I think it was the colorful hair that first got my attention. Her lavender locks tell no lie…this girl was born to roam free.
I have yet to meet Melodi Meadows, but I can guess from her FP Me profile and Instagram feed that she would be a pretty cool chick to hang out with. Her style is boho, but with a touch of vintage rock n’ roll. I was excited to feature Melodi this week because I wanted to get to know more about this beauty. From spending her days putting a paintbrush to canvas or snapping off a roll of film, she seems to live in a world where creation is always in the air. Step into the dreamy world of Melodi Meadows.
Hummingbird Tank, Strappy Back Bra
Where did you grow up, and how did this shape the person who you are today?
I grew up in a small town near Dallas, Texas. I lived out in the country so I spent almost every minute of every day outside on some adventure. My mom use to call me Pocahontas because I would never come in and I would never wear shoes. I think my need to adventure and to be close to nature stems from these childhood connections.
How long have you been working at Free People? What is your favorite part about your job?
I worked for Free People three years ago as a stylist for an extended period but at the time there weren’t a ton of opportunities for growth in the visual merchandising side of the store. I just recently came back to the company to work as a visual merchandising manager. The best part about my job is the 6 a.m morning where I get to come in and construct displays and redesign the mood of the store. Nothing beats being able to put your own creative edge into the environment you work in.
Have photography and art always been passions of yours?
Art has always been a huge part of my life, from being a kid drawing rabbits and trees from my adventures to a grown woman creating wall sized abstract paintings. Art has always been my close friend. I have found over the years that if I don’t spend enough time in my art it’s almost as if I become ill. So I would say it’s more than a passion, it’s a lifestyle. As for photography, that is a new passion of mine. It came about almost a year ago when I shot with the photographer Asher Moss on his national US tour for the production of his book Miss Lonely. I met him in Austin, Texas which was the first stop on his tour and that was the start of it all. Over the course of the next 6 months he toured the U.S. and I flew out to California, Portland, and Phoenix where I finished the tour with him driving his 1970 ford truck from Arizona to New Mexico and back to Texas. He showed me a beauty behind photography that I didn’t know existed and I haven’t been able to quit taking pictures ever since.
Short Sleeve Printed Maxi Duster
Where do you pull most of your inspiration from?
I pull inspiration from the world around me, pushing myself to experience new places and people constantly so I can always be growing with new ideas. One of the main sources besides travel is music. I see music in color and movement so being an abstract artist, this always gets my creative energy flowing.
How do you feel when you’re creating something? Are your thoughts racing or do you tend to turn your mind off and get lost in the work?
All my pieces start as a spider web of ideas, with a broad direction towards an end point within those ideas. Once I take these thoughts to the medium I don’t really think of them again. I react to what is happening in front of me and trust that those beginning ideas rest in a sub consciousness that is still making its way to the canvas. So yeah, I guess I get lost in my work.
Do you have a certain aesthetic in the pieces you create?
I’d like to think so. I’ve been called a very painterly painter and I think that throughout all my bodies of work you can see my mark in all of them.
Border Print Bell Bottoms, Free To Be Top
Your Instagram feed is so inspiring, and the photographs of you in front of the lens are as beautiful as the ones you take. What is your favorite thing about taking pictures?
For me it’s about capturing the moment. There is something beautiful about an emotion being caught in a photograph, a second in time frozen. I think the reason my feed is so inspiring is because I’ve chosen to take adventures and dive into an artist lifestyle. My feed allows people to come along on my journey and connect with those frozen moments.
Give me a day in the life of Melodi Meadows…
I don’t know, it changes all the time. Some days I paint, read, head out for a photo shoot or I’m in the shop building displays and styling girls.
What does a perfect weekend look like for you?
The perfect weekend for me would be camping, painting outdoors, listening to records, hiking, and photographing the golden hour.
Destroyed Graphic Boyfriend Tee, Danica Mid Raise Flare
If you had to wear one outfit for the rest of your life, what would it be?
That’s easy! My holy Dylan tee, a bed jacket, Free People denim shorts and black motorcycle boots…Plus all my vintage jewelry.
Printed Racerback Bra, Raw Hem Denim Cutoff
What is the most amazing place you have ever traveled to?
Last August I traveled to Europe for the first time. I went to Paris for a few days and visited the Louvre which was a life changing experience seeing the masters art… but I must say, Spain wins! I stayed in Barcelona where I visited an art studio I am hoping to work at in the future. This place was so rich in its culture and art. I came home with a new set of values that I don’t think most people will ever understand without extensive travel.
What are three things you can’t live without?
My Paintbrushes, camera, and vinyl records.
What does being ‘free’ mean to you?
Freedom for me is when dreams and work are no longer separated, when creativity is a part of everything I am doing. Last year I was on a photo shoot in White Sands, New Mexico where I laid completely naked on the warm sand feeling the cold breeze blow over me, I was creating a moment of freedom and in that moment, I felt completely free.
Thank you for letting us in, Melodi!
Be sure to follow Melodi on FP Me and Instagram, and check out some of her work here!
Photos by Asher Moss.
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Loving those outfits. Especially the first one. It is so cool!
I started following her on Instagram a couple weeks ago and I have been obsessed with her style since I found her!! She’s pretty awesome and someone I could see myself just chillen with.
What does the tattoo across her back say?
looks like: “the sky is your science and my art”
Wow! What a beauty…I really feel her style is genuinely unique!
http://www.sunshinedaydreamphotography.com/
I adore her hair. I’d love to try that look, but I think it may weird out my office mates!
such a wonderful feature of such a wonderful free spirit!!! I love the amazingly photos too, so incredibly gorgeous !!! Thank you for sharing!!!
The Weaver Of Words…..give me 15 words and I’ll tell you a tale
http://www.averyfairytale.wordpress.com
Oh wow she is so beyond cool! Obsessed with her style!!!
http://juliettelaura.blogspot.com
What a beautiful soul! I live in New Mexico and hearing that she visited White Sands, New Mexico is quite grand to hear! It is such a beautiful place!
She sounds like such a lovely soul! I agree that travel is extremely important if one wants to learn more about his or her self and one’s morals and values. Great post. Pretty lady. xo
I’ve known her for many, many years, though I haven’t spoken to her for several. She is just as genuine and lovely as you all think she seems. A true beautiful soul. I am so, so, so happy for her and so excited that she is doing so well!
This beauty is one of a kind and only comes from a quantum reality. She’s got a lot to say and it’s written all over her body and even when she walks away you hear the melodi echoing for a lifetime.
wooow