Meet Maggie Hayes | Artist, Jeweler, Musician

We had the good fortune of connecting with Maggie Hayes and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Maggie, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
Everyone has art inside of them. It sounds cheesy I know, but it’s true. My sister is a genius when it comes to character design and creation. My mother is the most amazing chef and somehow cooks stunningly without quite following a recipe. My brother is absolutely hilarious and claps back with comebacks faster than I can blink. When we nurture creative energy it brings an extra layer of magic to our lives. It’s something automatically there in childhood, but intentional effort as adults is necessary to keep it alive. One way my friends and I have found is through table top role play games (rpgs) like Dungeons and Dragons. I have seen players creative and storytelling talents come out in a way that I never would have known without these amazing games. I know how much work people put into their characters and self expression and I wanted to use my art to create a physical object to honor that. When your art is not as obvious or tangible it can be hard to recognize and easy to doubt. The opportunity to collaborate with people whose talents lie in other areas in order to create a visual representation of their talents can be a magical experience.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
My art is honestly all about fulfilling young Maggie’s dreams. Of course, dreams change as we get older and my aspirations of being a pirate have long since died. However chasing after the dreams and interests that have persisted is the best way I have found to feel connected to myself and figure out who I really am. And small Maggie adored fantasy. I still do. To have reached a point in my art where I can begin to create pieces that are beyond what I see in front of me is the most exciting milestone I have reached so far. However, my younger self would have been absolutely horrified to know that I am not perfect. I was sure the only reason I had not succeeded was because I was not an adult yet. Talk about a rude awakening. I moved out, went to school, and still struggled with the same crippling self doubt and impressive anxiety. And the worst part is the things that scare me the most are what I love to do. It’s enough to make a person feel genuinely crazy. Thankfully leaning into the discomfort pays off and while the fear usually sticks around, the joy does too. And joy and fun and magic are worth experiencing fear for.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Traveling is a favorite past time for my best friend and I. Our favorite things to do when we come to a new place is find the downtown and arts districts and walk around. If you are here on a Saturday I highly recommend Dallas Farmers Markets. It’s the best way to meet local vendors, hear live music, and experience the best a city has to offer. The Dallas Museum of Art is of course a must see and if you haven’t been to the Fort Worth stockyards yet they usually have all kinds of events all year round. But most importantly I would have to stop by for some Tex-Mex and walk around the beautiful parks and gardens such as the Dallas Arboretum.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I thought parents who didn’t support their children’s art was a plot device in Hallmark Movies. To my horror I met many artists in college who lived this experience. I am eternally grateful for the unfailing acceptance and support from my biggest fans, my parents.

Instagram: maggies.artist.stuff

Facebook: Maggie Hayes Music