WELCOME TO THE DREAMERS. 

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Hey! I'm Maddy (27), a silversmith and the all-hat wearer behind MHStudio. Mark (30) is a superhero dad, literary hobbyist and musician. Aurelius (aka ReiRei, 4) is a train enthusiast and daydreamer, and Edith (3) is our small and mighty spitfire, who is both sweet and fierce and identifies as a baby dragon.

We live in the Lower Hunter Valley, NSW - about 40 minutes from Newcastle. The house we currently reside in was an emergency decision made back in 2021 during the second lockdown. We were living in Central Newcastle, and our landlord asked to move back into the house. I was heavily pregnant with Edie at the time, and we needed to find something as soon as possible. The landlord was kind enough to allow us to stay at the property in the city so I could still home birth with my midwife there. I had a swift and smooth birth, and we moved the next day. Yes, it was an absolute whirlwind. 

Thank you so much! I started making and selling jewellery online when I was 19. And I haven't stopped since. It hasn't always been silver, but that's something I taught myself when I fell pregnant with Rei in 2019. About two years ago, I rebranded into MHStudio - as I felt like I had grown out of the previous name and needed a name that could grow with me and my process. I believe I will be a working artist for the rest of my life, and it will continue to evolve with me as my life transforms. I am heavily inspired by mythology and animism right now, and as I deepen my understanding of old stories, my work is birthed with that and motherhood in mind.

I wouldn't have survived without my friends, local parks, and waterways. Although my business is primarily online - I need to always keep a pulse on my local environment and the people I love within it to feel grounded in myself and my creative practice. We don't have any family in this area so we supplement with community, the local Steiner crew (where my children attend preschool), a connection with the seasons and other small families and artists we have bonded with since moving here.

Both my children, for toddlers, are very creative! My daughter Edie is much more keen to get into the studio with me - but while we are doing that, my son is generally filling our front porch with chalk drawings, something he can do for hours and hours. In an ironic sense, I wonder if I didn't have my children, if I would have the same tenacity to keep up with what I do. Motherhood brings a fiery passion out in me to follow what I love and make it work, not just for me but to support my whole family. I have worked really, really hard to get to where I am - and having them in my life allows me to be inspired to keep going and growing. The fact my kids consider "work" to be mum doing creative stuff at home is so cool to think about. I hope it gives them open minds to follow their own passions.

Late nights and digging heels in to discover your own new depths. It doesn't stop, and I love learning about it. Practically - I've got Mark. On days I need to work, I feel good because I know my children are either with him (father of the year) or at a preschool we really, truly love and trust. I know everyone's cups are getting filled. I have two solid work days, and I work most evenings after the kids go to bed. I read and watch Sex in the City - or pack orders with an audiobook. It was hard in the beginning, but now it's just my normal. I am passionate about making it work and getting it done. I have a very strong work ethic, and I want to be both a mum and run a growing business.

We have a pretty solid week-to-week at the moment! But that'll likely all change next year! And that's okay. I work Tuesdays and Wednesdays when the kids are in care, and I grab a couple of other pockets in the week when Mark takes the kids to the park or the library. I try not to be on my computer or working in the studio (hello open flame) when the kids are around for obvious reasons. I do most of that in the evenings or when they are busy elsewhere. I prioritise parenthood and am with my kids more than I am working. I am so grateful I can do that and that all my customers love and respect that too!

For it all to just keep growing! I have some future goals, but I am never rigid in how they appear and when. I have only had positive growth since choosing to live this, which some would say is a "risky" career choice. I love being surprised by it and giving it space to transform however it needs to. I have faith that it'll all work out because, so far, it has! One day, I hope to curate a bit of a store with other brands I love. That would be so fun, but right now, I love being able to be at home, work from home and be the mother I wish to be for my little ones!

We love the Park Hangs print for everyone! It was so fun - the quality of the kid's tees and shorts really surprised me. We all love them. The homewares and pillows are also gorgeous - I could make a wishlist as long as my arm!

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