Welcome friend, and thank you for visiting! I’d love for us to get to know each other so let's start with an introduction.
I’m Amanda Hagen and founder of Heartstrings Art Studio. I'm a Christian, wife, and mother to a beautiful little boy. My family and I call small-town Kindred North Dakota home. I am an Architect by trade, and a Creator at heart. Creating is what has always inspired me and why I chose the Architectural profession. Being an Architect has allowed me to ‘see’ the world around me differently. That has been a fulfilling gift.
In 2020 in the middle of a full-blown Pandemic, I was feeling a bit off [who can relate?!]. I was mostly feeling like my life was out of my control, and as a control freak - that was tough for me. With an abundance of free time on weekends that I was unaccustomed to [exit social life], I turned to a creative outlet that always made me happy, but could never quite find the time for: Art. Painting felt like a way to regain control over a minute part of my life, and that brought me comfort. Then, amid that blissful moment of calm I did something that scared me [which, by the way, is something I try to do EVERY.SINGLE.DAY.]. I decided to share my work. The creating part was the part that made me happy – or so I thought.
With a ‘do more of what makes you happy’ mentality, painting became a natural part of my routine, but it wasn't until sharing my work that I began to see my work evoking this same happiness in others. Mid-pandemic, 8 weeks into quarantine/isolation, 2 weeks into boycotting all news media to keep my sanity [try it], and amid a very real and very devastating racial divide in our nation, I thought perhaps the most meaningful thing I could do was to spread joy in a world that so badly needs it.
Heartstrings Art Studio was founded in 2020 with the mission of making happy art for happy hearts. Friend, I hope you find those things in life that truly make your heart happy. If that thing is art - I'd love to be part of it.
Now let's get to know YOU. Who are you and what makes your heart happy?
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