, I’m Megan, and I wear a lot of hats. Ok, not literally. But creatively and businessly. (Which I know isn’t technically a word, but I’ve decided just now it should be.)
I’m a designer and metalsmith. This is the hat that started it all. I design and create a line of bold, wearable jewelry that I sell here on my website and to stores across the US. I’ve been making and selling jewelry professionally for over 12 years, but technically it all started over 20 years ago when I decided to go to college to get a BFA in Metalsmithing. (It actually says that on my diploma.)
I’m an artist. Since I didn’t know what to do with a BFA in Metalsmithing, I went ahead and got an MFA too. While there, I made a pretty sizable sculpture that looks a lot like a living room (but isn’t functional) to comment on the duality of comfort and display in the modern interior. (And also to celebrate my love for floral pattern textiles.) My current art practice takes the form of painting, which you can see more of on my blog or purchase on my website.
I’m a teacher, coach, and mentor for other creative business owners. In case it wasn’t obvious, I like school. But when I told a friend I was thinking about getting my MBA, her response was “that’s crazy, you could teach that stuff!” So I did. I started a blog called Designing an MBA and now I teach classes through that site as well as other places online and off. You can find a list of the classes I teach here. I also started an online mentorship program called Artists and Profit Makers, where I work with creative business owners on a more individual basis.
I’m a writer. Between my main blog here and Designing an MBA, I’ve written over 1,800 blog posts. And since everyone always asks me how I get so much done, this year I wrote an e-book called Try It and See: How to Get Sh*t Done While Overanalyzing Everything, where I share the mindset shifts I use to get so much done in my business while still managing to get sleep and see my friends and family on a regular basis.
And because I think life is more than business, here are a few more hats I wear:
I’m a runner and cyclist. I’ve been a runner for most of my life, and now I coach high school cross country and track. I’ve completed a couple of triathlons, one half marathon, and more 5ks than I can count. But now I mostly stick to shorter distances, and only if there’s beer at the end, like the 8k I run every year with my brother.
I’m a proud aunt. I’m child free by choice but I have two nephews and a niece that I love to spoil, particularly by buying them books about art, architecture, and design (kids books, because, well, they are all still little kids) and toys from Ikea. (Because when you don’t have kids of your own, every other toy section is horribly overwhelming.)
I’m an aspiring plant lady. This year, I set off on a mission to turn my black thumb into a green one, and so far the signs are positive. (Friends and family are already asking for my plant advice.) You can see more of my plant journey on my blog. My current plant obsessions are peperomias and propagating succulents.
I’m a city girl at heart who lives in the country. I could happily spend most of my time in the city, but through life choices and marriage, I currently live in a small town in Central Pennsylvania, about 90 miles west of Philly, in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains. The upside is that there’s plenty of room to have not one, but two big studio spaces. (You can read more about that complicated situation here!) But you’ll also find me dashing into NYC whenever I get the chance!
I’m a social media doubter. After being OBSESSED with Instagram when the platform first launched, I’ve since questioned the value of spending so much time on social media platforms. Instead, I’m focused on spending more time cultivating my real life IRL (hence the plant lady-ing and painting) and I’m hoping to encourage others to do the same.
So if you want to keep tabs on what I’m up to, you can read my blog or join my mailing list. Pretty much everything I do is available online (jewelry here, paintings here, classes here, my e-book here) but if you want to talk about working with me in other ways (like having me as a guest on your podcast, which I would love to do, or carrying my work in your store or gallery), you can email me at megan@meganauman.com
