SOULMAKES

One of the coolest parts of running this blog, and now also the Marketplace, is the chance to collab with so many amazingly talented creatives!
MacK and Trevor Mars are some of these beautiful souls that I have the pleasure to work with! After admiring their designs for years I was absolutely over the moon when they confirmed they would be a part of our Marketplace!

Their label began as a collaboration between the two love birds. Creative passions in design, photography and decorating fused together to bring you the bohemian wonderland that is SoulMakes.
With designs that appeal to all free spirits, their collection is inspired by all things worldly, capturing a little of the wild west, a bit of gypsy magic, and a whole lot of soul. Each piece is carefully handcrafted and adorned with unique details. Whether it be jewelry to adorn your body or treasures for your home, SoulMakes has something for everyone.

Who is behind Soulmakes? And where do you call home?
SoulMakes is Me (MacK) and my wonderful husband Trevor, we are madly in love and happily get to share our passions in the adventure that is owning a small business. We live in Charleston, SC (James Island, to be more specific), right near the edge of America, surrounded by lot’s of beach!

Tell us about Soulmakes…
How did you get into designing?
I was raised by an artist. My mom was a jewelry maker, she worked with dichroic glass in a gabezo turned art studio in our backyard. I spent a lot of time with her, learning my way around the basics of jewelry making. I’ve been creating as long as I can remember, always putting my hands to good use making adornments for myself and for my bedroom walls..

Where do you get your inspiration from?
Everything, everywhere. But especially the beach – any and all nature really, the 1960s and 70s. My fashion icons, which is mostly my mom, but also Stevie, Twiggy, Janis, the usual suspects. And of course, other artists of all mediums add fuel to my fire.

What are your favorite materials to work with?
Crystals, leather, shells, shells, and also shells!

What’s your favorite part in your job?
Photography! I get to do lots of epic shoots with our home décor and jewelry filling magical spaces, in our home or on the beach or maybe a retro RV in the near future 😉 Whenever I’m having a photo day, I like to dress up in whatever season/idea is behind whatever products I’m shooting and listen to corresponding music. It’s a lot of fun. All the photos you see on our blog and social media are taken by me.

The first piece you created for SoulMakes…
Well, that’s hard to say. SoulMakes started with jewelry, and I’ve been making jewelry my whole life. Since starting SoulMakes was mostly unplanned, I don’t know what exactly I would consider the first piece. I suppose if we’re strictly talking about after we had a name for this thing we were doing, “SoulMakes”, then the first pieces we made were big statement necklaces – leather breast plates, feather collars, and the like. 

What makes you feel alive?
Lots of things I suppose. The beach is a big one. Exploring – I love exploring, seeing new things. Taking in new landscapes, with different trees and birds than what I’m used to seeing, and meeting new people along the way. But also, since I can’t spend all my time traveling, I have a habit of regularly cruising through local antique malls and thrift stores. It’s not a shopping thing; I call it a “feast for the eyes.” Just seeing things that have traveled through time, relics of past eras I wish I’d been alive during (60’s & 70’s, let’s be real) – it gives me great inspiration. I always come home full of ideas. 

What makes you sad?
Right now, daylight savings time (or lack thereof) and winter. I have a really hard time in the dark, cold months of the year. Even living at the beach where cold is a mere 67 degrees Fahrenheit (compared to below freezing where I grew up). More important than my temperature preferences, I feel very sad when people (and really all of God’s creatures) are not treated equally or humanely. I see any life, any living breathing thing as a blessing that should be cherished. So I am deeply saddened when any of my fellows are mistreated – human, reptile, or otherwise. With very few exceptions, that extends even to those I don’t agree with.

What are three words you would use to describe yourself?
Here’s two – Childlike wonderment

Everyone should read… 
Hmmm… The Alchemist, or really any books by Paulo Coelho. Other books I love by various authors include: The Shack by William P. Young, The History of Love by Nicole Krauss, and The Things They Carried by Tim O’Brien. Also, any poetry in general. But most importantly for me, I read various daily meditations to fill my cup.

Everyone should listen to…
I’m a big of the church bells that ring across Charleston, S.C., off in the distance, ever so quietly through the breeze. Also, waves crashing, squirrels conversing, birds singing, babies cooing and especially, ESPECIALLY, a chorus of insects chirping into the night or as I like to call it “swamp sounds” – my favorite thing to listen to by far. But assuming you are asking about music – JJ Grey & Mofro – arguably the only band I actually listen to in real life 😉 Every one of their songs is my favorite. Besides them, I’m a big fan of the classics – 50’s, 60’s, 70’s. Everything from Smokey Robinson to Led Zeppelin.

Everyone should watch…
The sunrise over the ocean and the sunset over the ocean – especially in the same day, if possible. Magically, the beach we live at allows us to do just that because of the way the land hooks around. I try to catch the show at least once a week. It makes my soul happy.

Everyone should at least once in their life… 
Take a cross-country road trip. The only country I’ve ever been to in the United States, so I can’t necessarily speak for other countries, but I imagine driving longs distances and taking in the sights is probably just as magical anywhere. Trevor and I love to road trip; it’s the greatest past time of our relationship. We made a big cross-country road trip a few years back. He drove me to Grand Canyon, where we hiked down into it about a mile and then he proposed! We’ve been to 26 out of the 50 US states together!

What do you see in your future? do you have a dream project?
I really have no idea what the future holds. I often feel like SoulMakes takes on a life of it’s own and we’re just along for the ride. We just try to listen to the universe and see where the whispers take us.

Thank you  so so much MacK for letting us get to know you and SoulMakes a little better and for being part of our Marketplace.

Head over to the shop now to shop SoulMakes!!