Amanda Coelho

AMANDA COELHO ART + DESIGN

BETHESDA, MARYLAND

For most of her career, Amanda Coelho created for other people.

As a graphic designer, whether she was working for a small family-owned business or a global beverage company, there was always a client to please, feedback to consider and someone else’s vision to bring to life.

Then, at 48, Amanda realized something:

She wanted to create for herself.

So she traded graphic design for a very different kind of creative life and became a contemporary realist painter.

Today, through Amanda Coelho Art + Design, she creates oil paintings that celebrate the beauty of everyday objects — the familiar things that can make us pause, smile or remember a moment from another time.

This is Amanda’s Blooming in Midlife story.

Get to Know Amanda…

What’s your go-to coffee order?

Iced decaf oat milk latte with light ice.

Go-to cocktail?

Mezcal Paloma.

Current midlife guilty pleasure?

A piece (or two or three) of dark chocolate-covered caramel or mint every night.

What’s always in your bag?

A Vaseline tin for my lips.

Early bird or night owl?

Night owl.

If you could have dinner with any woman, who would it be?

My teenage self.

I’d tell her that being thin or pretty isn’t a personality and self-worth doesn’t depend on what you look like or someone else’s attention.

I’d tell her that her body isn’t the most interesting thing about her and to treat it with respect, not criticism.

I’d tell her to explore the weird hobbies and nerdy interests — and that the way she feels when she’s doing something she loves should be her compass, not whether it makes her fit in.

And I’d tell her to trust the detours. Life isn’t a straight path, and sometimes the detours lead you to the best parts.

Now Let’s Talk About Amanda’s Midlife Pivot…

What was your “aha” moment?

I spent my entire career creating work for other people.

Even as an in-house graphic designer for a global beverage brand, my employer was my client.

I realized that I needed to create for myself.

How old were you when you made this pivot?

Tell us about Amanda Coelho Art + Design.

I’m a contemporary realist painter who celebrates the beauty of everyday objects.

With a background in graphic design and a love for detail, I create oil paintings that elevate the ordinary and invite people to pause, reflect and connect with familiar objects in a new way.

My paintings often tap into nostalgia, capturing the quiet significance of the things we hold onto and the memories they evoke.

Creating for Herself

What’s the best part of your midlife pivot?

The flexibility and finally setting my own schedule.

I’ve pretty much worked since I was 14. Being a working mom was intense. It was challenging to give 100% of myself at work, then leave to get my kids on time and give 100% of myself at home too.

I’m pretty sure I failed many days, but I’m glad I was able to live in both worlds at the time.

And the biggest challenge now?

Keeping up with the booming small-business marketplace.

I love that there’s space for so many people to open their own businesses, but it also means there’s a lot more noise out there. It’s harder than ever to reach the right consumers.

What did your earlier career teach you that helps you now?

If you ask 10 people their opinion, you’ll get 10 different opinions.

Not everyone is going to love my work, but I’m not trying to please everyone.

Only two people matter: me and the buyer who connects with my work.

What would you tell yourself right before making this pivot?

All great things take time.

Let the journey guide you and don’t try to predict the outcome. Every failure is a learning experience. No one is successful on the first try.

The Best Part of This Chapter

What’s your favorite thing about this stage of life that you never expected?

Caring a lot less about what other people think of me.

I wish I could say I don’t care at all, but that would be a lie! I’m a people pleaser, so I’ll always care — but I care a whole lot less now.

The people in my life reflect quality, not quantity.

What have you stopped caring about?

Leaving the house without makeup.

Gen X grew up in the supermodel era, with parents who often saw appearance as a sign of self-respect. It was ingrained in my head from a young age that I should always present myself a certain way.

I love the freedom of a more relaxed lifestyle and really respect how younger generations have embraced body positivity and just being who they are.

What does success look like now compared with your 20s and 30s?

Success is about inner happiness and inner peace.

I worked so hard in my 20s, 30s and 40s. Life was about the job, social life, family and home.

Choosing a more traditional path in my younger years has given me the flexibility to make this pivot now, and I’m very aware of how lucky I am to do what I love at this point in my life.

What’s Still Ahead?

What’s on your bucket list?

Traveling the world.

What has been your biggest source of inspiration?

Noticing the small things in life that bring me joy.

Art doesn’t need to have some deep meaning. It can just be something simple that makes you smile.

How do you celebrate the small wins?

It used to be shopping.

Now it’s being able to share those wins with loved ones who will be as proud of me as I am of myself.

What’s currently speaking to your soul?

I spend a lot of time in my studio, so I consume a LOT of audiobooks, podcasts and music.

My go-to music is Classic Rock and Yacht Rock. I love the SmartLess podcast because they keep it light and I feel like I’m hanging out with friends.

On the complete opposite end, I also love a good true crime podcast.

And when it comes to books, I’ll listen to almost anything — novels, nonfiction, rom-coms, historical fiction and, obviously, true crime. If the synopsis grabs me, I’m in.

Wisdom to Share

What advice would you give another woman considering her own midlife pivot?

There is no guarantee of tomorrow, so do what makes you happy today. Take the plunge. You won’t look back.

Amanda spent decades using her creativity to bring other people’s ideas to life.

At 48, she decided it was time to see where her creativity would take her when the person she was creating for was herself.

And maybe there’s something in that for all of us.

After years of worrying about what other people need, want or think, midlife can be a pretty great time to ask:

What do I want to create just for me? 💗

Want to see the everyday objects that catch Amanda’s eye? Explore Amanda Coelho Art + Design [here].