From the colorful chaos of the psychedelic ‘70s to the whimsy of vintage Barbie, San Antonio-based artist Megz, known as @megznglitter on social media, is a vibrant force in the local art scene. With a style that blends “the chaos and freedom” of children’s art and influences from Bob Ross and American traditional tattoos, the 28-year-old artist creates “quirky, imperfect, whimsical, fun, funky [and] intuitive” pieces right here in the Alamo City.
Since she was little, Megz has always known she was an artist.
“As soon as I could hold a crayon I never stopped drawing,” she said. “In school, I doodled all over my work — year after year, and now I get to do art for a job. It’s pretty spectacular.”
Over the years, her style has evolved from edgy and grungy to bright, happy and undeniably sassy.
“I make fun bright colorful paintings with lots of personality and sass. I’ve heard people say it’s surreal,” Megz said. “My art has evolved with me so much, when I first started painting it was a lot more edgy and grungy. Now it’s bright and happier, well sillier and sassier for sure. It’s so cool to track my life through the art I’ve made at different times.”
Her art’s personality has earned induction into the Hollywood 100 and Megz’s impressive Instagram following of over 115,000. Despite her initial hesitations about social media, Megz’s persistence and luck with the algorithm have played a large role in the success of her business, Megz Glitter LLC.
“I had a personal Insta and I would draw here and there, so I would post some art I thought was cool on my IG,” Megz said. “I eventually started making more art and posting more art. My personal Instagram turned into an art Instagram. I think it’s mostly luck and persistence, showing up, getting lucky with the algorithm.”
However, having an online presence can be both rewarding and “incredibly exhausting” like it has been for Megz, but she finds solace in stepping away from her screens and reconnecting with the world around her.
“It’s such a bizarre thing to exist online,” she said. “If you want a strong presence, I would say to show up as often as you can. But this can lead to burnout — at least it does for me. When I feel blocked, I step away from art. I’d rather get outside, read a book, see friends, do other things. Having that little break always helps me.”
Though burnout or the fear of it is often daunting, Megz’s best advice to avoid this is to establish a productive balance between being online and offline.
“I don’t have it figured out yet but I’m working on it,” Megz admits. “I like to post and ghost. Show up online, remind people that I exist, then go paint.”
According to Megz, sometimes recording “decent” content for social media takes her “out of the flow,” but even so, her entire artistic process can happen in as little as an hour.
“It’s mostly like ‘Oh it would be so fun to paint a strawberry right now’ and then I do it,” she said. “I don’t plan much of anything, and I don’t spend much time sketching before I get the paint out. I like to have fun on the canvas. I like to make mistakes as I go and fix them along the way. There [are] so many ideas and dreams that swirl around in my head. If I’m painting I feel like I have to record some of it so I can make a video for Instagram. I’m a chaotic person, and this is the approach I’ve found works best for me.”
In addition to her online presence, Megz finds joy in starting her mornings with art and coffee, emphasizing the importance of self-care and intuitive art.
“It’s been really nice to have a break and just make art for the sake of making art,” Megz said. “I’m always working on this balance and finding ways to make it feel right. Letting things be messy, making mistakes [and] enjoying the process is the most important part for me. Art can be easy, it can be go with the flow, it can be whatever it wants to be, just let it happen.”
Like most professions, things are not always sunshine and glitter. In fact, Megz said she has had to overcome so many challenges that she has lost count. Despite the challenges she has faced, including the loss of her social media accounts and navigating the complexities of running a business, Megz remains resilient, taking each obstacle in stride and focusing on the next step forward.
“But I’ve gotten through all of them,” she said. “I’ve lost my TikTok account, I’ve lost my Instagram and had to rebuild a new one. I didn’t know anything about running a business at all. Taxes, packaging, shipping, branding, etc. dealing with my own anxieties and self-doubt, art theft, so much has happened. You just take it day by day, and step by step. It all comes together eventually. You don’t need to have it all figured out now, you just need to keep taking the next step.”
Operating from her home in San Antonio, Megz creates everything by hand, from paintings to prints, focusing on maintaining the authenticity and personal touch of her artwork. For Megz, art is more than just a career — it is a form of therapy and self-expression that has helped her navigate life’s challenges and connect with others on a deeper level.
“I started painting to cope with some really bad anxiety, art has always been my escape into my own little world,” Megz said. “It has healed me so much. I think everyone could benefit from making art, and I think anyone reading this should go make art. It is so therapeutic.”
Above all, Megz loves art. Her disinterest in “normal” jobs led her to find a way to sell her art, starting at Big Vibes Art House.
“My friend Nikita Trevino is the creator of Big Vibes Art House, and she invited me to one of her first events about five years ago. It was just when I moved from Michigan to Texas. The idea is that everyone is welcome, it is a safe space for all creatives. It’s amazing. I came out to this event, full of anxiety. I filled a table with my art, and I was met with such love and support. I made over $600 that night. It was the first time I thought, wow this might actually be possible. This might be able to be my job. Money is super motivating so I can keep making more art.”
Available products include stickers, prints, mini paintings, original works, mystery packs, coloring books and tattoo tickets, which are permission slips to get her work tattooed by another artist. As she continues to grow as an artist, Megz looks forward to exploring new avenues, from designing clothes to hosting classes and continuing to design her coloring books.
“My favorite thing right now has to be my coloring books,” Megz said. “I’ve made five so far. It’s really cool because I get to make art and collab with people all over. I draw the lines and you fill them in how you want to. That’s so cool to me. I love seeing everyone color the same pages so differently.”
Important to her online LLC are her iPad, Apple Pencil, Procreate, her favorite Filbert paint brush and not having an attachment to her pieces.
“I have a weird non-attachment to my stuff,” Megz said. “But I do cherish older pieces [that I don’t have anymore] just because there was a freeness to those pieces, I wasn’t relying on my art for money, I was just playing around [and] having fun.”
For more information on Megz or to buy her pieces, visit her Instagram at @megznglitter or her website at artbymegz.bigcartel.com.
Advice from Megz:
- “Go easy on yourself”
- “Listen to your body and how you feel”
- “Figure out what works for you”
- “Don’t compare yourself to others”
- “Have plenty of time away from your phone [and] social media”
- “Get outside, read books, journal”
- “Show up but don’t hang out online too long”
- “‘Post and ghost’ feed Instagram and then go do other things, make art”
- “Just take it day by day and step by step. It all comes together eventually. You don’t need to have it all figured out now, you just need to keep taking the next step”
Megz’s reading list:
- “Big Magic” by Elizabeth Gilbert
- “The Artist’s Way” by Julia Cameron
- “The War of Art” by Steven Pressfield
Paul Jones • Mar 14, 2024 at 12:29 pm
Best Artist in the world!
Love, your uncle