Charlie J Meyers, Philadelphia, PA (2026)

04/07/2026

“Think outside the box”, “Trust the process”, “Curiosity is your superpower” - We’ve all heard these kinds of vague generic statements from time to time. They are true but they leave us wanting more, flattening the complexity of our experiences as artists and creatives. So how do we avoid drowning in cliche? We build systems through language, we describe the true experience of what it means to be curious, to be creative, to be someone willing to take the risk of making.

The article I wrote for ShapeShifter_Art_School “The Portal of Curiosity” , is just the beginning of my attempt to outline and describe one of these structures. I am driven by an optimistic need to give myself (and others) something more than perfected a I slop soup or hallmark banalities. In this, I may not always get it right, but it’s in the exercise of writing, I hope to arrive at a failure worth sharing.

I hope you enjoy the article and that you stay tuned for more of my attempts. I have complete gratitude to anyone who reads and engages with my thought experiments. Thank you. - Charlie

04/06/2026

Happy Spring - Photo Dump - 🌺 In March, I went to a bouquet making class with my friend Giulia. I learned so much about the art of flowers and plants. It really opened up my world.

I also went hiking with my friend Shawn. I feel a lot of peace out in the woods. Although I love living in a big city, sensory overload gets to me on a daily basis. As an artist, I enjoy seeing the palette of nature and bringing new colors back into the studio.

Lately, I’ve been reading a lot! I use the philosophy I read in my business as a mentor , but also as a homeschool tutor. Additionally, I am reading a lot to prepare a special proposal for an amazing school in Memphis .

What are you reading right now?

I’m so thrilled that “Pinky” 🐄 was delivered to me this week by my friend & artist . She’s a self taught artist who is heading to Canada to officially go to art school. I fell in love with Pinky the moment I saw it and took on extra cat sitting gigs , because I NEEDED Pinky! Please check out , collecting her art will help support her dream to go to art school!

The second to last photo is a work in progress shot of my homeschool students painting ! I’m so proud of him. He’s only 16 and tackling such a complex idea. 💡 Teaching brings me a lot of joy. If you are looking for 1:1 painting instruction, hit me up! I talk about this more in my previous post.

Finally, the last photo is of a bird that got into my art studio. I fell asleep on the couch and woke up to a bird flying around. I managed to safely usher it out the window. This happened in early spring. For some reason , I have always believed that God is in the birds. It felt like a visit from the gentle unknown. 🐦 💕

04/05/2026

I’ve restarted my life several times, each time returning with bigger pieces of myself. This time, returning with my passion for philosophy and in person mentoring. I am so grateful this life has been made possible by all the loving supportive people in my life. Over the last year I’ve finally allowed myself to feel loved by my friend group, experience true community , and regained faith in myself and healed a lot of old wounds.

I took a step back in my business to work on my health and have been navigating a post long c o v i d reality. Teaching and mentoring 1:1 with only one student for a while, allowed me to take this step back, along with the support of my close friends, who I am so grateful towards. I’m now stepping back into doing more & slowly reawakening parts of my art practice & business , while bringing new discoveries & found 🧩 puzzle pieces to the table. Thank you for continuing to follow my journey and keep me connected to what I love most, even when I felt far away from it.

If you are in the midst of rebuilding , realigning, or learning something new, I want you to know that I truly understand what it means and that you have my full support.

Let life in. All of it. 💕

04/03/2026

After lectures and workshops on history, philosophy, writing, and editing, it was time for art. The sun came in, the studio felt warm and inviting, and I changed the music from violin to guitar. The vibes were just right and my student got into a great flow! After class, I took a nap in the sun, on the big studio couch.

It gave me a lot of happiness to provide a place for him to explore and get into the flow today. I think back about the art teachers who affected my life, and how their main job wasn’t to teach me how “to be”, rather they gave me the room to find out… :)

His painting is the blue one on the wall. I worked on the floor alongside him, stopping every few minutes to give advice, watch him work, and answer questions about color theory. It was a great afternoon.

Since last year, I have been working as a homeschool supplementary tutor. I have been teaching history, philosophy, writing, and grammar to my art mentee. I used to only see him on weekends for studio projects and painting. It’s been amazing to watch him grow over the years.

This painting he’s working on right now is of a potions closet. He’s using acrylic paint and acrylic mediums. We’ve been working on conceptual planning, layering, color theory, brushwork, and ✨ trusting the process ✨ or what I like to call “temporal trust”. I’m so proud of him!

