We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Hailey Miller Beiden. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Hailey below.

Hailey, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. We’d love to hear about when you first realized that you wanted to pursue a creative path professionally.

Ever since I was a child, I have filled my spare time with creative extracurriculars. I have always felt the most comfortable expressing my thoughts and feelings through the arts. However, for many years, I did not understand that pursuing a creative career was a “real” option. Sure, I knew that I could fill in the “what do you want to be when you grow up” blank with “artist”, but it took me until high school to believe that was a path I could truly pursue.

I remember when I first learned about graphic design as a field. I was in an art class in the early years of high school, and my teacher was explaining visual art career paths. It feels silly now that I didn’t even know it existed, but I had to be introduced to the concept of graphic design. Then I started looking, and I realized that someone had to design everything around me. Food packaging, magazines, instruction manuals, clothing, signs. So many details of our daily lives were touched by some sort of designer. I think that abundance of possibility really inspired me: I could design book covers or logos or clothing, the options were endless.

Once I understood this, my college search was informed by my main two passions: art and music. I ultimately landed at Belmont University in Nashville where I studied Music Business and Marketing, as well as Graphic Design and Spanish as minors. I think part of me was still a bit afraid of the “practicality” of leaning full-on into a creative career, so I found myself on the outskirts (studying business). My senior year, however, I started to regret that decision. I found my design classes to be a reprieve from everything, especially in the throes of early COVID quarantine. I realized that I needed to lean into what has always come to me naturally. So, my senior year at Belmont, I fully jumped into creative internships, portfolio-building, and soaking up every design class I could. That choice is what led me to my current career path working in apparel graphic design.

Hailey, 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?

I am a graphic designer and illustrator, and I specialize in creating artwork for apparel. Most days, I am working on graphic t-shirts, but I also design hats, socks, posters, and various digital media. I specialize in illustrative graphics that lean into handmade elements and textures, and I love unexpected color combinations. In apparel design, I find that I am very inspired by vintage skate graphics and 60s/70s psychedelic artwork. I attribute a lot of what I have learned about texture and vintage to the creative team I work with at imogene + willie. I am also an illustrator and painter, and in my personal art style, I have always been very inspired by the whimsy of children’s book illustrations and cartoons, as well the boldness of artists like Keith Haring.
My biggest passion is artist merchandise, and I take on freelance merch projects whenever possible. I am a musician and songwriter myself, and for many years I struggled with what path to choose: music or art. However, when I work on artist merch, it feels like the crossroads where all of my passions meet.

I know that, to many, artist merchandise is mostly advertising, but it is so much more to me. Merchandise is a visual extension of a musician’s work, so I believe that the design and development process deserves that level of intentionality and care. When I work on a merch project, I listen to the artist’s discography, I create moodboards based on how the music makes me feel, and I dig into the lyrics and storytelling all before beginning to sketch. I prefer to work closely with an artist or their team so that they can make sure my interpretation of their work aligns with how they envisioned it: as an artist, I know how important that is.

I have been so lucky to begin working with artists who I have been a fan of for years, and that makes the work even more special and personal. I cannot talk about these projects just yet, as they are still in development, but I am eager to share more on my portfolio and social media as soon as I can. I hope to continue building my freelance arsenal with artists and their teams who are eager to create “merch that doesn’t look like merch”. Rather, I always aim to create pieces of fashionable art that continue on the story that a musician or band created.

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

I believe the arts are deeply important. For entertainment and enjoyment, yes. But also for emotional regulation, for connection, for communication, and for passing down stories and history.

It just so happens that the sectors of art I am magnetized to are clothing, music, and design. To me, clothing is wearable art. I feel like we are all these walking galleries, putting our passions and interests on display. It might be silly to some, but I find it really powerful.

All I can hope for is that something I create affects someone positively. Whether they feel confident in their outfit because of a shirt I designed, or their home has a bit more color because of my painting, or if they pass by my poster and it makes them present for a moment, that is what I am chasing.

What can society do to ensure an environment that’s helpful to artists and creatives?

Of course, whenever possible, support the artists in your life financially. If you need a new art print, jewelry, mug, whatever good it is that you are looking for, check out the artists in your community before the big brands. Buying a piece from an independent artist, even if it seems small, could truly help change their financial situation. If you don’t know where to find artists, art fairs and markets are a great place to start. Local boutiques, gift shops, and coffee shops also tend to be plugged into community art scenes.

Secondarily, I would say help support the artists in your life emotionally. Sometimes, sharing your art publicly can feel like walking outside naked, so a bit of encouragement and acknowledgement can go very far. For parents with children who show an interest in art, I think encouragement, and resources whenever possible, are especially important. I know that arts programs vary drastically from school to school, so even the smallest of resources, like a drawing book or a pack of basic colored pencils, can go really far. I also feel strongly that the quality of materials don’t make the artist: a creative person can make a masterpiece with crayola. I am so lucky that I have parents who have always encouraged me to continue creating art. Their lifelong support and encouragement truly helps me keep my passion ignited, especially when it gets hard.

Finally, help connect artists: with each other, with places they can sell their work, and with examples of artists who work in their field. For young artists especially, one of the most powerful forms of motivation can be seeing successful artists in action, and showing them their job options. If any other young artists are like me, they might need to be shown what all is out there.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://haileymillerbeiden.com/
• Instagram: @haileyartdept
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/haileymillerbeiden/
• Other: dribbble: https://dribbble.com/haileymillerbeiden

Image Credits
collage imagery taken by the imogene + willie photography team (“Billy Strings” tshirts and the “ACL Fest” tshirts)