Introduce yourself, tell us a little bit about you & how you connected with Amber & CultureHype.

Hi! i'm molly Mathias & I own Magic Hour & Go Easy both in Bishop Arts! I opened Magic Hour almost 3 years ago after seeing vintage furniture for years & wanted to expand to handmade goods. Go Easy just opened a few weeks ago after my desire to provide more self care for people during the pandemic! I had followed Amber & CultureHype for years & finally introduced myself after moving Magic Hour to Bishop Arts & needing some help on promoting & getting the word out about the big move and new store.

What is currently bringing you joy and why?

My bathtub! I have never before been a big bath person but now I have a whole routine with candles & Netflix & CBD bath soaks. It has become a really nice relaxing time for me to decompress after a long day.

My daily meditations! I am a big believer in meditation & have been focusing on it a lot more lately.

My pets! I live alone & it has been a little more lonely during the pandemic so I've really focused on giving my pets the most & best cuddles.

Any kind of crafting! It seems like people have really stepped up their craft game during the pandemic & iI have LOVED watching everyone getting crafty.

How did you discover your thing that's bringing you joy? Was there something or someone that inspired you?

The pandemic has been ROUGH on me as a small business owner & just a person! I went through a bad break-up right as it was starting so I spent the first few months really focusing on myself & learning different ways to practice self-care. I am a go go go go go go person so when everything got shut down I really had to look for things at home & within myself to provide joy & comfort.

How has your thing or things impacted your daily life or just your life in general?

I suffer from anxiety & panic attacks. My new routines have definitely helped me calm down and focus in moments that I am experiencing extreme anxiety. I've def put more time into myself even as my business picks back up again because of the positive effects I've had.

Introduce yourself, tell us a little bit about you & how you connected with Amber & CultureHype.

My name is Hailey Good & I am a singer/songwriter from Dallas, TX. I started singing when I was basically able to talk & I currently make music with my boyfriend/producer/sound engineer Bradley Rudolph.

I got connected with Amber & CultureHype through a post I saw her tagged in on Instagram. It was a fellow (amazing) musician, M3CCA. I looked her up, liked what I saw & messaged her through the CultureHype website.

What is currently bringing you joy & why?

I try to find joy through the little things each day, but one of the most recent things is my new kitten I got! Her name is Scout & she is the most cuddly kitten in the whole world & I love her so much. She climbs up my leg while I work from home & I feel so loved.

My cat, Kitty (it's a real name I promise!) & my dog, Olive also bring me so much joy & I just love all animals in general!

I've picked up film photography recently because a friend of mine gave me a Nikon FM2 last year & like everyone else, I have had nothing but time to learn & have fun with it. 

 I've also really been enjoying the creative process for my new single (Single Title TBD), from the harmonies all the way to the visuals & music video. It's such a different vibe that Brad & I have created & we are super excited to showcase it to the world!

How did you discover your thing that is bringing you joy? Was there something or someone that inspired you?

My little neighbor kids were playing & found Scout & brought her to us one day to see if we would keep her & it was love at first sight!

As I mentioned before, a friend who is a great photographer (@thflwrgrl) gave me the camera and it was so sweet. She was the one who inspired me & told me if I wanted to really learn photography to learn the basics with analog photography first to make me better.

As far as the single, Brad produced the composition first & after I listened to it, the vulnerability in it inspired me so much that I cried when I heard it & I immediately wrote to it. We've really taken our time with it though & we’re still recording in the harmonies, so I can't wait to see what the ending product sounds like!

How has your thing impacted your daily life or just your life in general?

Analog photography has grown my patience because you have to manually get the exposure correct & sometimes it can get difficult but I love forgetting what I took & then having the film processed & getting happy all over again weeks later. Cutting the film & getting everything scanned in is really meditative.

As much as I am excited about the new single, I am kind of stressed because I am a perfectionist, but thankfully I have God & I have Brad & all of my friends & family's support! 

Putting your mind to something/getting it done & mixing that with something you absolutely love is the best feeling in the world.  

When the pandemic hit back in March, I remember how hard it was to assess my friends & their moods. I have friends in many different places & stages of their lives, so their reactions to what was happening were all over the place. That being said, it took quite some time for the roller coaster of emotions to really set in. It’s safe to say that all of my close friends have gone through extreme highs & lows, with the initial Zoom happy hour overload then to “please leave me alone in my COVID depression” phase.

If there’s one thing that has made me really happy, I’ve noticed that a solid handful of friends have gone further into their existing craft or taken up new projects. With many of us going through phases of unemployment or partial employment, these breaks of work have forced us to try new things or get better at something we once left unfinished after a trip to Michael’s. I wanted to share a few people who I really admire & some of the things they have been working on to keep themselves sane.

Okay, let’s dive in!

---

Laura Grasso, Slingin’ Threads at Rad Radish Vintage

If you love vintage, you should peep Laura’s new shop! She decided to take her passion for fashion digital & I’m here for it. She’s got some killer taste. Shop Rad Radish Vintage on IG here.

Abbey Brown, Illustrating Feels

I love Abbey’s drawings because they are so relatable! She’s made some quarantine depictions that are so on point, I could cry. Check out all of Abbey’s work on IG here.

Perla Hernandez, Designing Cool Sh*t at Venus Pearl

Perla makes really rad design work & recently started her own brand called Venus Pearl. If you need a logo, a funky digital artwork, or Harry Styles stickers, she’s your girl. Check out all of Perla’s design work on IG here.

Katie Cooke, Embroidery Wizard

Katie has been diving further into the art of embroidery (with a touch of angst - I LOVE) during quarantine and I’m obsessed. Can we all agree that she needs her own shop? She doesn’t post too much about her projects, but if you want to add her (because she's awesome) or DM her about embroidery or art things, you can find her here.

Sloan Eveningstar, Renovating an RV

My friend Sloan has had a goal of purchasing her own RV for a long time & finally saved enough cash money to purchase this beaut. I’m a bit jealous but newly inspired to live the life of a hippie nomad. Follow her renovation journey on IG stories here.

Amber LaFrance, Makin’ Jewels at Bead Babe

In the thick of quarantine, Amber took her love for jewelry to the next level. I remember when she started really getting into it & it was intense. She turned COVID cabin fever into a new side hustle for herself & I’m here for it. I had a few convos with her about how the pandemic has brought us back to things from our childhood. The 90’s nostalgia in these designs are so comforting & I think that’s something we all need right now! You can shop her new goodies on Etsy here & IG here.

If you are a creative badass or know others with pandemic stories to be shared, please send them my way! I don’t think this COVID hellscape is going anywhere soon, so I think a little creative joy will help us all stay sane.

I would also like to say, it’s okay if you’ve been a useless oaf for the last few months. You’re not required to do anything if you feel like complete & utter sh*t.

If you’re struggling to feel inspired or need to talk about the state of the world, feel free to slide into my DMs. You’re not alone!

XO @wendyingeneral