Photo By Melanie J. Tracy

MELANIE J. TRACY

To share the same space as photographer MELANIE J. TRACY is nothing short of pure energy and unbridled honesty. If you haven't seen her work, look for her upcoming Web site, TheBeautifulChaos.com, and her next group show in January. Check out five things that drive Tracy's creativity.

My Parents. I can only strive to be as devoted to my art as they are. My dad is an art director, and my mom owns an interior design business. Looking over their shoulders on my tiptoes, trying to saturate my mind with every ounce of their creative juices is what has lead me to my fine arts degree. They also taught me to keep my faith first -- without that, I can never be successful.

My Wonderful Boyfriend. Adam has an amazing ability to never let me be sad. He lives his life with no worries, and slowly he's teaching me how. He has shown me how blessed I am, and there's no reason not to be happy.

Europe. Studying/traveling abroad has made me realize you can never travel too much. I save my money to see the world, not to blow it at the corner bar. Be grateful for people who aren't like you: Learn their ways and become cultured!

Professors. They have an amazing ability to always be pumped about educating their students. My high school art teacher is the reason art is always my first priority.

Color. Although most of my favorite photographs are black-and-white, I'm convinced you can never have too much color in your life. It is my breath of fresh air.

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ARTICULATIONS offers five things important to one of Cincinnati's visual artists. To be considered, contact Jacquelyn Vaughn, jvaughn(at)citybeat.com.