Meet Macee Hilliard

We were lucky to catch up with Macee Hilliard recently and have shared our conversation below.

Macee, we’re so excited for our community to get to know you and learn from your journey and the wisdom you’ve acquired over time. Let’s kick things off with a discussion on self-confidence and self-esteem. How did you develop yours?

It’s no surprise that all of us often struggle with self confidence, I know I have had my fair share of it. I would say that most of my confidence comes from my dad. For as long as I can remember my dad has never been afraid to be himself, and that really stood out to me. He would constantly remind me of what he calls “rule number one” which is “forget what they think” only he used another “f” word if you know what I mean. My whole life that has stuck with me, and I feel like it’s a big part of why I love photography so much. I am able to show my confidence throughout my work, and that’s something that has always been important to me.

Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?

If you told me way back when, when I was a ten year old little girl, with my pocket sized, electric blue point and shoot camera, running around barefoot, taking pictures of spiders. That at now almost 24 years old, I’ve built a business, crafted a brand around the things that feel most true to myself, I would have said I can only hope in my wildest dreams that you were right. My main goal since getting into photography and using it as an outlet to create art has always and will always be just that, to create. I want people to look at my photos and see a story, I want them to be able to feel all the emotions, the good, the bad and the ugly. Since rebranding at the beginning of the year, it has opened up so many opportunities to play around and really get in the groove of my business. TruVintageCreatives is so much more than just a name, it’s a style, it’s an image, it’s me. I only hope to continue to grow, learn and connect with people who share the same passions as I do. People who want to see the world the way I do.

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

I would say that some of the things that have helped me along my way would firstly be the fact that I don’t think I’ve ever met a stranger. I’ve always been a people person and that’s helped me connect with so many people on so many levels. Having a creative mindset has also been a huge factor in growing my business. Even in my downtime I’m always trying to come up with new ideas. And lastly being resilient, knowing that if and when I fail, I pick myself back up and try again. That would be my biggest piece of advice to others. Especially in the eyes of creative, art is subjective, no matter what type. So if you find yourself stumbling, or falling short of your goals, don’t give up, let the struggles you face mold you.

Any advice for folks feeling overwhelmed?

My favorite thing to do when I’m overwhelmed, although it may not be the best thing for me, I love to go thrifting. Clothes, shoes, books, furniture. You name it, I’m gonna thrift it. Whenever I’m having just a down and out horrible day, I get myself a little sweet treat, usually in the form of a rootbeer from Arby’s and head to one of my many favorite thrift shops. My advice to others, and this doesn’t mean you have to shop, but on those days when your mind won’t stop racing, get out of the house, do something that makes you smile.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://truvintagecreatives.my.canva.site/
• Instagram: @truvintagecreatives

Image Credits

Tori Chapman (for the first photo of myself)