Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Mackenzie Myrick. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Mackenzie, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. What did your parents do right and how has that impacted you in your life and career?
My parents did many things right (they are amazing!), and I credit them with helping me to find my creativity as well as providing me with the support and ability to start my business. My parents are both artists (my mom creates oil paintings, my dad is a graphic designer), which means that growing up, I was always surrounded by art and plenty of creativity. One thing that I am most thankful for is the love of learning that my parents instilled in me. My mom is one of the most naturally curious people I know, and she is probably the best problem solver I have ever met. She always planned activities for us to do, whether it was molding stepping stones in the backyard or creating mobiles to hang from the ceiling. On the other hand, my dad is an incredibly smart, deep thinker and can figure out just about anything without needing to ask questions. We often discuss ideas for hours, and these discussions have always helped me develop my own sense of self and voice my own opinions. Additionally, my dad ran his own design business for many years, so I was able to see what entrepreneurship looked like. In more recent years, I have been able to turn to him for advice when dealing with outside companies and clients. (Whenever I have a question, I humorously ask if he’s open for consultation). In essence, there was no shortage of critical thinking and curiosity in our house.
Possibly one of the most important things my parents did for me was to help me to discover my creativity. Growing up, I wasn’t the most creatively inclined. I was a very serious child, and school was extremely important to me. When creative assignments arose, I would often become upset, worrying more about my grades than finding a fun and unique way to complete the project. These feelings happened all the way through university, when I took creative writing and art classes for my degree. It wasn’t that I didn’t have a creative sensibility; the real problem was that I was afraid to be creative and end up with something that wasn’t very good. My mom, who always brings a problem-solving attitude to everything, would help me by going through possibilities and coaching me towards a unique solution. It was during college that I learned that being creative is a skill. Some people come by it naturally, while others might need some help to learn how to utilize it. I was one of the latter. I had to lose my fear of being “wrong” in order to get to where I am today. It took graduating from college and separating myself from school to loosen myself up and find my creative voice. And, I believe my mom and dad both had a big part to play in helping me find 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
My name is Mackenzie Myrick, and I am the artist and illustrator behind Mackenzie Myrick Studio. I work in pen and ink to create whimsical compositions that are rooted in nature. My artwork is highly detailed and based in reality, but it also lives in a fantastical world, where raccoons bring ice cream sundaes to parties and hummingbirds help the sun to perform its daily tasks. I write short, anecdotal stories to accompany all of my drawings, to add to the world the viewer is experiencing. They aren’t narratives, exactly; rather, they are little glimpses into the objects and characters featured in my drawings. These stories are part of what makes my art, stationery, and illustrations unique, and are integral to how I approach creating artwork for my stationery line, as well as projects for commercial clients. For example, all of my greeting cards include the drawing’s story on the back, so that whether you are purchasing the card for someone else or receiving it from a friend, everyone can experience the full whimsical idea behind the piece. I often find inspiration for my work in many places: folklore, antiques, history, nature, old etchings and manuscripts, architecture, children’s books, and everyday encounters to name a few, and all of these areas of interest contribute to my writing and voice.
My business consists of a stationery line that I sell online and to independent retail shops via wholesale. You can find my products in 75+ shops in the country and around the globe. (I was so excited to send packages to shops in Germany, Canada, Wales, and France this past year!) Throughout each year, I attend in-person markets and events, such as Indie Craft Parade in Greenville, SC, to meet new customers and clients. In addition to my stationery line, I also work on commissions and commercial projects, such as creating illustrations for businesses to use for branding purposes.
One thing that sets me apart from other artists working today is my use of a traditional medium: pen. There has been a huge shift toward digital art production over the past few years, especially in illustration. However, I have always felt like the use of traditional mediums like paint, pen, charcoal, and pastels creates more opportunities for art to emotionally resonate with the viewer. With traditional media, you’re one step closer to the artist and how their hands moved across the paper to create that piece of art. Also, I would say that my focus on black-and-white drawings is very unique in today’s art world. I don’t come across many artists working in black-and-white, especially not in the stationery and illustration industries. I’m very happy to work in black-and-white as a way to expose people to a form of art that has been somewhat lost over the years because it can be quite beautiful and intriguing in its ability to capture detail and composition.
