We recently connected with the co-founders of Fear Not Hats, Maria Cruz & Celeste Mason and have shared our conversation below.

Maria , Celeste , thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. When did you first know you wanted to pursue a creative/artistic path professionally?

We remember vividly the moment that we wanted to pursue a creative path professionally. We were in our hotel room after a long day at a business conference, and over spicy ramen bowls and HGTV, we said plainly to each other that we needed to design hats. Though we didn’t make a single business decision after that for months, the creative side of us at work dreaming of what our business would look like.

While we remember that moment, and how free it felt to make a decision in the right direction, we still ask ourselves if a creative chooses to pursue their art, or if the art relentlessly pursues the creative mind.

At the time that we decided to pursue our passion, we were two creative women in business. We count those years in business as a blessing and look back on them with deep gratitude as those years taught us so much about ourselves, our work ethic, and our leadership. Yet any creative will tell you that if their unique thinking is valued more for strategy than for art, it will eventually lead to burnout. That nearly burnt-out soul inside of us, instead of stifling completely, was the circumstance that reignited a new fire, a fire to merge our two worlds and have a creative business venture.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

On the surface, we may be described as an artisan hat company, and yet we would choose to describe ourselves as stewards for the Lord, meant to serve others and bring God glory. Our product is our creative outlet, yet our purpose and true passion has always been for people, specifically young women.

One of the hardest decisions to make for us was our brand name, we spent months making suggestions back and forth. One day we revisited the business entirely and realized that we were having a hard time picking a name because it was never meant to be just a name, but rather a message. While we fell in love with hats for different reasons, there was one reason that aligned and it was the boldness that comes with wearing one. It gives you a sense of confidence, courage, and protection.

In thinking of the impact and the message, we asked the question, of what we would want our younger selves to hear, and it is this; live fearlessly and believe in the dream that was placed in your heart. Thus Fear Not Hats was born, and the message has started to spread. The beautiful thing about a hat is that you can write something on the inside, something that no one else will see, but that the wearer will see every time that they put it on. For this reason, our message is written on the inside of all of our hats, Fear Not.

Whatever you are facing today, you are not facing it alone. We believe that the same God who is with us on the mountain peak is comforting us in the valley of shadows (Psalm 23:4). The Word uses a version of “Fear not” or “Do not fear” at least 365 times, and while our clients may not wear one of our hats every day of the year, the message is there for them on the days that they do.

Do you think there is something that non-creatives might struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can shed some light?

A non-creative thinker may struggle to understand that you have to go through the valley of shadows because the beauty that we see on the surface and define as “art” is what awaits on the other side. When we describe this path to other creative thinkers, they understand that the “art” on the surface is not the only art that is present, but rather the process was the art all along. The struggle in a creative mind to make something of meaning and value is the beauty. There is a struggle of the soul in all of us when we are at a crossroads to greatness. A non-creative thinker may see the other side of that struggle as an overcoming, a conquering of the self. A creative sees it as a refining fire. Our art is what helps us to transcend the ugliness and pollution of this world.

A non-creative thinker may hear a story like the 16 years it took for Da Vinci to paint his Mona Lisa, and even still was left unfinished, and think, “Why go to the trouble”. A creative thinker will hear his story, and understand that the artist in him was unveiling her beauty through his journey one day at a time.

We mentioned that our brand as creative entrepreneurs was not just a brand, but rather a message. The message of fearlessness comes from us both living a life led by fear, the art is going through the fear and arising on the other side with courage. A creative notes that things of sorrow happen most often in an instant, but things of beauty and value take time, and as with Da Vinci, are seldom finished.

Are there any books, videos or other content that you feel have meaningfully impacted your thinking?

A book that holds deep meaning for us is called ‘When Breath Becomes Air” by Paul Kalanithi. It has shaped our outlook on life and leadership. This autobiographical journey shares a very prevalent reality that is often brushed under the rug within the high-achieving culture we live in. This reality is that life on this side of heaven is finite, and you have the power to choose between a path that allows you to live a full life or one that is simply based on others’ needs, wants, or even your traumas.

We believe leadership is such a gift and an honor, and therefore is how we make the correlation between our style of leadership with the book. As human beings, we have a choice to walk alongside others, to help them with their dreams and passions while simultaneously encouraging them to live their lives and perhaps have their dreams and aspirations too. In turn, any great leader must not only understand this but incorporate it into their leadership. Our philosophy comes from the understanding that the time gifted to you by others who trust you and your vision is priceless and comes with great responsibility.

This book taught us that leading with a deeper understanding of life while also growing the individual and your vision is true leadership which can only be done by those who understand that life is short, that life has a deeper meaning, and that we are all on the same journey.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://fear-not-hats.squarespace.com/config/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fearnothats/
• Other: Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/fearnothats/

Image Credits

Cross Films, @crossfilms