No One Gets There Alone. The Power of Community & Resilience: An Interview with Meegan Lim

Meegan Lim (@meeganlim) is an illustrator and arts facilitator based in Brampton, Ontario, known for her detailed illustrations exploring food, cultural identity, and the stories that exist within those intersections. Her mission is to create art that is inviting in its aesthetic, thoughtful in its research, and illuminating with its subject matter.

Over the past five years, Lim has navigated the realities of creative work: rejection, financial uncertainty, and the constant search for the next opportunity. Rather than viewing these as setbacks, she has reframed them as essential stepping stones to building a meaningful and sustainable practice. Lim spoke with Spinning Forward about her journey navigating creative work, community, and resilience.

Getting started on building a creative sustainable practice

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.

Spinning Forward: Tell us a little about yourself?

Lim: "I’ve been a freelance illustrator and arts facilitator for about five or so years. I do a mix of editorial, publishing, public art, and arts education or facilitation. Much of my work focuses on conversations around food and culture. I love exploring deeper topics with my illustration so people can pause and reflect on their day-to-day.

I’m based in Brampton, Ontario, and I’m of Chinese Malaysian background, second generation. My parents immigrated here in the 70s, so I have strong roots in this community and try my best to stay active and share more about it."

Understanding rejection in creative work

Spinning Forward: Tell us about your first experience facing rejection from a grant or program as a creator.

Lim: “One that comes to the top of my mind is a mural for a bouldering gym in Toronto. I was really excited because it was a larger canvas, and I would have to learn how to climb scaffolding—a cool new challenge. I came up with a great concept, but I was the second pick. Sometimes it’s really hard not to get really connected to whatever you create.”

Spinning Forward: How has your approach to rejection changed?

Lim: “I still allow myself to feel bummed after every rejection, but I try not to let it stop me from applying. It never hurts to email the organization and ask for feedback, because I feel like rejection is always redirection. When you get that criticism, it really helps you shape how you take your next step. It’s honestly about just moving on and not having a huge ego about it.”

Finding support close to home

Spinning Forward: What is your relationship with Brampton Arts Organization (BAO), and how have they helped you?

Lim: "I first found out about BAO back in 2021. I was fresh out of university and had moved back to Brampton, and I wasn’t really sure what my career had in store for me. There wasn’t much arts support, so I was incredibly lucky that BAO was forming and offering funding for artists.

I was first connected to them through the Beyond the Plate exhibit, where I did vinyl illustrations placed on storefronts to help the downtown core feel safer and brighter, especially during COVID. Now, I am an active board member for BAO, and I have studio space just down the hall from their office. BAO has been really integral because it has offered me a strong community to connect with. I feel like that’s something every artist needs, especially when many arts careers are very solitary on a day-to-day basis.

I have a lovely group of eight BIPOC women who are all Brampton artists. We met because of BAO at social events, arts markets, or through mutual friends. Now we’re a close-knit group where we spend time together as friends while discussing the industry and opportunities in the city."

Navigating self-doubt and community support

Spinning Forward: Have you experienced moments of self-doubt after not getting opportunities you wanted? What support systems help you navigate those moments?

Lim: "I feel like, as an artist, self-doubt creeps in almost every day. It’s tough not to compare yourself to peers or people doing exponentially better than you. I’ve applied to a lot of calls, and often it’s the same person who gets the opportunity instead of me. So it’s like you’re creating your own one-sided rivalry, but it really isn’t that. When I speak to people who don’t know me well but follow my work online, they might be thinking the exact same thing about me. But that’s what social media does. It creates these images of yourself that aren’t real.

Back when I was at OCAD, in mid-2020 when COVID happened, my core friend group created a Discord server to stay in touch, share resources, offer opportunities, and be constructive and empathetic. There’s nothing greater than having the ability to vent to someone who fully understands where you’re coming from. It’s completely different from venting to a family member in a different industry versus someone who is your peer and colleague. Whenever an opportunity comes across our desk that might not be a great fit for one of us, we pass it on to the other. That core community really helped form the foundation of my career early on.

It’s great to have people next to you during tougher periods when you might all be applying to the same project, but it’s great not to look at that as competition. Sometimes no one gets the opportunity, and you can get a little petty about it. That’s the real beauty of community, and it’s definitely gotten me to where I am today."

Diversifying income streams

Spinning Forward: What was your experience with alternative revenue streams when grants didn’t work?

Lim: "I immediately knew that multiple income streams were the reality of my work, and I didn’t see it as a negative. I think that’s part of the beauty of being an illustrator and artist in general. You can really control where your next step is going to be.

