We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Haley Texada a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Haley , looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. We’d love to hear about a project that you’ve worked on that’s meant a lot to you.
Outside of the first Daze iNights art show I held back in 2019, the most meaningful project I’ve worked on would be my tiny home, The D.i.N. D.i.N. is an acronym for Daze iNights and a place that is fully equipped and ready for the wild. I originally purchased this trailer for more space to move my paintings back and forth. Once I got it, I began thinking of how I could transition this large empty box into a comfortable workspace that feels like home.
I didn’t know anything about converting an empty space into a tiny home, nor did I know very much about camping. I was determined to do this so I took advantage of various resources and taught myself a new set of skills and one day, I am hopeful that I can teach others. This project took a lot of patience, extensive research, and brought more challenges than I ever expected. I have installed a 12V solar electric circuit to run my lights and various appliances. The next phase of the installation will be plumbing for the kitchen and bathroom, which will have both a shower and a toilet. By the end of this project, The D.i.N. should have a fully functioning kitchen, bathroom, pantry/storage, fold-away desk, pull-out sofa, dining area, and a folding bed. If all else fails, I’ll at least have a backup flashlight and my guitar. This project means so much to me because I want this to be my personal escape, and a place where I can experience total peace. This tiny home was created with so much love, and that is what I want people to feel and appreciate when they see it.
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.
I was born and raised in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. During my childhood, most of my time away from school was spent playing sports, primarily basketball. I played soccer and basketball until I got to middle school and had to make a choice, which was basketball. When I graduated from Wakeland High School (Frisco, TX) in 2011, I was blessed to receive a scholarship to play Division 1 basketball for Kansas State University. My four years at K-State were some of the best years of my life so far. I graduated in 2015 with a degree in Journalism and Mass Communication. It wasn’t until my basketball career was over that I started dedicating more time to my artwork. I painted a lot for fun and then began doing paintings for other people. After doing this for a while, I got the urge to take it a step farther.
In 2019, I held my first Daze iNights art show, which was a huge success. It gave me an opportunity to showcase my talent, meet new people, and gain new business. In trying to meet and exceed the expectations of my clients, I’ve had a chance to work with new paints, textures, and tools. Learning new painting techniques and tools has been very exciting, especially when I had the chance to use them on The D.i.N. I specialize in spray paint and acrylic paints, but I had the chance to work with glow-in-the-dark for this project. My inspiration for my art comes from my life experiences and how my mind runs wild during my nights. The night is when the world is quiet, but I feel like I am creating something so loud and colorful.
The support I have received from family and friends across the map motivate me to work harder and accomplish even more. I am simply doing what I love, but it’s encouraging and feels really good to have other people interested and appreciate what I love. If I had to give advice to anyone, it would be to do what you love, and invest in yourself.
How can we best help foster a strong, supportive environment for artists and creatives?
The best thing about supporting your local artists is that most of the time it’s free. Go out and like, share, follow, and subscribe to their social media platforms to show your support. Another way to be supportive is to attend shows, pop-up events or fundraisers and take lots of pictures to post while you’re there and give them a shout out.
What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?
The most rewarding aspect of being an artist is that my art not only makes me feel good, but it’s getting the attention and being appreciated by others. I have fully enjoyed meeting new people along this journey. I love the relationships that have blossomed here in my home state, and I would like to expand my business to my second home state of Kansas and my alma mater Kansas State in the near future. 
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.dazeintonights.com/
- Instagram: dazeintonights
- Facebook: dazeintonights
- Other: Snapchat: Daze iNights Artistry
Image Credits
All photo credits go to Charles Brakes. We are old High School friends, that have followed each other through our artistic journies.