Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Dale Morton. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Alright, Dale thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Earning a full time living from one’s creative career can be incredibly difficult. Have you been able to do so and if so, can you share some of the key parts of your journey and any important advice or lessons that might help creatives who haven’t been able to yet?

Yes, I’ve been able to earn a full-time living being a mascot costume maker but it hasn’t been easy. From when I started in 2001 it was always a question of having too much work or not enough. Having too much work meant that we would get backed up really fast and clients who were further down the schedule would get impatient. Not having enough work meant that we would be low on money, so each end had its down-side. Over the years I have been able to take on more employees so that we can get work done faster but even then our schedule increases even more and it’s hard to keep up. I personally work a lot of weekends and don’t get enough time off for rest or vacations, so that’s always difficult. The best part about what I do is that it’s a lot of fun making mascots and seeing the reaction of the clients when they eventually get their finished character.

I got into mascot making by initially being hired as a mascot head sculptor at a local costume shop called Magic Makers Costumes in Huntington, WV way back in 1991. I made heads for them throughout the 90s but decided to open my own shop in 2001 with their encouragement. I learned how to sew and make patterns by trial and error and hard practice. It was always a lot of work from the very beginning. There are some things I would have done differently if I had known what I know now but I wouldn’t know what I know now had I not gone through the learning process all those years ago.

Dale, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

After graduating from high school I became highly interested in becoming a special effects makeup artist for theater and film. I got hold of any books on those subjects and taught myself the makeup craft and how to sculpt and make molds for prosthetics and masks. I would buy my makeup supplies from this awesome costume shop in Huntington, WV, called Magic Makers Costumes and over time I got to know the owners. They liked my work and one day asked if I would be interested in coming to work for them as a mascot head sculptor. I readily agreed and we proceeded to work out our method for creating a mascot head. I worked for them through most of the 90s and in 2001 I decided to open my own shop with the encouragement of the guys at Magic Makers. So, I had a web site built, I rented a small studio space and quickly got clients through Magic Makers and other costume shops as well as directly off of the Internet and we’ve been going strong ever since.

We basically create custom mascot character costumes for schools from elementary to university level, for all types of businesses, corporations, radio stations, credit unions, churches, cities…just about anyone can have a mascot. We also craft custom latex masks and specialty costumes that are non mascot in nature. We can do everything from the initial designs of the mascot to color renderings to construction and sewing all here in our studio. What sets us apart from others I believe is our working relationship with our customers which is always very personal as well as the quality of our work which is very high and detail-oriented. I am most proud of our 95% customer satisfaction rate, we rarely have a disappointed customer. Even though some customers may get a bit irate over the length of time it takes to get their mascot, when they finally receive it they’re usually very happy and feel that it was worth the wait.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

Being a small business owner is tough, much tougher than most people imagine it to be (unless you just happen to be very lucky and immensely profitable right at the beginning). Trying to keep your business afloat, your customers happy, your product of good quality, your bills paid, dealing with unexpected difficulties on a daily basis…all this while trying to maintain a happy family life is one of the most difficult challenges I’ve ever experienced. Some people can’t cope with it. Low periods when you have few orders and little money can make one feel like a complete failure and send you into depression. But you have to be able to find the determination and courage to get up each day and go in and continue to do the work and fight the best fight you can. I find that in times such as those my best reserves of strength come from my family and my faith in God. Prayer and having someone to vent to is highly important when your self esteem is low. Hang in there…the difficulties will eventually pass and things will get better.

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

Yes, my main driving force from the beginning was to do something different, to be something that few others were, especially in this particular area of the country. I’ve always wanted to use my talents and abilities to create a profession unlike anyone else’s. Being unique and having others marvel at one’s uniqueness is very important to me. When people come into the studio to visit I delight in showing them a place they wouldn’t have ever dreamed would exist in Hurricane, West Virginia. It’s sort of like being a miniature Walt Disney, showing people a magical place where we create magical things.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.dalemortonstudio.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dmsmascotcostumes/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dalemortonstudio
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dale-morton-90b0143a/