Relying on one source of income is never the smartest idea, especially if you’re a sole proprietor like myself. You’re constantly chasing the next project, and it can be really tiring. I found myself in arts facilitation by complete chance. I wasn’t expecting to get into that, as well as public art. I didn’t even know if public art was a sustainable source of income. And then there are random things, like consulting for arts organizations or municipalities, or designing accessible reports, a skill I learned at my day job that I now do as a freelancer.

Moving through the world with multiple streams of income, rejection, and constantly searching for your next job is the reality. But if you learn how to connect it to your overall mission, it can be a little bit easier to work your way through it."

Networking that works for you

Spinning Forward: Do you have advice for creators, especially creators of color, who struggle with networking?

Lim: "For BIPOC creators, finding community is extremely important. I think that’s what first pushed me to find my voice in my art. I created a zine specifically about my upbringing, visiting Malaysia as a kid and meeting my family there for the first time, while facing the duality of being Chinese Malaysian and Canadian. I sold copies at a market the following year and sold out, which shocked me. During that day, I had so many conversations with people who related to my story. You realize you’re not special, but you’re not alone either.

I’m a very introverted person, so networking doesn’t come naturally to me. But I feel like a lot of artists underestimate the power of word of mouth. It’s still the most impactful way of getting an opportunity. Networking with the intention of building strong relationships in your industry can take you very far. A lot of my biggest projects have come purely from word of mouth.

Finding your community is crucial for BIPOC creators, because you learn how to navigate the art space in a very different way than non-BIPOC people do. Create a strong community with people who relate to you and see where you’re coming from, but also allow you to push yourself."

Finding Strength in Community

Instead of seeing rejections as setbacks, Lim views them as a natural part of the creative process. For her, it’s all about being flexible, learning after every “no,” and just keeping at it. Whether it’s close friends from art school, online communities, or support from local arts organizations, these connections are an important part of helping her navigate tough times and stay motivated.

Her journey is a great reminder that you don’t have to go it alone. The creator path isn’t just about working hard on your own. It’s about finding other people in community who get you and share opportunities that help make the work both meaningful and sustainable.

Follow Meegan: You can find her on Instagram @meeganlim or visit her website: meeganlim.com.

Raj Barot is an Architectural Technology graduate from Centennial College with an interest in community journalism. He is currently volunteering in CivicAction's 'Youth CivicCorps' program while completing independent studies toward becoming a licensed building practitioner in Ontario.

COMMUNITY RESOURCES FOR CREATORS

Programming, mentorship, and direct support

Community and support networks are essential for navigating comparison culture. Through programming, mentorship, and direct support, organizations like the Brampton Arts Organization help creatives connect, build confidence, and keep moving forward despite challenges:

Brampton Arts Organization: dedicated to supporting Brampton’s diverse arts and creative industries. They provide free programs, workshops, and opportunities to help artists and creative businesses grow their skills, showcase their work, and connect with the community. Their mission is to foster a thriving arts scene in Brampton and advocate for local creatives, known as #BramptonArtist.

Canada Council for the Arts: Helps individual artists, arts workers, groups and arts organizations engage in projects and activities.

Toronto Arts Council: Helps artists and arts organizations by offering grants and services, shares guidance on what the arts sector needs, and brings people together to support the growth of the arts.

Stella’s Place: Toronto‑based mental health organization for young adults ages 16–29. It offers a welcoming space where young people can access support on their own terms, including peer‑to‑peer support, counselling, group activities, and skills‑building programs. Its approach emphasizes community, lived experience, and helping participants build tools for managing anxiety, depression and everyday challenges while connecting with others in similar situations.

CMHA Toronto (Canadian Mental Health Association): community‑based mental health charity that works across the city to support people’s overall wellbeing. Its programs, workshops, peer support, and educational resources are designed to help individuals and families understand mental health, build coping skills, and feel more connected in daily life. The organization takes a recovery‑oriented, inclusive approach to help people navigate challenges like stress and low self‑esteem while promoting long‑term wellness in the community.

Strides Toronto: provides inclusive youth and family support services across the city, including access to mental health and wellbeing programs. It offers spaces and connections for young people ages ~12–25 to get help with stress, emotional wellbeing, social support, and general life challenges, including through partnerships like What’s Up Walk‑In and other wellness initiatives in the community.

OneStopTalk: Confidential online mental health support service for children and youth under 18 in Ontario. It connects young people with registered therapists for single‑session counselling, helping them talk through issues like stress, low self‑worth, anxiety and depression and develop a plan to move forward. The service aims to make professional mental health support quickly and easily accessible across the province, and can help link users to ongoing local supports when needed.