Speaker 1: 0:35

My name is Megan Bogue. My business is Whole Heart Murals, so I'm an artist and I serve all of the community. Amazing.

Speaker 2: 0:45

Yeah, I love that. Take me back what initially drew you to the world of visual art and murals.

Speaker 1: 0:51

From the time I was a child, I did lots of acting and I did a lot of art and I did dance, and so I grew up basically doing a lot of expressive arts and I thought that I would want to go into that actually as a profession. I was really drawn to psychology and drawn to expressive arts and so I thought maybe I might become an expressive arts therapist or a art therapist. But then I ended up actually becoming a school psychologist and so my background's in school psychology I did school psychology in the Loudon school system for about 10 years and I did school psychology for about the past 10 years in Fairfax as well, part-time, and I found that when I was working with kids in counseling and I found that when I was working with kids in counseling that I could connect really well over art, and so my roots of the expressive arts came into my practice as a school psychologist and I found that it was just an amazing way to connect others and so I decided to start my business actually as a way to have art workshops with kids and with adults, to form a way to connect with others during that time, and I thought art would be the perfect method to, you know, both for kids to be able to express themselves and for us to just gather together doing something really positive, just because we felt so disconnected. I mean, I felt so disconnected during that time and it was very anxiety provoking for everyone. And during the time I was starting to offer workshops, I also wanted to reach out to some of the businesses in the area just to ask them if they wanted any art, because I was like, why not, you know, continue trying to share my art? And so I asked some of the businesses if they would like something like either art for their walls or a label design or something.

Speaker 1: 2:43

And then one of the first businesses I went to actually said we have all these blank walls. Would you like to do some murals? And I was like, oh my gosh, I don't know if I can do a mural, even though I have done a lot of art. I was never doing anything on that scale, and so it was very intimidating at first, but I did it and I loved it. I fell in love. I thought it was the most amazing thing. I found my flow. You know, I felt like I lost time. I wasn't hungry, I was just like all I want to do is paint all day long, and so ever since then, it's been like I've had this passion that I've been trying to share with others, and it's awesome everything out of you but that you're so immersed in and so passionate about that you just forget about the world, about eating, about anything, and then you step back and you look at what you've created and it's just.

Speaker 2: 3:43

I personally I've studied music in college and I'm a songwriter and I feel like I get into a similar thing when I'm going through the writing process and the production process and all of that, and then I step back and I'm like it's like a sound mural of sorts. But yeah, I bet that was daunting at first, though, getting like kind of commissioned for these murals and then being like, oh, I haven't done that before. But that openness to doing something new is really special too. It is, yeah, and I love that you started in psychology. Yes, really cool. You say you create with your whole heart. What does that mean to you when you approach a new mural project?

Speaker 1: 4:21

So usually when I have someone that's interested in a mural, I might talk with them about what it is that's important to them and what they're passionate about, and so usually we go from there. We try to figure out, you know, what might be exciting for them to see up on their wall, what would be meaningful to them, or even what is their brand for their business, that sort of thing. But usually I try to listen deeply to whatever it is that they are trying to say, what their story is, and I try to express it as well as I can through my art. So usually I create something for someone, a drawing, and try to go over it with them and see if they like it, more often than not that they really love it. So that is always really exciting for me. But yeah, so I put my whole heart into what I do, like everything I'm creating, you know.

Speaker 2: 5:11

Yeah, oh, my gosh, that's super cool too. And just the I think your psychology background, I'm sure you know, really helps with that, because you're able to really take into account their feelings and their, like emotional ties to maybe certain branding aspects or visuals within their business and make sure that that's integrated not just in a way that looks good but in a really meaningful way that reflects, you know, their goal and their vision for their brand or their business or whatever they're trying to do. Love that. What inspired you to initially start like your business Whole Heart Murals, and how has your why evolved over time?

Speaker 1: 5:54

And how has your why evolved over time? So, from what I said before, basically I started because I wanted to connect people, yeah, and I wanted to offer art and mental health, like I wanted there to be a mental health component too. I feel like, although I don't do as many workshops I occasionally do a workshop here and there now, but I don't do as many now but I feel like my art is still connecting people, it's bringing people joy, it's a way for others to connect over art, which is really amazing. So it's not exactly the same, but it's evolved in a way because I'm being able to share the art with so many more people Can you share a moment when a client told you how your mural changed the way they felt in their space.

Speaker 1: 6:42

Oh well, that's actually almost every person I know they love it.

Speaker 2: 6:46

Is there a special?

Speaker 1: 6:47

one or anything like that. No, no, I think. Yeah, let me think of who.

