Cold Tea Chats with Maggie Walch of Maggsy May Co.
Hello and happy Tuesday! I’m back on the blog today with another edition of Cold Tea Chats, this week with Maggie, founder and creative director of Maggsy May Co.
Maggsy May Co. offers content creation, curation and illustration services for brands looking to build their digital presence and amplify brand recognition. Providing expert knowledge through her background in fine art and content creation, Maggie takes clients through a unique approach based on colour architecture that generates schemes and content frameworks totally unique to the businesses and brands she works with.
Read on for more insights from my chat with Maggie!
For anyone that isn’t already familiar, tell us a little bit about yourself and Maggsy May Co.
Hello! My name is Maggie, the face and founder of Maggsy May Co.! I live in the Silicon Valley (of the north) in Waterloo, ON and this past year I wrapped up my 18th year of schooling with the completion of my Masters of Science. After a gruelling two-year thesis-based master’s the creative side of me was calling loudly to become the centre of attention and Maggsy May Co. was born. I specialize in content curation, creation and illustration, bringing new life to brands through colour, composition and consistency.
Now, most people online know you as a fine art illustrator and branding expert, but you’re also a botanist! How did you establish direction as a freelancer while finding a balance between such a diverse range of interests?
There is always a bit of a funny reaction when people find out I’ve been trained as a botanist, I think the assumption is that if you’re trained in the sciences how can you also have a creative side? But I’ve always been a creative at heart who gardened with my grandmother since I was young. The love of plants and the artistic side flourished simultaneously, and at times I wasn’t even aware that I approached all things with an artistic eye and persistence for organization and logical flow.
One of your biggest focuses as a creator is on colour. In your opinion what makes colour such an important aspect of branding and where do you look for inspiration when creating new palettes?
Yes, you nailed it! I truly believe that utilizing colour creates something that is so unique to a brand and defines who they are with confidence. For me the aesthetic of colour strongly affects my emotions, when I see a composition with a well-balanced colour palette it makes me happy! It may sound funny, but there is something so soothing and maybe this is the science brain talking but good colour theory is logical. When creating new palettes I have a little trick which I will share, for finding something personalized to you. Now, I take photos of everything (and I mean everything) and when I go through my images I will set aside those that make me happy or excited or have me in awe and then scrutinize them to pull out the primary and accented colours that catch my eye. And voila, a new palette! My fiance and I are avid travellers, so it helps to see the colours of the world too.
You launched Maggsy May Co. earlier this year but you’ve been in the fine art space for quite a while. How would you describe your style as an illustrator?
You’ve probably enjoyed a few good charcuterie boards, and that is one of my favourite metaphors for my style. This past year I received a beautiful cookbook called: On Boards by Lisa Dawn Bolton, which is filled with so many beautiful and different ways to prepare a good ol’ charcuterie board. As an illustrator and artist, I find my style takes a similar approach, a little bit of everything and always looking for something new and fresh, whether it’s a skill or technique I’m always excited to diversify what I can offer and new ways I can accommodate my clients. Currently, I am loving simplifying details while adding larger blocks of different colours for a slightly surreal and abstract approach. Soft and pleasing, my works have taken on a dreamy and enticing style.
What made you want to expand your services and how does your fine art background play into what you offer clients in the digital marketing space?
It’s said that any press is good press. The same goes for artistic training, any kind is good for the rest. As a child, I trained at McMichael Art gallery in Kleinburg, Ontario where I was inspired by the lulling and captivating styles of Canadian artists including the works of The Group of Seven. In high school, I was offered incredible opportunities to recreate famous artworks throughout our halls, and by the time I reached university and my masters, I found that even in science, fine art was useful, even necessary. Years and years of being pushed to expand my abilities, driving me to continue fine-tuning something that is never perfect, never complete, led me to dive into the digital world. In the digital marketing space, there is more freedom, more room for all the creativeness to thrive allowing me to offer my clients that same freedom, to envision something and have me bring it to life.
As a freelancer, especially in a creative field, it’s so important to establish rates that not only account for your time but also your experience and skill set. Any words of advice for creators looking to price their work for the first time?
Definitely a huge struggle for all creative fields! I would say to remember that to fine-tune your skills to where they are now, takes months, even years. Just because you’re new to being paid for your work does not mean that you’re new to all your abilities. We can’t see where creativity comes from; we can only see what it does, and with that charging per project rather than per hour will make sure you’re being compensated for all the work that has allowed you to do something faster and better than someone else.
What has been the most rewarding part of starting Maggsy May Co. (so far)?
The privilege to continue learning and continuing growing! With each project being different from the last, Maggsy May Co. has allowed me to create an environment that is fresh, engaging and ever-changing. I love the challenge every client brings, and the satisfaction every completed project produces.
And for our last question, let’s do a little quickfire round: Favourite Colour. Favourite Artist. Favourite Quote. GO!
Buttermilk yellow.
Lawren Harris.
“There is a voice inside of you that whispers all day long. “I feel that this is right for me, I know this is wrong for me .” No teacher, preacher, parent, friend OR wise man can decide. What’s right for you – just listen to the voice that speaks inside.” (Shel Silverstein)
Check out Maggsy May Co. and everything Maggie is up to by following along on Instagram and check out more from Maggie’s portfolio over on her website www.maggsymayco.com.