We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Micaiah Fletcher. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Micaiah below.
Micaiah, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Can you talk to us about how you learned to do what you do?
The simplest answer would be to tell you that I studied architecture at the University of Houston, however, many real world and overall life experiences have made me the best innovator. It also definitely helps when you have design and business skills in your DNA, such as my two uncles who designed and built their own furniture and homes, and my mother and father who had businesses in farming and general merchandise.
The greatest skill or practice that has boosted my career was my awareness of mental and physical health. This missing awareness was definitely the puzzle piece needed to balance and accelerate my career and overall life. I found myself in college always challenged with starting or finishing projects, negative, critical thoughts assisting the inaction, and understanding how to find any work and fun balance.
The specific practices that I currently use every day are meditation and yoga, in addition to weekly therapy. I started meditation in 2018 using the Headspace app and then transitioned to Insight Timer, slowly becoming more excited about the process and feeling lost when I did not practice daily. I’m not one that likes routine, but I am grateful I was able to find consistency. From 2018 to now, I have meditated 26.9 thousand minutes, 1,644 days, with 417 consecutive days as my longest time without missing a session. This may sound overwhelming for someone new, but I would recommend to not obsess over the statistics, and focus on finding a meditation or a practice that helps you quiet your mind first thing in the morning. I like to chose guided meditations with music that are on average 15-20 minutes, and sometimes 5 minutes if I don’t have much time.
Yoga has similarly been a challenge of consistency for me even today, but I try not to obsess if I miss a day, and practice a short session of 5-10 min to stretch and breathe if I don’t feel like doing yoga. I also love hiking or walking in nature, which is a great reset for an unpleasant day or week.
In terms of professional experience, which has refined my skills, I recommend experimenting with as many opportunities as necessary. One significant experience was project management in residential construction, which quickly merged my college years of architecture, and revealed to me that I was always capable of running my own business.
Micaiah, 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?
As a farmer boy from a very small town in Texas on a watermelon farm with many dreams, I remember the times I used to reconfigure my bedroom at 5 years old, playing with legos, and painting all of my furniture royal blue. I look back and see the progression and know I’m where I should be.
Graduating from high school with minimal clarity of a career ahead, a little insight from my uncles who have built their own furniture, cabinets, and homes, inspired me to pursue architecture. I began my studies at the Gerald D. Hines College of Architecture at the University of Houston. Many exciting, creative moments of hand drafting, model making, color theory, 3D rendering, and diagrams, combined with long nights, finger cutting, and energy drinks, I endured what I thought was the most challenging. Receiving the opportunity to work for one of the world’s largest architecture firms, HOK as an intern, and almost failing the architecture program twice, were greater challenges.
After graduation I exhaled with great relief for completing the program, and with yet again no clear direction of knowing the next move. Zooming out of the details, I assuredly knew that it was time for something bigger, and moving to a bigger, creative city felt appropriate. New York and Chicago were my top choices architecturally, but the cold temperatures did not feel to be a pleasant transition, therefore Los Angeles seemed like the perfect fit.
From 2015 -2020 I experienced life in Los Angeles. I began as a designer at Restoration Hardware, and then in 2016 I decided to take on my own projects as an entrepreneur. My most exciting opportunity was to assist in the design and create 3D renderings for Richard Lawson, and Tina Knowles Lawson, parents of Beyonce Knowles Carter. I’ve also worked with the show Restored on DIY as the art director, selecting finishes, fixtures, creative solutions, hardware, and more.
In 2019 I met my partner, Matty Fay, and in 2020 we moved due to the pandemic to Palm Springs, where design standards and design history brought about the perfect place for inspiration and creativity. Additionally we were ready to have a better quality of life and escape apartment renting by purchasing land to build a home. We explored many cities, but Palm Springs struck a very special chord. I realized that when I drove from Texas to California in 2015, it was my first impression of the otherworldly wind turbines, sand dunes, Joshua trees, and nature that excited me. Eventually we found a monumental three-acre lot, full of mountain views, sunsets, and tranquility. From 2020-2023 I concurrently taught architecture and design software, worked remotely on projects with existing Los Angeles clients, and gained very important new experience as a project manager in residential construction in the Coachella valley area. During this time, I also developed many versions of our home design as a minimalist, brutalist feel, with some mid century Star Wars influence. We decided to wait for construction due to new methods of 3D construction printing which saves on costs, time, and the environment, with new sustainable materials emerging this year made with eighty percent algae. When construction begins, the structure should approximately take 1-2 months, with a total of 6 months for the permitting process, ordering windows, doors, appliances, and fixtures.
