Today we’d like to introduce you to Mic’a Ward.
Hi Mic’a, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
On the journey to growing an agency for artists, I’ve quickly become a woman of many hats. This experience so far has been so fulfilling, from a freelance artist to an agent and now as the artistic director and curator of the business I created… which simply started as just an idea.
After obtaining my Bachelor’s in Fine Art, I searched for many working opportunities within my field, such as art direction and curation. At the time it seemed so impossible to gain the right job opportunity since my work experience was not related to my art degree and the only experience I had in the Art Industry was studying my craft. I thankfully knew that my capabilities and work ethic would one day lead me to the perfect career for me.
Being raised by two entrepreneurs always reassured me that if I couldn’t obtain the dream job I wanted, I could always create that opportunity for myself. I never gave up on the search for a best-fit role yet I also never gave up on my own entrepreneurial pursuits. The framework to my business existed for three years in my journal before its official launch. I truly believe that “picking up where you left off” and also writing out your ideas can be the most simple yet powerful actions of self-persistence.
I always take into account that what I’ve manifested into my life today involves such a large support system. My parents, my partner in business and the network of artists I’ve gained over time have all helped me to succeed on this journey. I’m appreciative of the people that continue to believe in my wildest dreams and to have creative friends that I can always depend on for motivation. The artists whom I currently represent are all growing right before my eyes as I’m learning through this process and I am so inspired to move forward with it each day.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Actually, I’m blessed to say that this journey has been a very smooth road so far and all the preparation I’ve done before launching my business is what contributes to that. Perfecting my skills and the business module was the gear-up to presenting myself as an agent to other artists. I knew exactly what to do because I had planned for it.
I had almost rushed into buying my business name with no framework and thankfully I was convinced to get more detailed about my overall vision before doing so. I learned that sometimes my ideas come in so big and I must simplify them into multiple attainable goals. Others could possibly start something small and grow it into something bigger but I always see the end result of my ideas first. Knowing myself in that way has catered to my business structure and allows me to balance out my anxieties along the way.
Even when situations do not go as planned, I naturally handle every obstacle as a big idea that can be tackled with smaller steps. In my opinion, the first rule of professionalism is to leave your emotions at home, but we are all human. So in any event that I must face a challenge involving others in partnership with my business, I practice clear communication because it will always prevent unnecessary roadblocks. Even in an instance that I’ve never before taken on… learning through it and being logical eventually leads to successful completion.
I’ve had to create new schedules for myself to reach out to my artists on a frequent basis and keep everyone on board with the vast growth of my business. Running a studio, an online gallery and a global agency has expanded my everyday to-do list… so the current goal is to grow my team and stay ahead of the curve before other obstacles may arrive.
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I am now seeking more agents to grow my team, I’m in need of more assistance with the many administrative tasks that I now handle on my own. Even though I pride myself in currently being a “one woman show” I believe a jack of all trades is a master of none and I adore working amongst others who specialize in their own skill sets.
As a non-exclusive visual art agent, you must conduct meetings and send emails, provide local resources to all of the artists you represent, execute contracts and other documents, partner with other agents such as PR and HR (public relations and human resources), create/send proposal letters, scout new talent at conventions or online affairs and a few other tasks that contribute to the entire Agency. I have previously closed my roster at 13 artists as a solo agent and when other agents are onboarded, the roster will soon grow again.
Right now, I’m blessed to represent visual artists within FL, GA, MA, NC, NJ, NY, PA and internationally in NGA and ROU (Nigeria and Romania), whom are all diverse in ethnicity and gender as well. We push to create more unique opportunities for freelance artists around the world to showcase their artwork in more unconventional ways to help expose and sell their work. Visual Art is an umbrella to many mediums of art so we represent painting, drawing, photography, embroidery, filmmaking, ceramics, digital illustration and other multidisciplinary work. The agency’s total portfolio is endless and majority of our artists also offer other freelance services; Interior Design, Mural Installation, Music Production, Animation, Video Editing, Artistic Direction, Photography Assistance, Event Facilitation, Live Art Performance, Public Art, NFT’s/ Digital Illustration and Logo Design. Every artist makes the full revenue they desire with the help of our Agency, as we handle each transaction of sales or services involved.
We’d love to hear about any fond memories you have from when you were growing up?
There are plenty of childhood memories I consider to be my favorite since I had a very adventurous upbringing. If I had to choose one story to share that’s relevant to my career today, it would have to be the day I decided to finally learn how to ride a bike. I used to live on a dead-end street in a neighborhood with many other kids that were also my age and we all loved to race, ride bikes and play basketball. I was the only one still riding a bike with training wheels at almost eleven years old, yet still no one could convince me that I needed to learn even then and I was content with that. My father even attempted to teach me by taking me outside one morning and giving me a head start down the block, but I just wasn’t ready.
I’m not sure what eventually motivated me, but I woke up one Saturday morning about a month later from that first attempt and had asked my dad to remove the safety wheels off of my bike and give me a push down the block. Being that it was so early in the day, I was determined to get it right before the other kids came outside to play. To my surprise, I was actually good at it! I was able to balance myself while turning and could speed up and down the hills with ease.
I’ll always remember the adrenaline it gave me when I finally felt secure enough to press the brakes, then start again… still so scared but also confident that I could do it. It had to be one of the first times I actually made myself proud because I had accomplished something on my own terms. Of course, my parents were also proud of me and all of my neighborhood friends were extremely shocked to see me popping wheelies with no training wheels on that very same day.
It’s now so clear to me that the phrase “it’s just like riding a bike” is so relevant to so many other things we experience in life. The adrenaline I felt then has never actually gone away, so now I’m constantly pushing myself to overcome the unknown. I’m no longer content with procrastination as I once was. Accomplishing any goals on my own terms is a true testament to my success, no matter how long it has taken me.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://muralmica.com/studio
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/muralmicastudio AND www.instagram.com/muralmicagallery
- Twitter: www.twitter.com/muralmicastudio
Image Credits
Gpstudio