03/08/2026

Cadmium red washes on thin paper , bristle brush marks on canvas pads, and watered down gouache. Sometimes all you need is one thread to pull on…instead of a whole idea ready to go. It’s been a while since I remembered that and I’m extremely grateful to have spent the day in my studio.

I’ve been thinking a lot about watching ‘s performance at the Olympics and her return to being creative after burnout. I am inspired to continue approaching it with her attitude of having nothing to lose and everything to gain. Every moment in my studio today felt like a pleasurable experience, it feels amazing to have let go of some of the pressure and also to put my health and body first. I will continue doing that.

Since having COVID and pneumonia last year, I have been struggling with a kind of post viral fatigue, metabolic issues, and neuro inflammation. I’m starting to make progress on regaining my energy, due to a new medication and returning to my full meditation practice. I’m profoundly grateful to have spent the day in my studio cleaning , organizing, preparing more teaching curriculum , and yes ❤️❤️❤️ finally putting paint on my brushes. Never take your health or energy for granted. I feel so hopeful to keep going and fully return to doing what I love , every single day. Right now I am taking it one day at a time.

After my studio day, I went to to pick up my .usa plate, it was so affordable and delicious. $4.31 for all that ? Tomorrow I’m going hiking with my friend . I will post some photos from our hike!

To taking off the pressure and returning to play . 🥂

Ps Thank you all for continuing to follow me and support me, even during my time where I was silent, while dealing with my health and other private things I wanted to heal on my own. I truly appreciate all those friends who continued to check on me, send me funny memes, and love. 💕 So pumped about my hike tomorrow! ❤️😍

PPS can’t wait to make work that shapes and shifts ;) ❤️

01/22/2026

I painted this in 2017. It is called The Encounter, a self portrait made in the church basement closet where I was living and working while recovering from a brain injury.

I was fragile then, and I kept running into malevolence, people who saw vulnerability as something to use. At the same time, I met others who were desperate and exhausted, including immigrants and people whose lives had been changed by violence and fear. When you are vulnerable, some try to help, but others come out of the shadows.

I am sharing this now because I am watching people I love have their own encounters. I see families being taken from their homes. Friends are calling me terrified. I recognize this trauma because I lived it. It took me years to feel okay again, and I would not wish that on anyone.

To know that my disabled friends, former clients, and my community are living under this kind of fear breaks my heart.

Art is not frivolous right now. Making it, sharing it, and speaking through it is not escape, it is survival. I made this painting while hanging on mentally, physically, and spiritually. It holds everything I have been through, and everything I have fought to release.

If you have ever had an encounter, you will understand this portrait.

I am praying tonight for the safety of my friends, my community, and artists everywhere.
I love you. I hope for peace. 💕 - Charlie

This portrait is available for sale. I will be donating 50 percent of the proceeds towards mutual aid groups, split between my city and another. Please message me if you’re interested in owning this oil portrait, a reminder of resilience and the importance of seeing one another’s humanity before anything else. ✉️

01/17/2026

I’m happy to add “Pinkie” 🐄💓 by to my art collection.

This delightful sculpture is by Julissa , a disabled artist living in Minnesota. Julissa is a self-taught artist, my friend, and collaborator who sells her work independently through her online store.

Please consider supporting her work, as she deals with the political, personal, and safety ramifications of having I C E in her city. Her friendship, disability advocacy, and artwork means a lot to me. She’s a fellow TBI survivor and has taught me to stand taller in my own medical reality, laugh, and enjoy art.

To Pinkie 🥂 🐄 💓

01/17/2026

Competitive catty owl type shi 🦉💀

(For context: People on the clock app are doing impressions of owls from different countries, cultures, and places. Everyone’s a little overwhelmed by the state of things, I think 🦉)

01/13/2026

Just some hope-core in the midst of chaos, a reminder that this too is possible. Thank you all for continuing to show up in the world and in my life, in ways that matter. Art is an act of peace. How we think, treat each other, and show up in the world matters. 🫶🏻

This video is from the TikTok account : dtravelvlog4

01/07/2026

Incredibly grateful to for being awarded a $1k individual artist grant. This is the third time I have been awarded an illuminate grant. I am so thankful for the opportunity!

Thank you for supporting my art practice, creativity, and writing.

This grant will allow me to cover the costs of running my art studio this winter, while continuing to rebuild my health and fully relaunch my business .

Thank you for supporting be arts during such a crucial period of time. I am so passionate about what I do. Having support means the world to me.

Thank you,
Charlie .

Charlie J Meyers

04/07/2026

04/06/2026

04/05/2026

04/03/2026

03/08/2026

01/22/2026

01/17/2026

01/17/2026

01/13/2026

01/07/2026

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