Today we’d like to introduce you to Margaret Hulse.
Margaret, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I opened Mpulse Studio in 2014. I was in Austin at the time, working on what I considered my artist dream job—designing a large scale piece of art for a prominent commercial property. I got caught in a #metoo situation with one of the project leads and I had two choices: sacrifice my integrity, safety, and dignity or walk away from the job with nothing to show for the months of work that I’d poured my heart and soul into. I chose the latter and moved to Dallas with very little in my bank account. As a result of months of sexual harassment and abuse, I had little confidence. I was suffering from depression, and I felt like my art was worthless.
Weeks passed and my art grew more dour. My bright, saturated palette had been replaced with hues of black and crimson. My whimsical, organic subject matter had been replaced by dead insects and impressions of shameful selfies. I had no commissions to work on, no prospective clients, no direction. I had counted on that project, I poured myself into that project, and without it, my creative vision had grown dark.
I started writing a novel, Sketches from the Heart of a Texas Artist, as a way to navigate through my depression. I was writing a story about everything that I wished I could experience as I sought a path back into light. I wrote, and sketched, about an artist on an adventure through the Caribbean as she reconnects with her spirituality in the wake of abuse. I wrote her as a painter and a jewelry designer. With little desire to paint, I needed a new medium to tell the story with. This is when I started designing jewelry.
Jewelry became my saving grace. As I wrote my novel, I taught myself how to design jewelry, which became a powerful way to regain confidence. Not only did learning something new allow me to refocus my energy, but learning how much women appreciated my designs was helping to rebuild my sense of self worth.
One of my designs is a delicate necklace with the word ‘love’ scribed in gold letters… I designed The Love Necklace because I was searching for love in all of the darkness that I had been wandering aimlessly through, and looking for it in the wrong places. It took me months before I had the confidence to put the necklace on and as soon as I did, I reached a turning point.
I realized that my journey was about seeking self-love, first and foremost, and that is something that must come from within. As I ran my fingers along the four golden letters that rested near my heart, I realized that I had all I needed within to heal from the trauma of harassment and abuse.
I wanted to share that message with other women. I contacted Genesis Women’s Shelter and asked if I could do a one-for-one giving program where any time I sold a Love Necklace, I donated one to a woman receiving care at their shelter so that she has a reminder that she is loved as she heals. They enthusiastically agreed and so I launched The Love Necklace Campaign. I currently work with Genesis Women’s Shelter in Dallas, SAFE Alliance in Austin, New Orleans Women’s and Children’s Shelter, Hope Haven San Pedro Belize and Haven House, Belize City (these are all locations that the main character of my novel travels to as she embarks upon her journey toward self love).
I’m grateful to say that painting is, once again, a predominant medium that I work in and my art is now brighter and more colorful than ever. Like the Love Necklace, I use my art to create uplifting, energetic spaces that inspire love and bliss. Hanging in prominent commercial and residential spaces, I’m able to reach a myriad of viewers and, hopefully, continue to evoke messages of love.
Has it been a smooth road?
This has been a bumpy road for sure. As a creative entrepreneur, I’m always honing my craft as an artist, and as a business person. There is a lot of uncertainty, inconsistency, and days when I wonder how everything is going to fall into place, which it always seems to.
Additionally, while my work is based around ideas of love, hope, and empowerment, it requires a lot of tough conversations and vulnerability. I show up and share my stories often so that people understand how painful and detrimental abuse is to the victim and their family, but when I do this I fear that I could be triggering someone who has struggled with abuse. I still experience PTSD from the trauma I endured and I don’t ever want anyone else to have to endure that kind of pain, but I know that it’s inevitable.
Also, abuse is difficult to discuss and for a myriad of reasons, often people just don’t want to talk about it. Domestic abuse feeds on silence. It’s a heavy subject matter and it’s easier to sweep it under the rug, but I stand up and talk about so we can begin to break the silence and create change, and I have definitely experience backlash for it.
So, as you know, we’re impressed with Mpulse Studio – tell our readers more, for example what you’re most proud of and what sets you apart from others.
Mpulse Studio is a creative platform that supports women’s health, safety, and dignity. I am a painter, but I also design custom jewelry and write fiction in the genre magical realism and literary nonfiction. My paintings are inspired by my natural surroundings, which include the natural elements of the Texas landscape as well as the Caribbean.
I am currently focused on the natural elements of the tropics. As I continue to work in women’s advocacy, I have learned that women who have been in abusive relationships are often told that they are not worthy of simple things like flowers. Some women have never received flowers, so I have been integrating a lot of tropical flowers in my paintings. I’m working in textiles and have recently launched a line of accent pillows and upholstery. My goal is to help people create spaces that feel good and inspire hope.
I am most proud of the way I have woven women’s advocacy into my art and how I use my art to give back to communities in Texas as well as the Caribbean.
What sets me apart from others? Not only do I work in several different mediums, but I use each medium to bring all of my work full circle, so my jewelry designs and my paintings illustrate the stories that I write, all of which inspire a journey toward self-love in the wake of trauma.
Let’s touch on your thoughts about our city – what do you like the most and least?
What I love most about Dallas is the diversity. Whatever your interests are, you’ll find something that suits them. Additionally, I’m in the Caribbean often which is a pretty casual lifestyle, so when I’m in Dallas I like to take advantage of the fact that I can dress up, wear heels, and indulge in fashion and interesting jewelry. What I love least about Dallas is the fact that because it is so spread out, there is often a lot of traffic, and I spend more time in a car than I would prefer.
Pricing:
- The Love Necklace is $90 for sterling silver and $120 for gold
- My giclee prints range from $40 – $200 depending upon size
Contact Info:
- Website: www.mpulsestudio.com
- Email: margarethulse@
mpulsestudio.com - Instagram: @mpulsestudio
- Facebook: @mpulsestudio
Image Credit:
Margaret Hulse
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