Building an otherworldly dream home is very exciting, however more thrilling ventures are concurrently arriving. I’m grateful to announce being a part of my partner, Matty Fay’s success working at the world famous Trixie Motel since September 2022. Now as the manager, he oversees the customer service, bar, and more. I’ve been able to even provide consulting on some small recent projects. Many “moving parts” should I say are occurring rapidly.
My newest creative pursuit is the launch of my new home furnishing store, Matter in Mind ™. The selections include furnishings accentuated in a contemporary matter with traces of brutalism design style, a space-age narrative, and an awareness of sustainability. Items are currently available at matternmind.com in the categories of light sources, art, artifacts, seating, surfaces, and olfaction. In addition to this new business, I still currently offer residential construction management, new build / as-built drawings, renderings, architectural design, etc.
Are there any books, videos, essays or other resources that have significantly impacted your management and entrepreneurial thinking and philosophy?
Therapy, meditation, yoga, and the history of family businesses have greatly assisted and inspired me in my entrepreneur lifestyle, but one resource drastically accelerated my future.
Being born and raised in Texas had many rigid, conservative ideologies, which never really resonated with how unique I imagined the world. Knowledge of the law of attraction through the teachings of Abraham Hicks / Esther Hicks was the belief system that had been missing for me to finally launch myself into success. If you are unfamiliar with the law of attraction, it is based upon the idea that we are all vibrational beings such as electricity emitting energy, always attracting the same energy in which we are vibrating. Vibration for humans would be that of emotions, so if you did not sleep or eat for 1 day, you might notice you feel terrible, and similar turbulent experiences might occur in that day.
I used this knowledge to my advantage as an entrepreneur to strongly care about how I feel, and began to let go of obsessing over money or opportunities that did not work out for me. Instead I began to focus on the sleep I lost over the years, enjoyed nature more, and had more fun in life regardless of any circumstances. This practice sounds very challenging and counterproductive, but once I started to understand my emotions and listen, it gave me the ease and balance I needed. By listening to my feelings or vibration, I found the best balance by starting my day with yoga and meditation, and as a result significant changes occurred in drinking smaller amounts of alcohol, eating foods that feel better, and grand career opportunities began to reveal to me in the easiest way possible.
I also used to believe black and white, all or nothing, good or bad type of thinking, which made me feel the world was against me when I experienced unpleasant emotions. I now understand that experiences can be understood as wanted and unwanted, with emotions as the indicator, launching new rockets of desire to deliberately create a better day tomorrow. This allowed me to process my emotions without being forsaken, and to create less, unpredictable, experiences.
I understand there is a belief system for everyone and this may not work for you, however this simplified, broad, guilt free, all loving perspective and inclusion for people of all beliefs is what captured me.
Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative?
Firstly, I feel there should be a dissolving for people who work in a stereotypical non-creative career. I believe everyone is creative and we are always creating experiences moment by moment. If you are an engineer or an accountant, these careers can seem to be some of the most non-creative, however in terms of architectural application, engineers will always have a new project with a new challenge to creatively know what structural materials and sizes to select to make an architect’s vision become reality.
Zaha Hadid, a world famous female architect for example, had a project for a private residence in the Barvikha Forest near Moscow. The residence seemed to be impossible to build, yet the engineer creatively found a way to make it happen in 2011.
One other example that could enlighten an individual of the stereotype of a non-creative is Jim Carrey’s father, who was an accountant. Percy Carrey believed he had to support his family in a conservative manner and it worked for some time, but he then was let go from his stable job when Jim Carrey was only 12 years old.
I want also highlight that if you are an accountant, engineer, dentist, doctor, or any profession of the stereotypical non-creative to try something new. If you’ve always wanted to play music, sing, dance, illustrate, make pottery, or whatever you are longing to do, go for it! This might put yourself in the shoes of a vivid creative, and it might be your new exciting venture! If you are worried about security of money, you can always save money and try a new career or whatever makes you feel best. From all of my opportunities and jobs, I realized each experience help clarify for me what more I really wanted, and that there was more beneath the surface than not liking my job. It took me lots of time to heal from past unpleasant experiences, and I’m grateful the pandemic helped fast track my happiness even more.
Contact Info:
- Website: mfdesigned.com , matternmind.com
- Instagram: @micaiahfletcherdesigns , @matterinmind
- Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/micaiah-fletcher-5910a068