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

Mattie, appreciate you joining us today. We’d love to hear about when you first realized that you wanted to pursue a creative path professionally.

I always knew I wanted to do something with the arts. Growing up it was always music, sometimes art on the side, but when I went to school for music, I knew something was off. I transferred schools and altered my path a little bit. I ended up going to school for Art Education. I felt like I finally like I was on a path closer to what I wanted to do. I got really sick and things didn’t work out when I was in student teaching, but that didn’t stop me. My senior show consisted of seven life sized portraits in charcoal. I titled it Patching a Damaged Heart, was all about raising awareness of sexual assault, especially on college campuses. It was so powerful when I hung all of them together in the same room. I also entered these pieces into Artprize in Grand Rapids MI and got to showcase my series there as well. After graduation and Art Prize, I continued to do art while working multiple other jobs and eventually decided I wanted to leave the East Coast. I grew up there and all my family was there and I wanted to explore and try new things. I came to Albuquerque NM towards fall of 2018 and it was nerve wracking, but it was the best decision I could have made. I painted and did art in my free time while working a customer service job and reconnected with someone from my music school days. I ended up in Pagosa Springs CO for awhile and that’s where my creativity started to flourish again. I drew, painted, sang, and loved my jobs. I worked at the Pagosa Baking Company and started as an art teacher aide for Pagosa Family School. It was so fulfilling. I ended up starting to date someone from Albuquerque and after a year of long distance we decided to move in together. Sadly, it was easier for me to find another job than him, so I moved back to the desert. I didn’t stop creating though. I was full of inspiration and continued to paint, make bookmarks, try new mediums, I even started to write again. I did all this while trying to find a job and that’s when I was introduced to my last job with an online art school. Even though we have parted ways, I love the three years I spent teaching with them. I was teaching online art and photography classes and was the curriculum supervisor until we parted at the beginning of 2025. I love working with students, and have my own outschool now to continue to teach. I am under Miss Mattie or Mattie’s Moments on outschool now. My students inspire and push my creativity just as much I do for them. While I am awaiting new students, I am writing a book and I’m almost done with book one of this series! I have been creating art, teaching myself digital art, and even got my cameras back out now that I have some more time. Being an artist and a creative and teaching this to others, it’s my dream. I could never go back to doing something in an office, coffee shop, or retail ever again. I want to continue to share my knowledge and inspire others.

Mattie, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

My name is Mattie Caird and I am an artist, art teacher, writer, and photographer. It’s a mouthful, so I typically just say I’m in the arts. ha-ha I also still sing, and make sure music is still in my life. I haven’t had time to be in any musicals lately, but I’m hoping that will change soon. I currently live in Albuquerque New Mexico with my husband, Alexander, and we have a wonderful home and two dogs. An eight-year-old dingo named Freya and a ten-month-old german shepherd mix named Morpheus.
I’ve always been into the arts, since I was little. I was writing, singing, and always made sure to choose art class as an elective. I just happened to accidently in up in a photography class in high school, but I’m so glad I did. It sparked a passion that I would have never known about. I try to always pack a camera with me when I travel.
As for teaching art, I was so engrossed in music and wanting to share that passion that I didn’t consider it as a path. I remember my freshman art teacher though. She kept pestering me about why I wanted to teach music. Music meant so much to me, I couldn’t see any other options. I remember one day before she had to go on leave, she told me I would end up an art teacher one day. I just laughed off the idea and pushed it to the back of my mind. Three years later, I transferred from my music school. Mansfield University, to Elizabethtown College for a Degree in Fine Arts. It’s amazing what our teachers can pick up on, and it made me want to strive to become an amazing educator, just like those who helped me through the years.
In college, student teaching didn’t work out and it CRUSHED me, but I didn’t let it stop me. I wrote an amazing paper on the Italian Renaissance, and I refused to let my knowledge go to waste. I worked many different kinds of jobs but never stopped art and photography on the side. I was persistent and when I moved across the states, I pushed even harder for my goals. I was able to become an art teacher aide then move to being a co art teacher. I was able to start my business, which was based on a project from one of my marketing classes in college, and I found a job teaching online art classes. I’m able to teach students from around the world and share my love with art with my students.
Even though I’m no longer working with a larger online art school, I now have my own online profile under Miss Mattie or Mattie’s Moments. There’s so many amazing classes and teachers on outschool. I just set it up not too long ago, so I’m waiting for students to find me! I can’t wait to teach again! I’m also working on creating an art workbook and some coloring book for students. Teaching is one of the greatest joys in my life, but I have enjoyed having a short break.
During this break without students, I started writing a book series. I have had the characters, plot, outline, everything was done for about two or so years now. I just kept it on the back burner because I was spending all my time teaching. So since I have a break, I have almost completed book one of my series in these past two months. It’s been fun writing again, I almost forgot the love of creating worlds and characters for people to enjoy. I have a few other short stories and webtoons I have started as well, that I hope to finish. I want to continue to share all of my passions- art, music, writing, and photography- with anyone who will look or listen.
When I get tired of looking at a screen, I turn back to creating drawings and paintings. I have my own little studio set up in my home. My pups like to come hang out while I work in there. I have a lot of my art up on my Etsy for sale or I like to try to find places to hold art booths in the nice weather.

Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

My goal or mission has shifted a little bit over time, but the main goal since I was little was to share my passion and outlets for others. Sometimes things are overwhelming and things not so great happen, and it’s important to have something to turn too. The arts have always been that thing for me when I needed an outlet. Musicals, choir, art, photography, it’s all an opening to the soul.
It’s scary to share that part of you with the world, but it’s better to let it out than keep it all inside. That’s why I always wanted to teach, making sure to let students know about it and try it out. Sharing my love for it will hopefully inspire others. Teachers in general were a big help and comfort for me growing up, and I knew that’s what I wanted to do. Help.
With my senior showcase, I put myself in the shoes of others. I created vulnerable life-sized drawings of what people might go through when something tough like sexual assault happens to them. I know many of my friends who have been in these types of situations and it’s terrible what the outcome can be. It was so difficult to put all of those emotions into art, but a picture is worth a thousand words. These drawings were large and, in your face, and you couldn’t just ignore the pain and suffering. It was eye opening for many people and I hope it helped raise awareness and also let people know, they aren’t alone.
I’ve done that, or I hope I’ve done that, for all of my students I’ve had through the years. Know they aren’t alone, know they have a safe space to talk and to create and express their emotions. The arts aren’t perfect. They’re messy and have many layers behind our finished products. They are there to move people, make them think, make them feel and help people express themselves.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

The emotional connection. As a teacher it’s seeing students come out of their shells and enjoy the process of art. The big ah ha or light bulb moment. Seeing them learn to love their craft and expand on it is amazing. The other connection is that I get to inspire these creative minds and push them to be the best they can be. Seeing their journey and process is so rewarding, but they do the same for me. They also push me to being more creative, driven, and inspired. There’s no limit to the give and take when working together. I know to look out for some of them in the future, they will turn heads in the world of creatives, and I can’t wait to see their names become famous.
the emotional connection being an artist, photographer, and writer is similar. I can see the joy or depth that a single piece can bring. One of my watercolor paintings, which I hated, I thought it was awful, sparked with someone else. They said it reminded them of where they grew up and for them, it was beautiful memories it evoked. That’s what it’s all about when you’re creating and selling art. It’s sparks that emotional connection with someone, it speaks to them. Sometimes it can be in the way you intended, sometimes it sparks ideas and meaning you never would have thought about in your wildest dreams.
That’s how I got the title Mattie’s Moments for my business. I’m sharing a precious moment of mine with others. It could be a quick snippet like a photograph or the time I spent on a painting. Love and passion fueling my moments to share.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.mattiesmoments.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mattiealyson/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mattiesmoments
• Twitter: https://x.com/Matties_Moments
• Other: Etsy
  https://mattiesmoments.etsy.com

Image Credits

All of the images provided are my photography or artwork.