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The Michelle Hickey Design Blog

In the archives, you'll find over 100 articles, videos and resources to help you create and share exceptional work online. I hope it inspires you to go make something beautiful.

Keep learning. Keep growing.

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Exploring creative endeavors without expectation

When you run a creative business, your focus as an artist can shift from doing what you love to generating income. While I consider entrepreneurship to be an art form in itself, I can admit that running this business has stunted my creativity. I don’t remember the last time I did something creative just for […]

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I’m Michelle.
A modern maker with a classic approach to design. Ever in search
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The term “starving artist” is quickly going extinct thanks to entrepreneurs like Kori Clark. Though she holds a degree in graphic design, she quickly realized that she missed the joy of using her talents to create art— away from the computer. Kori not only took a step back from creating digital art, but also from […]

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Graphic designers have their choice of projects: branding, websites, signage, social graphics, and so on. However, not every job brings the creative fulfillment we dream of. Most of us have been forced to give up our artistic desires in the name of paying the bills at one time or another. But with a little creativity […]

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I don’t have a mentor in the sense that there’s not a single person that I look to for guidance, advice, and leadership to help me make decisions in my business. What I have is more valuable. A web of resources that includes podcasts that I regularly tune in to, blogs I read, online personalities […]

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Finding the energy to finish what you started - from MichelleHickeyDesign - Monday

The month of July was a marathon. I hustled, worked nights, weekends and had made so much progress in the plan I had laid out for the summer. In my mind, that work was complete, and I was ready to move forward with new initiatives for the end of the year. In reality, I still […]

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Have you ever dreamed of designing planners, journals and calendars? Ashley Shelly not only made it happen, but established herself as an authority in her niche in just two short years. In this creative entrepreneur expert interview, Ashley reveals her tactics for success, and gives us a glimpse of what she has planned for the future of her brand. // From MichelleHickey.Design

How many times have you felt defeated before you even got started? Part of being an entrepreneur is learning to quiet those doubts and to use whatever resources you have, to keep moving forward (and up). Ashley Shelly is the epitome of a creative who crushes it in this area with her “think big, dream […]

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Trying something unfamiliar can be exciting, but often comes with a dose of fear, and can leave you feeling exhausted. This week I experienced a rollercoaster of all those emotions as I took on two new projects that were outside of my comfort zone: publishing my first vlog and preparing to launch a Facebook ad […]

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Sometimes thinking big means starting with the basics. For me, this was digging deep and getting to the heart of what is going to make my business thrive: my audience and their needs. Through the design of a new reader survey, I was able to uncover part of the reason why conversions have been so […]

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Have you ever dreamed of opening your own brick and mortar store, filled with beautiful treasures and one-of-a-kind items, curated by you? Whitney and Michele, a mother daughter team from Atlantic Beach, Florida didn’t just imagine it— they made it happen, when they opened their modern beach boutique in 2016. Through this interview, we’re shown that when it comes to success, passion and perseverance always trumps experience. // From MichelleHickey.Design

Have you ever dreamed of opening your own brick and mortar store, filled with beautiful treasures and one-of-a-kind items, curated by you? Whitney and Michele, a mother daughter team from Atlantic Beach, Florida didn’t just imagine it— they made it happen, when they opened their modern beach boutique, Sailors Siren, in 2016. Without a retail […]

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Priority - The Key to Accomplishing Goals // Do you ever wonder what your fellow creative entrepreneurs are up to? In between the big wins, product launches, and collaborations are the small steps (some forward, some backward) that lead to those turning points. Here's a transparent account of a week in the life of a gal in passionate pursuit of business growth, personal development and those magical milestones. // From MichelleHickey.Design

After coming to the conclusion that it was time to hire VAs and experts to help run my business, this week’s mission was to make that happen, as quickly as possible. You’ve heard that when you fail to plan, you plan to fail. While I don’t consider this week to be a complete failure, I […]

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Whether you need help developing your brand's aesthetic, or scroll-stopping visual content, I'm here to help you and your business stand out in the digital space.

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A modern maker with a classic approach to design.

An elder millennial, I learned graphic design the old-fashioned way, but for the past fifteen years, I’ve practiced those principles in the digital space. The result: content that stands the test of time.

I work with clients to craft everything from the ground up, establishing a strong foundation and energizing your visuals with meaning. Impactful content goes beyond what we see. We’re here to make your audience feel.

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@michellehickeydesign