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

Hi Mackenzie, why did you decide to pursue a creative path?
I decided to pursue a career in creativity because my life has been so heavily influenced by art and imagination ever since I can remember! With imagination, the possibilities are endless. One of my first vivid memories, I was playing with letters and realized if you rearranged the letters, it could sometimes create different words. I was never short on imaginary friends, adventures, and new ideas. My family was and has always been so supportive of self-expression through creativity, whether the avenue be through music, art, dancing, etc. I personally feel both sides of my family to be incredibly gifted; my father is one of the most talented drummers and lyricists I personally know. Both grandmothers have shared with me their passion of crafts, painting, and creating with their hands such as crocheting, sewing, and sculpting. My mother is especially talented in drawing and poetry. I have been so blessed with my family as a creative influence and support system throughout my life. My family has always allowed me to be a dreamer, so creativity has been a steady factor in my life.
Since I kept that sense of self-expression, I feel that it also impacted my views on life. My thinking was never “inside the box”, and a lot of times I questioned why “the box” existed altogether. I wanted to do what made me happy, and after I began my own spiritual journey, I felt especially inclined to pursue happiness in all aspects of life. And what better way than to incorporate my creativity into building my own dreams! Self-expression through creativity, as well as love saved me. Because art and love in general have played such huge roles in my life, I absolutely believe that positivity is contagious, and try to spread it like wildfire! Hence my shop’s motto: “Cultivating positivity through business”.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I especially enjoy creating custom designs for clients, or one-of-a-kind pieces! The originality stays intact with each new design, while also keeping a personal feel to each order. I really like digital media and its ability to create so many versatile objects. After realizing that’s what I enjoy most, I began creating hat pins and tapestries to incorporate more digital media designs. After diving even further into the digital media world, I am proud to announce that I have recently decided to pursue visual effects artistry! I am looking very forward to seeing where this new adventure takes me, and how my business will grow alongside me. Without the support of family members and friends, I feel that it would have been much more difficult to promote my shop and what I stood for. Between being my first customers, word of mouth, and continuous praise, family and friends helped give me the confidence to officially launch my business and take my dreams to the next level. Being someone who has struggled with mental health, art has always been a perfect outlet. Social anxiety could have held me back, but even when I struggled, I had people to support me and believed in my talent enough to spread the word. Without these people and their incredible cheerleading skills, I certainly wouldn’t have reached as many new horizons (and clients) as I have!

Always seeing this support kept me positive, which is the whole point of what I believe in. Now that I have found healing, I’ve found the strength to be more involved in the community, reaching more lives, and getting to create! I am beyond thankful for all I’ve learned along the way, and how it reflects in my business endeavors. My business gets to constantly learn and grow with me, rather than boxing me into a specific set of ways or ideas. Without all of my experiences thus far, I don’t think I’d be brave enough to chase my own dreams, build my own future, and create my own adventures. I’m still the dreamer I was as a child, and it keeps me geared towards the success of my dreams as an adult. I hope I always remind others to keep dreaming.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
My ideal time in central Ohio would have to be a day spent hiking at Black Hand Gorge or Hocking Hills, and during the night catching a concert at one of the music venues in Columbus, (and Cincinnati or Cleveland if you’re up for a drive!).

Ohio has so many hills, fossils, waterfalls, and breathtaking views during all four seasons. Even the music performances always seem to be top-notch! Seeing the giant Longaberger Basket is a must since it’s something my hometown, Newark, is known for. Yellow Springs is a beautiful, artsy town as well, with several local businesses to support, art to admire, and nearby trails to hike that lead to waterfalls! Yellow Springs deserve a whole day to itself to explore and mingle.

Legend Valley is also my home away from home; a location for many music festivals and events, including Gathering of the Juggalos, Lost Lands, and Secret Dreams! One of my favorite places to work/volunteer, and festival grounds that are very special and magical to me. Maybe I’m biased, but I think Ohio deserves at least a week at the very least to experience the ever-changing weather, the eclectic scenery, and the music, homemade food, hospitality, and sense of humor I somehow find no matter where I am here.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
There are so very many people that I would like to dedicate my shoutout to because I have been influenced by so many, but my family, and my soul tribe specifically deserve recognition. Some are born as family, others have been your family for lifetimes over. And a very special thanks to Zach Fry for being my #1 supporter in life and love, and to Hunter Hungerford for making this shoutout possible! I wouldn’t be where I am if it weren’t for you all!

Website: www.kundalini-kreations-by-kenz.myshopify.com

Instagram: www.instagram.com/kundalinikreationsbykenz

Facebook: www.facebook.com/kundalinikreationsbykenz

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutDFW is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.