Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Kira Hill. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Hi Kira, thanks for joining us today. When did you first know you wanted to pursue a creative/artistic path professionally?
As long as I can remember. I take after my mother and her creative genes. It’s always been my dream to make art my career. Though, I would say that only in the last ten years did I think it was actually possible. I never knew what medium or type of art I wanted to sell because I dabbled in everything I could get my hands on. I’ve painted. I’ve made jewelry. I’ve done woodworking and wood burning, among other things. And then one day, about 4 years ago, I decided to make myself a big macrame wall hanging because I couldn’t afford to just go and buy one. Something just clicked and I was like this, this is the thing. This is what I want to do all of the time and for other people. It took a couple years and many encouraging words from family, friends, and co-workers to finally have the confidence to create a business. And now, here we are.
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
I’m a mom, wife, artist, and small business owner. One of the biggest reasons for starting my own business was to work from home to have more time with my family. And being an artist just came naturally. When I fell in love with Macrame I was just creating for myself. I had so many people in my life telling me I should start a business and that they wanted to purchase my art. So I decided to go for it. I worked on it whenever I could, between mom-ing and working a full-time job. Pretty soon Modern Bo Studio was born. Eventually, I ended up losing my day job and dove head first into making art my final career.
Modern Bo is a collection of boho and eclectic goods for a modern home. I create anything from wall hangings to keychains, to disco ball hangers to car charms. When you think of Macrame, it’s usually feels a little retro and maybe reminds you of the 70’s. That’s not the kind of Macrame I create, even though I love using disco balls in my work. I love bringing new life to an older craft while also giving people that wonderful feeling of nostalgia. I use recycled cotton cord in all of my works and I also love using locally sourced driftwood for wall hangings!
I’m so proud of how much I’ve learned about my craft, as well as business, over these past couple years. And of how much the business has put me out of my comfort zone. My favorite part is setting up at markets and getting to interact with customers and fellow vendors. I love my vendor community and the friends I’ve made along the way.
In your view, what can society to do to best support artists, creatives and a thriving creative ecosystem?
I think it’s incredibly important to support artists and creatives. They are the backbone of anything great in this world. They aren’t just people with hobbies or crafts, they are innovative thinkers. Art can be inspiring and provide so much joy to a community. Society can embrace artists by shopping small and local, or attending art galleries and museums. You can purchase art or even just share it on social media.
For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?
I guess the feeling it gives me is a little indescribable. Creating is really my happy place in life. To be able to make a business out of it and support myself financially is just a dream come true. I love that I’m not reporting to an office everyday and I get to work from home and spend so much time with my two children and husband. Plus, it’s always a great feeling knowing that someone likes your art so much that they want it hung in their home. Or that maybe something you created inspired someone else.
Contact Info:
- Website: modernbostudio.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/modernbostudio
- Facebook: facebook.com/modernbostudio