Speaker 2: 6:52

So, yes, I'm like oh, I know which one.

Speaker 1: 6:57

Amazing. Oh, thank you so much. Yeah, I, um, I would say so there are. Yeah, it's like hard to even think of like just one person to to cite but basically the. So I did a restaurant recently and he talks about just how much joy it brings him just to look at the mural that I did for him and it makes others feel really like happy to be there. It's a Haymarket community mural so it's like an exciting. There's a lot of humor in it. I have like dancing tacos on some of the buildings that are Haymarket buildings.

Speaker 1: 7:35

And you know there's a taco train and so it's like it's bringing the kids into the excitement of the mural too, and the adults love it too, like the cute little fun bits of it, and I think it just brought so much character to the space. You know it was like a regular restaurant wall and it was great, you know, before. But I feel like now it's really got a lot of personality and we brought in even like the high school football field and the battlefield bobcat, which is their spirit, like animal person. Their mascot is like going after tacos. You know it's just funny, it has humor and it brings joy. So it's great. What restaurant is it that's Tacos and Tequila in Haymarket Locals? Tacos and Tequila.

Speaker 2: 8:22

I've heard good things about that place and now that I know you have a mural there I have to go, but I'm sure that that really also reinforces that just town pride, that community pride, because there's all these little things that any member of the community can really relate to and can really stand behind, whether like it's a high schooler who's like there's my team, or you know a little kid it's like, oh the tacos, like I, just I think that's so cool and it's so inspiring that I'm sure that these murals are so inspiring to the people in the community too, to see like, oh, like this life that I'm living can be translated into this gorgeous art and it just makes you think a little bit. Maybe that's the artist in me, but I love it. What is your process for taking a client's initial idea and transforming it into a finished mural on the wall?

Speaker 1: 9:12

Usually my process is to talk to the client first, figure it out whatever they would like first, try to see if they have some initial ideas, and then to talk to them. Client first figure it out whatever they would like. First I try to see if they have some initial ideas and then to talk to them about you know what it is that they are hoping for on their wall, or like what color palette they might like, what feeling they might like. Usually I talk to them just about what sort of content and then I present an idea and usually people are just very excited about whatever the drawing is and they're like wow, like I never would have thought of it in that way and this is amazing. And they love when it's painted on the wall. It's, it brings it to life so much. You know it's. It's amazing how much like the drawing is so neat and so inspiring and exciting. But then when you see it with the paint, it's just incredible. Yeah, it really pops.

Speaker 2: 10:00

I bet yes, you often work with whimsical, natural and colorful designs. Why do those elements speak to you?

Speaker 1: 10:13

I've always loved like magical, mystical kind of elements, and I love gardens. I love being outside, like I actually find a lot of spirituality in nature. I just feel like it's amazing to be outside. I feel so grounded and I love sharing that. Anytime I have the opportunity to incorporate some botanical elements, I'm so excited because it's, you know, a little piece of nature. It makes me feel happy. So I feel like it makes everybody feel happy to be outside. Oh, absolutely.

Speaker 2: 10:36

And we need that reminder more and more these days. So many of us spend the whole day inside and it can really be a mood booster to either see some botanical little paintings on a mural or like go outside or see both. You know I love that. How do you keep your creative energy flowing when you're working on a large or complex project?

Speaker 1: 10:57

So I get so excited about all projects and so large and complexity doesn't really make a difference to me, because I'm actually more excited, I think, the more large and complex it is. I'm like, ooh, where are we going to go now? It's a challenge yeah, I love challenges. Like I feel like that's the only way you can grow. You know, it's like pushing yourself and like expanding and trying to figure it out. I also feel like at the beginning I come up with a plan of what I'm going to do and then it sort of evolves even more into a more beautiful piece of art. With the complexity and like large size of it, it's like I can go in any direction.

Speaker 2: 11:35

Yeah, that's nice that you give yourself some room for being open to kind of new directions as things take shape, because I think sometimes I mean when I'm creating art or creating music I get a little bit burnt out or a little bit frustrated when things don't go according to my very specific set out plan that I've told myself I must stick to these steps and if I don't, it'll turn out horrible. So it's really it's great that you have this openness and that's something that I'm going to implement from talking to you is just having this openness to where does this need to go Like, where could this go that may stray a little bit from like my exact steps, but still stays on that track and just being excited about kind of things that may come up in the process.

Speaker 1: 12:18

Yes, I just love the whole process. Like it's just exciting to paint anything. Yeah, and walls are just I don't know. It's so fun.

