about
I’m Michelle, a designer, writer and podcaster chasing my dream of writing and publishing my first novel.
ONCE UPON A TIME
I was a quiet little girl who loved to color, read, write, watch movies, and direct my sisters in a series of overly-ambitious productions of our favorite musicals.
All these years later not much has changed as I’m still happiest reading on my back porch, drawing for fun, re-watching my favorite old classics and pitching ideas to my sisters on what I know will be our next great performance.
I always loved to draw but didn’t think I was very good at it, so I enrolled as a graphic design major. After college, I worked for a few years as a magazine art assistant, before I was laid off during the 2009 recession.
The timing was impeccable, as the internet was just opening all kinds of doors for creative people, giving me a path to explore many different ventures that connected me with fellow artists from around the world.
I always loved to draw but didn’t think I was very good at it, so I enrolled as a graphic design major. After college, I worked for a few years as a magazine art assistant, before I was laid off during the 2009 recession.
The timing was impeccable, as the internet was just opening all kinds of doors for creative people, giving me a path to explore many different ventures that connected me with fellow artists from around the world.
All these years later not much has changed as I’m still happiest reading on my back porch, drawing for fun, re-watching my favorite old classics and pitching ideas to my sisters on what I know will be our next great performance.
Come along on my creative journey
Too many snowy winters in Connecticut relocate my husband and me to a beach town off the coast of Jacksonville, Florida, and the future is brighter than ever. I took my robust catalog of wedding invitation designs, digitize them, and began selling them on Etsy.
Using my original company name, I launched Michelle Hickey Design as a second website to help creatives learn to sell and grow businesses online.
I take the stage at Florida Blog Con to present on the topic of overcoming creative block.
I launch Inspiration Everywhere on Substack, where I share weekly essays on creativity and invite readers to stay accountable by sharing about their latest projects.
With social media exploding, my blog, Elegance & Enchantment, Etsy shop, and online community begin to grow, bringing opportunities for sponsorships with companies like Avery and DesignCuts, collaborations with online friends, and expanding my professional skills into writing, photography, and styling.
My friend Steve King and I put our first episode of A Podcast for Creatives into the airwaves. We share conversations about creativity in the online space and chat with amazing guests like Emily McDowell, Carly Riordan, and Dan “Grossy” Pelosi.
My sister Laura and I merge our love of movies and food into a new podcast called Film to Table.
Two years after moving into a role at a publishing company in NYC, I’m let go in the aftermath of the 2008 recession. I began various freelance jobs, learned WordPress, and pressed publish on my first blog post. After creating custom wedding invitations for family, friends, and friends of friends, strangers began hiring me, and my first business was born.
I graduate college with a BFA in graphic design and dreams of working from a sunlit creative studio overlooking Central Park. Instead, I begin my career as an Assistant Art Director where I designed from a grey cubicle in an office park in New Jersey.
2023
2022
2019
2017
2015
2014
2013
2009
2005
INSPIRED BY EVERYTHING
OFFICIAL BIO,
the TL:DR VERSION
Michelle is a designer, writer and podcaster who has been creating and sharing content online for over a decade.
When she’s not working you can find Michelle reading on her back porch, exploring a new coffee shop, cooking, or rewatching an old movie. Originally a New Yorker, Michelle now calls Northeast Florida home, where she lives with her husband and adorable kitties.
A few personal tidbits.
After Hours
PERSONALITY TYPE:
Enneagram 9, INFJ
SOUNDTRACK:
Showtunes, Big Band, 60s, and podcasts. Like a cool great-grandma.
FUN FACT:
I was named after the Beatles song, Michelle.
alternate universe job:
Television writer.
FAVORITE THINGS:
Typography, baked goods, a well designed space,
dinner parties, deep conversations.
ORDER ME A GLASS OF:
Good champagne or a gin martini with a twist.
FAVORITE PART OF THE DAY:
Evening stroll to the beach
with my husband.
NIGHTLY ROUTINE:
Warm Chocolate Chip Cookies and a cup of tea.
ALWAYS UP FOR A TRIP TO:
Cape Cod or London.
always ON THE SCREEN:
Old movies, documentaries,
Seinfeld or I Love Lucy.
A dash of inspiration
Every Wednesday, I send a short email to subscribers, encouraging you to keep creating art and sharing the things that are inspiring my work.
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Design. Champagne. Books. Travel. Film + TV. Scenes from my kitchen. And cats.
