Today we’d like to introduce you to Makayla Mick
Hi Makayla, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I was born in Chicago, Illinois and moved to Atlanta, Georgia at the age of 8. The move came with the feeling of great opportunity that even I felt as an eight year old. My parents were gleaming with excitement as this was a job relocation for my dad. We first moved to Douglasville, a slow but comforting area. The only difference between here and Chicago were the hills that felt like little mountains and red dirt. We quickly made acquaintances with many of our neighbors, which wasn’t new for us. We lived in two houses in the same neighborhood, the second being a downsize whilst my parents began building our forever home in Fulton County. Being a parent writing this now, I can only imagine the level of joy my parents felt seeing our lives evolve in a new, promising city. The roots of our love for Georgia were growing deep and quickly that first year until we receive a call from back home that abrupts our atmosphere. I had just come from a 5th grade day of school marked by my favorites, a messy art class and tiresome recess under a humid sun. I smelt like outside and my collar was popped when I walked in the door with a flat backpack as it was the weekend. I meet the eyes of my older sister holding my 4 year old little brother in her lap. She not sat comfortably in the loveseat but on its armrest looking like she found the closest thing to sit on to avoid falling out. My eyes widen with angst before she quickly says “Derrill got shot.” I take my two steps back and slammed my back to the door before sliding down it. I ask one question out of hesitation of actually receiving an answer I wasn’t ready to accept. She doesn’t know. My parents soon bust in the door and my mom is on the phone talking from her heavy chest. We’re now seated in the living room deeper in the house where the sunlight shined in the house more vibrantly. We’re all looking at each other except my mother who is pacing back and forth. She picks up speed towards the door after repeating out loud what she’s told on the phone: he’s in a helicopter on the way to the hospital. We all naturally follow her and other than a clear sky and blinding sun, a helicopter flies over the house. Though we knew it wasn’t the one we’d put trust in, all our eyes followed it until it was out of sight. We were now in a unknown city around strangers and unnecessary things. I took time to cover this part of my story because it is not just a part but was my reason for so long. I didn’t know my reason for what yet but I knew I had memories, certain legacies my older brother left with me that had turned to clouded feelings. I sought to sort them and make use of them before the accuracy of them would only be as strong as the last time I thought of them. Grief takes a long time so I had many years this all was fresh on my mind. I was a sad middle schooler, who leaned into art as my escape. It wasn’t just an escape from reality but a connection I had with my older brother. He always knew how to draw and would show me his sketches when he’d return home some nights. He was already 20 when I was born but this didn’t affect his ability to connect with me. I’m so glad he planted that seed of creativity in me early on, and to be inspired by your blood is motivating to say the least. I was listening to Adele when my friends were listening to whatever pop music that colored their lenses to the world. I’ve been misunderstood, I’ve been lied on, I’ve been laughed at since then. But I was praised for my art and my words, they soon became things I took pride in. I’ve felt most at peace when creating and the more I created the more I trusted myself. There’s many phases of me that are all connected by a common thread of needing to express myself and done so my obsessing over an art form at a time. Fast forward to 2024, put simply, I customize a hat that gives me a feeling of “finally”. Finally I had found something that came so easy yet was so limitless in its variability that it had to become a business. That’s when HomeArtDegree came to fruition. I didn’t have to show up pretty and in tact to create (when I just called myself a model), I didn’t have to be emotionally fixated to tap into another realm (when I painted), I just needed to move my hands and focus on the physical. Hat design is just more tangible, more trackable, more tedious that I could reel myself in and get it done in a set timeframe. If you’re a creative, you know we’re always at the mercy of our constantly thoughts and feelings.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Being multifaceted, my main struggle has always been yearning for a signature. Wanting to create something that would be recognized instantly as an extension of me. This being arguably only achieved by not taking art so seriously and just literally creating something, has been hard for me. I’m struck with inspiration from any and everything, and often wait for it to translate to something else to create. There’s so many poems that I’ve thought and never written, so many beauties I haven’t captured on canvas.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I specialize in hat design and customization. My brand HomeArtDegree is so dear to me because I’ve always wanted to be a business owner beyond just being a creative. There is nothing “just” about being a creative. It is messy but it is rewarding. Rewarding in the way it allows you to connect with different walks of life, and connect all the way to the furthest depths of your being. However, I have to mention this economy, (I don’t know how someone couldn’t) I think you’ve really made it when your passion can be profitable. To date, there are things that precede hat design and customization work that I’m proud of. As I strived this whole time to do, I dare say I am proud of my work as a creative director. Simply because my thing, if one thing, is DETAIL.
We all have a different way of looking at and defining success. How do you define success?
I define success as your passions meeting profitability and funding more passions.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://Instagram.com/itsbeenmk
- Other: https://Instagram.com/homeartdegree