Speaker 2: 12:26

Yeah, you should paint the wall behind you, I might. We'll see. We'll see For businesses that commission murals. How can art serve as a powerful branding or storytelling tool?

Speaker 1: 12:39

It brings so much, as I said before, character to a space. So I've been doing a veterinarian's office and it's a fear-free clinic and so they specialize in like a fear-free method and so they specialize in like a fear-free method and so basically, my mural is in the lobby and it's all these like cute dogs and cats that are like have flowers, and there's like a it's called Summit Veterinary Care and so it's on a mountaintop and there's all these animals and pets you know, and so you're greeted by this very like, warm, happy, looking picture of animals like doing their thing, like you know. And then every room in the clinic I am doing a mural and so they have basically they every exam room I'm decorating with a mural and so it's like every one is going to have a positive like one of them is positive vibes, like p-a-w, like, and then there's another one that's like stop, pause and smell the wildflowers. It's like different to like de-stress, both the like client and the pet. So I love like it can add things like that, like things you wouldn't think of.

Speaker 1: 13:51

You know, you go into your regular doctor's office and like the walls might be blank but like could you imagine going in and just looking at this, like happy little mural that's like got a little cute dog on it and a nice little scene and like has a nice message, like it. Just it brings a lot to the piece of the client. For that one and then other ones, it's like I did a large brewery scene. That's really like it's like a night scene and it's very colorful and it brings your mind into like kind of a Scotland kind of feeling and so that's like a neat, you know feeling in a brewery, to feel like you're in this, like starry night kind of feeling.

Speaker 2: 14:28

It's that atmosphere for sure.

Speaker 1: 14:30

Yes, and so it's like it can. Yeah, it can create different atmospheres depending on where you are, and like what it is that you're looking for, what it is that you want. And then you know, sometimes it's something as simple as like a huge logo on the wall, like I did this yoga studio and they have this awesome logo and I did a huge logo for it. It's like a six-by-six, like giant circle, and it's a selfie wall for them, like they always do pictures on it. So it's like that's their brand, like that's who they are, you know they are like doing their poses in front of it. So it's like not taking away, but it's adding, and it's like showing their brand and like an amazing way, you know, yeah, so yeah, it can add so much in different ways, I never thought about murals as a branding tool.

Speaker 2: 15:14

Like, I've taken so many photos in front of murals at different places that I've been like all over the country, all over the world and that is like a great like the selfie walls is a great branding tool. I think all businesses should have a mural now.

Speaker 1: 15:28

Yes, it brings people in. I mean people come in just to see the mural, Like people would message me or like comment on it. You know people at the businesses would tell me people came in just to see your mural.

Speaker 2: 15:39

Today it's yeah, that's awesome. You know so cool. What is the biggest lesson you've learned about blending art with entrepreneurship?

Speaker 1: 15:48

Biggest lesson I would say you know relationships matter. I mean I knew that already, but it really does. I love supporting other small businesses in the community. I mean I knew that already, but it really does. I love supporting other small businesses in the community. I love. So I do a lot of like I don't know what everybody knows about it, but networking, I do a lot of like meeting up with small businesses to try to support them and have them support me too. And it's amazing to have that kind of support from your community because you get to know other people around you, you get to learn from other people around you. You get to, like you know, try to just support and build them up whenever you can. And I love that. I love like. I went into this because I wanted community connection and I wanted to be able to help with that, and now I feel like I can still help with that like connection, connecting other people with you know people that need them or might benefit from their services. You know it's awesome yeah.

Speaker 2: 16:42

And I hate the word networking sometimes because it sounds so like like finance, bro, or like I don't know. It sounds like very like a little more sterile, but I love the way that you go about it and I love the network that you create through your murals too, through people that know your work and through people that know you. Yes, that's the approach that I like, so maybe we should reframe the word network.

Speaker 1: 17:07

I think so too. They're really your friends. Yeah, that's the way I feel about it. Everybody I meet out there I'm like, oh, you're my new friend, Like let's chat about your business.

Speaker 2: 17:16

We'll call it bestie-ing. What can I do to help you? You know, call it bestie-ing, not networking, yes, bestie-ing.

Speaker 1: 17:22

Actually one of my friends. So Brandy of Studio Luxe Boutique, she uses the term biz bestie, so she always says my biz bestie. She should coin that.

Speaker 2: 17:32

Yes, she probably has. She actually has. Basically, that's amazing. Everyone that knows her knows. Yeah, if someone sees a whole heart mural for the first time, what do you hope they feel or experience besides what you've already shown? I?

