Rising Stars: Meet Jeremy Wilkins, Mickenzie Harrison and Michael Martin

Today we’d like to introduce you to Jeremy Wilkins, Mickenzie Harrison and Michael Martin.

Hi Jeremy, Mickenzie, and Michael, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
All three of us work together in our full-time jobs. Mickenzie and I (Jeremy) had been talking for quite some time about wanting to collaborate together outside of work. We both had a lot of ideas for projects and things we wanted to learn, but we were finding that when we followed through on these projects and ideas we had nowhere for the art or designs to live outside of taking up space on our computers for the most part. Enter Salt Hive. We had the idea to create an Instagram feed where the work could exist and give us a little additional inspiration to bring our creations to fruition. We also really liked the idea of using this feed of mini projects to collaborate with other designers and creatives and have them contribute their talents. The design community is unique. Designers and creatives of all kinds are so open to meeting, befriending, learning from each other and helping each other out. There are so many likeminded artists out there that we admire and we’re searching for ways to get to know them and collaborate with them in some way. Salt Hive has given us those things: a place for our work to live, the inspiration to try new things, and a reason to reach out to other creatives and work together while creating relationships that we might not have had otherwise. After starting Salt Hive, we reached out to Michael Martin to become the third amigo and be an “official” contributor and moderator of Salt Hive content.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
For us, because this is strictly a design inspiration feed and passion project, we don’t have the same pressures and challenges that many Insta businesses have. Would we like to have more Likes and followers? Sure, who wouldn’t? But because our focus lies more on being an outlet for our creative thoughts, concepts, and ideas, we’re not ruled by likes and follower count. Mainly, I would say that our challenge is to remain relevant with our skill sets, and we do that by trying new things that end up in the Salt Hive feed. One thing that we try to avoid is the dreaded creative burnout, so if it’s not fun, we’re simply not going to do it.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
All three of us work in the visual design department for a large investment firm creating educational content for investors of all skill levels. Mickenzie works mostly with motion graphics creating video content for clients. On occasion, Michael and I will work with motion graphics, but our focus mostly lies with traditional graphic design, as well as editorial design. Salt Hive gives all three of us an opportunity and reason to break free of the brands we work with during our 9:5 gig. We’re immensely proud of the work we do in our day jobs and have all been with the company for a fair amount of time; Michael for 6 years and Mickenzie and I each for 9 years. Working with a large company has given us the opportunity to become well-versed in corporate design and branding, while side projects like Salt Hive and others have allowed us to diversify and pursue passions freely. The work we post on Salt Hive is often varied stylistically from post to post because we are trying new things. If you look individually at what we each post, there are often reoccurring styles and subject matter. For me, motorcycles and current motorcycle culture are a huge influence because I’m an avid rider and had a motorcycle merchandise business for several years. For Mickenzie, she is a great illustrator and motion designer, so much of her work revolves around those things, but always in ways that are new and unique. And for Michael, he’s great at experimental graphic design and things that are visually mind-bending. At the end of the day, our goal and what sets us apart is doing new things, focusing on what’s fun, and finding ways to stay relevant in the multidisciplinary field of art and design.

What does success mean to you?
“Success” is a funny word with varied meanings for many. For us, success is developing relationships with others in the creative community while pushing ourselves to learn new skills and become better designers. It’s not about perfection; it’s more about creating quickly and learning from doing new things and meeting new people.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @salt_hive

Image Credits
Cat, mouth, flower: Mickenzie
Hive, orb, shopping cart: Michael (green sweater)
Mourn, helmet, two suns moto: Jeremy (Vans shirt)