One of the things I am most proud of creating this past year is Penelope’s Postcard Club, a monthly art and story subscription on Patreon. In June 2021, a peahen showed up in my family’s yard, standing around the bird feeder. We have no idea where she came from, but she wandered around our house the entire day, digging up bugs and searching for food. In the afternoon, I decided to bring out a bowl of blueberries, thinking she might need something else to eat. She ate the entire bowl in front of me, before sitting down and basking in the sun. After that, she disappeared, but she became the inspiration for the Postcard Club. Every month, Penelope Peahen (as I now call her), travels to different places. I write down her travel stories and create artwork to go with them, and these “postcards” are sent out to subscribers along with exclusive stickers. It’s a very rewarding way of connecting with my customers, and I truly enjoy writing about Penelope and drawing her every few weeks. It encompasses two of the things I love most: stories and art.
What’s been the best source of new clients for you?
The best source of new clients for me has been in-person markets and events, hands down! I started sharing my art on social media in 2019, in the hopes of attracting potential customers and clients. I had seen other artist and stationery businesses grow their customer bases rapidly by using social media channels, but unfortunately, I was not experiencing the same level of growth that way, for various reasons. As a result, I started turning to in-person markets and events, where I could set up a booth and showcase my work and products to people in person. And wow, did this make such a huge difference! Whenever I attend markets, I always bring an email sign-up sheet with me, so that people can easily sign up for my email newsletters, find me on social media, and visit my website after the market is over. You also never know who you will meet at these events: shop owners looking for new product lines, businesses in need of custom branding artwork, or even book publishers. And with any client or customer, being able to see my products and artwork in person makes a huge difference.
The same principle goes for finding wholesale clients. The simplest form of reaching new shops is via email, but many emails are left unopened or end up in spam folders, never to be seen…ever! So, in the spring of 2021, I started researching shops that were within a reasonable driving distance of my home. What shops could I visit and take samples to? I have made two or three of these driving trips, stopping at various locations along the way, and my return rate on these visits is usually around 50%. That means around half of the shops I visit in person make the decision to stock my wholesale collection, while only one out of every 10 shops that I email becomes a customer. Making the extra effort to visit shops in person and speak face-to-face with the owners and managers has really helped me to grow my retail shop list over these first two years of business. While it may not seem like much, I think having a face to put with the name helps to make my products stand out – and fosters a good relationship between both parties! Obviously, visiting every shop in person isn’t possible, especially when the shop is 2,000 miles across the country! This year, I’m working on new ways to reach out to those potential clients in a more personable way.
What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?
One thing that I have had to unlearn (and continue to unlearn everyday), is the need to be inspired in order to create art. Growing up, I would create art when I felt like it. I would venture to other hobbies and activities when that spark faded, and come back to it a few weeks later when I felt the urge to draw again. As a professional artist running a business, the option to wait to draw until the spark reignites is not available to you. You have to learn to create even when you feel uninspired or unenthusiastic about your work. During the first year of my business, this was incredibly difficult for me. I became easily frustrated and upset when that spark would leave, which would cause me to feel like I couldn’t make my business work. In year two, this frustration began to subside as I learned that everyone has a creative cycle, or a series of phases that you go through during your creative process. I also learned that it’s completely normal to not be inspired all the time! I started to learn how to recognize how I work, as well as how to work through those icky times when I don’t feel very creative. If I’m having a difficult creative week, I’ll work on business to-do tasks instead. If I’m feeling full of ideas, I’ll run with it and get three drawings done in three days. Starting out year three, I’m still learning how to get over these creative humps, but I feel more equipped to handle them and realize that they’re not final. All moods, even creative ones, ebb and flow.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://mackenziemyrick.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mackenziemyrick_art/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mackenziemyrickart
- Other: Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/mackenziemyrick
Image Credits
Mackenzie Myrick Andy Funderburk