We had the good fortune of connecting with Demi Mixon and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Demi, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
Simply that I wanted to end everyday feeling that I had done something that made me happy and fulfilled. When I lost my job at the beginning of the Pandemic I of course felt a sense of loss and apprehension towards doing something different, but the idea of not at least trying to weave creating and art into my everyday career seemed wasteful. Wasteful of the opportunity to take the chance to do what I love everyday and make something out of it, if I wasn’t going to try then, when else would I?

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I have always been a creative creature, and color and texture has usually been at the forefront of anything I have worked on. For most of my life my little artworks and crafts were an off-the-clock supplement to my everyday activities in school or work, but you could always find me working on something in my downtime, mostly in grad school while I lived in Alaska it was knitting. It was my introduction to the slow art of working with fiber and yarns, it is a very satisfying thing when you can feel the pieces you are making grow in your hands as your fingers add to the body of them, giving them substance and purpose.

When I moved back to Texas a less wool-related activity was desirable in our Houston humidity, so I turned to learning other fiber arts so I could still work with my hands. Eventually, I learned more about macrame, which was making a huge comeback, and had traded out the 70’s jute string for the softer cotton string. After making my frist DIY wall hanging, learning the three basic knots, I was hooked. I covered my wedding in macrame and really just couldn’t stop creating my own things with it. Knotting string had become my off-the-clock supplement to life and eventually I wanted to start going to markets to sell my small pieces purely with the intention of paying for my craft supplies. At that point I had begun experimenting with color, and it opened an entire new world of macrame design for me.
When I was a child whenever I would color in a coloring book, I never just used one color to fill out an object, I used multiple. And generally, I unknowingly ended up creating these really interesting gradients of color, and I never really lost that interest of color overload. In art classes I gravitated towards artists who used color like Georgia O’Keeffe to tell a story and make everyday objects more vibrant and alive. So once I began to dye my own cotton string, I really became that much more enticed by the possibilities of using macrame to create something that wasn’t just a cute wall hanging, but to create something that represented my love for color and those things that inspire me. Though conveying this through macrame is still very much a work in progress for me. Mostly, I aim to share a narrative through an interesting use of color and shape, playing with the idea of balance and symmetry in my larger works. In my mind those that would be interested in what I do are people who feel a need to explore and interact with life in new and different ways, conveying a desire for internal and external balance while never losing that inquisitive and playful nature. 

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
There are about 50-100 restaurants I would try to fit in if at all possible. I love food, the act of trying something new and delicious surrounded by people I care about gives me so much joy. Houston has such an amazing food scene you actively have to try to go wrong. If we were trying to fit in a fancy dining night there is Xochi, Theodor Rex, Da Marco, or Kata Robata. If we want some comfort foods, my go to is Indian or Southern Fusion, so I would opt for Himalaya or take-out for Chowpatty Chat, or La Lucha and State of Grace. I live in the heights so we also have a ton of great dining options close by (Coltivare, Superica, Squabble, Alice Blue) with the Montrose food scene right around the corner (Anything Chris Sheppard, Hugo’s, Ramen Tatsuya). Apart from eating our way through the city, I would love to hit up two of my favorite local bars (in non-Covid times) Johnny’s Goldbrick and Better Luck Tomorrow. Amazing places, friendly staff, and killer cocktails. There are also so many breweries in this town, even if you aren’t big on beer it is so much fun to try a flight and people watch. And I don’t believe you really see Houston unless you see our museums, particularly the Museum of Natural Science and the Museum of Fine Arts. These facilities have so much to offer and always do an amazing job of laying out new exhibits. I would also see the Rothko Chapel and the Menil, because why wouldn’t you? Oh, and the arboretum!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Apart from my amazing support system of friends and family, the groups and people that I have chosen to point to and say “They are making it work, why can’t I?” are truly the ones that made it feel possible for me to open this door. Particularly the Merriweather Council, which is an online collective of creative makers and small handmade business owners that work hard every day to create a fulfilling and profitable life from their work. Additionally, I have come to know Lanecia Rouse Tinsley, a Houston based mixed media artist, as the head of my Artist Collective. Lanecia has shown me that even though it may be a challenging career path, it is a possible one and an immensely fulfilling one.

Website: https://www.demi.design/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/demi.macrame.designs
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/demi.macrame.designs

Image Credits
Images are taken by myself, Amanda Barker Photography, and the one image with many different items including models was taken by Etsy for the 2020 Etsy Design Awards winners (I do have permission to use this). Most of the photos taken within the studio are taken by Amanda.

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutHTX is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.