Practicing self-care and self-expression looks different for everyone. For nail blogger @two.peas.and.polish, it’s all about going with the flow and riding the waves of creativity–things that come easily when you’re secretly a mermaid... (We’re onto you Megan.)
Scrolling through Megan’s Instagram, you’ll find that her nail art exudes a feeling of harmony. Balanced compositions, complementary colors, and clean minimal designs all contribute to a sense of satisfaction and completion in her manicures. We were lucky enough to sit down with Megan in an exclusive interview to get the inside scoop on her creative process, self-care practices, and thoughts behind our upcoming collaboration nail stamping plate.
1. How long have you been doing nail art?
I have been doing nail art since March of 2021.
2. How did you first learn about nail stamping?
I saw a Maniology ad on Instagram and then looked up videos on YouTube.
3. What do you love about nail art?
So many things but to name a few... I love being able to wear my art, and being a part of and being inspired by the nail art community. I get so much joy from sitting at my nail desk, planning my looks, and making them happen. I just really enjoy the creative process.
4. What inspired the designs for your stamping plate and which design on your plate is your favorite?
I love abstract looks. I also really love stamping with Maniology's Rainbow Splash sheer polish and layering designs to mix the colors. I hand-sketched all the designs, keeping in mind the ability to layer them. I liked the hand-drawn look and decided to maintain that throughout the design process. I really like the line designs I drew with the intention of creating criss-cross looks, one of my favorite designs to create!
5. Where do you find creative inspiration in your daily life?
I honestly don't know that I find inspiration in my daily life. A lot of my designs come from how the images and colors make me "feel.” It probably sounds really weird, but it's how I operate ha. When I'm given a prompt or theme I start with the images I want to use, then I come up with the colors that fit with the feel of the images.
6. If you were a Maniology stamping polish, which one would you be and why?
I would be Spiced Orange. It's shimmery, looks so pretty with a lot of different colors. It's easy to work with and reminds me of my favorite season: fall!
7. What is something you wish you had known about nail stamping when you first started? Share one tip for beginners.
Not every technique will work with every design. Don't give up! Play around with scraping angles and direction, stamper styles, the polish types and amount of polish for each design. Sometimes, applying polish across the design, then scraping down the design, and then rolling my stamper across the design gets me a gap-free pickup, but sometimes, I have to change directions for each step to achieve a clean pickup.
8. What other creative hobbies do you enjoy?
I have really enjoyed setting up our fish tank and the creative design process of placing different elements in the tank. I keep changing things and adding new things. I don't know if others would consider this a creative hobby, but I have used my creativity for it, haha.
9. How do you practice self-care?
I try to make sure I spend some time doing something that makes me feel happy. Sometimes, it's sitting with a martini and watching the fish and snail in my aquarium. Sometimes, it's playing a board game with my kids, and other times, it's making sure I enjoy every last drop of my coffee and coconut creamer. Expressing my creativity is also a big must-have in my self-care routine. Trying to be mindful of my attitude and being aware of how I'm feeling about life are my cues to my need for self-care. I can't pour into others if I'm not feeling filled.
There’s lots to learn about nail stamping and creativity from Megan, but if you’re not ready to invest in an aquarium, you can gain some inspiration from our new Maniology x @two.peas.and.polish collaboration stamping plate. With hand-drawn abstract doodles and modern minimalist shapes, this versatile and timeless plate offers so many possibilities. Plus, it’s available now! Shop the plate.
An artist is never without its favorite tools. Find out what Megan's Maniology favorites are: https://maniology.com/collections/megans-favorites
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