Speaker 1: 17:44

always hope people experience joy. I'm sure that not all my murals will be necessarily joy, you know, depending on what it is like, the branding or whatever. But if it's a mural that I've designed, I am hoping that it does elicit joy from people and I do hear that all the time. Like people say, I love how bright and colorful and like I feel so happy looking at your murals, that makes me happy because that's what I want.

Speaker 2: 18:08

I want people to feel good with the art, yeah, and I don't think I've seen any of yours in person, but just through Instagram. I was like, oh, any of yours in person, but just through Instagram. I was like, oh my gosh, I feel great. This is the middle of the workday and these colors, they're popping off the page. These visuals are stunning. But also, I wanted to say, even for branding, I get maybe I'm a particular type of person, but just I get so much joy from seeing a really like great logo on a wall or great branding Like that brings me joy too, so hopefully that brings everyone joy.

Speaker 1: 18:38

I don't know. I hope so yeah.

Speaker 2: 18:41

So joy all around. Looking ahead, what kind of legacy do you want Whole Heart Murals to leave in your community?

Speaker 1: 18:48

Legacy. Well, I mean, I hope just people see my murals and they think about the connection they're making and maybe it will bring some love of the arts. You know, I'm hoping it'll inspire people to want to do some art or maybe wanna, or maybe just appreciating art on the wall. You know it's bring a little bit of I guess I feel like a lot of times, um, people don't make time for like the play and the joy, if that makes sense, and I want to inspire that childlike joy that people have inside that they may be burying. I guess you know I want to like bring that out. I want people to like have that feeling when they look at a mural.

Speaker 2: 19:30

Well, I think you're certainly doing that. I mean, again, just from me looking at your work through your website, through Instagram, it made me want to go to Michael's and buy a paint set and go paint, because I used to paint when I was a kid and that was something that brought me so much joy and now I do music. But there's something about doing things that just brought you so much joy in art class as a kid or even before then that, I don't know. It's a great feeling to get back to that and to get back to that part of yourself that you may have kind of overlooked in the hustle and bustle of every day. So I think you're certainly already doing that, but I know you'll continue to do so. And I also wanted to ask you quickly if there's any advice that you would give to other creatives who want to build a business around their passion.

Speaker 1: 20:15

I would say face your fear, try your best, don't try to not doubt yourself. I feel like a lot of times creatives can be very difficult on themselves. They are very critical of their skills and it holds them back. And I definitely had some of that in the beginning of my life and it did hold me back and it took me forever to actually start my business because I was like I don't know. But now I feel like somehow I don't exactly know what happened, but I tried to leave it behind. I tried to just keep going forward and facing the fear and getting you know, surpassing it. And then it's like, once you do, you realize other people love my art and it's making a difference to people and if I didn't do it it wouldn't be out there and that's sad, you know. So try to think about just pushing past any kind of fear or doubt you have in yourself and keep going. That would be my advice, for sure.

Speaker 2: 21:22

Beautiful advice. I needed to hear it, but I know a lot of other people need to hear it as well, so thank you so much for that. Is there anything else that I didn't touch on that you wanted to share?

Speaker 1: 21:33

So one thing that was really amazing. I couldn't believe it, and this kind of goes back to the building connections with people in the community and having a lot of like support among business people. So recently there were two awards that were given Best of Prince William County and Best of Haymarket Gainesville and I won both of them, congratulations.

Speaker 2: 21:57

Thank you.

Speaker 1: 21:58

And I couldn't believe it. I was shocked but also like so touched that the community is believing in me and you know it makes you, it just really validates that like what you're doing. When people appreciate what you're doing and love what you're doing, it's like it's this amazing feeling, so like I'm very humbled by it, like I couldn't believe, you know, I don't know, there's just there's a million artists and I totally admire so many of them, like incredible work, like I actually think every person is an artist and I couldn't believe that they gave me the honor and that just like speaks to the like support of the community. You know it's just such a nice thing and anyway, that meant a lot to me.

Speaker 2: 22:48

So that was amazing. Congratulations. And it's not I'm sure that it's not just your art, it's the person behind the art too. I mean just sitting down and talking to you. You're having conversations with your community, I'm sure every day, even if you're just going out for coffee, like people get to kind of feel your energy and all the joy that you just transmit. You just radiate joy and art and you radiate joy and your art really does the same. So the person behind the art has to be there with it and I think that really sets you apart. Thank you so much. Thank you so much for coming on to the Alamond show and making the time to talk to us about whole heart murals and your journey. This has been such a beautiful conversation.

Speaker 1: 23:27

And.

Speaker 2: 23:28

I know that our audience is going to have some great takeaways from this, so thank you, thank you.