Meet Alexis Morton | A Single Mother, Veteran, and Artist

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

Hi Alexis, we’d love to hear about how you approach risk and risk-taking
You don’t get high rewards unless you take high risks! Few people know that when I started my business a year ago I walked away from my day job. Risky, but I wouldn’t have been rewarded with my own independence.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
House Number Four is founded on spiritual sovereignty. Every piece is made with YOUR individual practice in mind. I’m most excited about being able to help other people discover their creative faiths and practices. With some hope, House Number Four can bring awareness to the importance of personal and spiritual development.

The road to House Number Four was long and adventurous. It started with my need to keep my hands busy in order to stay out of trouble. I played guitar, knitted, and painted. My mother always challenged my creative ability which helped me to stretch my imagination. After a short stint in the military and quick discharge, I was left with a lost sense of purpose and grief from traumatic experiences during my enlistment. This was in 2019 just before the pandemic when incredibly challenging times called for incredibly bold action for resolution. I started therapy and began a rigorous dive into spirituality and metaphysics. My research manifested a highly personalized meditative practice. I was able to use my craft skill to fashion a meditation space meant purely for me.

The road here has not been easy, but that is the best part about it. The journey is the key and I’m still on it! If you could take a step back from any challenging time in your life and measure the gumption of the person you were beforehand against the person you are after; you’ve just observed the key to a beautiful life. There have absolutely been challenging times! What got me through it was observing the moments of strength and tenacity that led me here to begin with. Take the time to cherish every step in your life’s journey, celebrate your victories no matter how small, and share that love with others. That’s the foundation that I laid for House Number Four. No matter the impact that I ultimately make with this business, I’ll know that its energy alone has already impacted the world… or at least a few Instagram followers.

Far be it from me to give advice to people. I strongly believe that trial is the greatest teacher. If you do find yourself challenged though, here are some things I like to keep in mind:

1. You will always have a choice! It may not always be apparent but it’s true. Take the time to step back from your situation (if you can) and observe your options. Even if they are limited, there will always be a choice involved in a challenge.

2. Get help! I know you, dear entrepreneur, and asking for help isn’t always pleasant. Fortunately, most challenges have been met by someone and that means there is someone out there who can help you. A lot of times that help comes with a price so remember that you always have choices.

3. Move. and never stop doing so. They say moving 1% little by little gets you closer to 100%. You will get there eventually, but you need to make an effort in that direction every day, no matter how small.

4. If you want it bad enough, your heart will show you how to get it. I haven’t figured out how to unpack this one on such simple terms yet so maybe I can break it down with an anecdote.

I was married at 19 and had a beautiful child by the age of 22. I wanted everything in the world for this baby so I set out to find stability. I made a choice to join the military for a better education. It was clearly not meant to be, but the journey only strengthened my mindset and gave me better bearing for my journey. That led me back to Atlanta working a 9 to 5 that aggravated my physical disability and came with its own limiting frustrations. I stuck it out because I didn’t believe I had a better choice. During this time is when I began to meditate. Every day my practice grew, and with it grew did my disdain for paying my time and attention to someone else’s dream of stability. That is, until a few days before Christmas last year when a gas line exploded in my neighborhood. I arrived on the scene in total chaos one day after working a long shift. It demanded immediate addressing of my needs and priorities. My youngest sister was crashing with me at the time and the firemen couldn’t say which units were affected. Fortunately, my unit was unaffected, but 14 people were homeless, and 3000 were without utilities just a few days before Christmas. I spent the night on my mom’s couch with a new level of gratitude. The following day, I returned to work with a letter of resignation. I had a vision board sketch for a business plan and a desire not to have my life controlled by fate. I had little idea of what I was doing in the beginning, but my heart told me what I needed and my tenacity drove me toward it. I’m sure it’s an abstract concept, but it seemed like if I just kept my spirits up long enough, the right resources would walk through the door at the right time. Keep going! It’s about the journey anway!

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.
Oof. I’m a homebody! I would take them around the regular Atlanta circuit; the museums, aquarium, parks. I actually haven’t been to any of them myself as an adult so I’m sure I would have good fun. My idea of a good time is hanging out with complete strangers and getting to understand different mindsets and cultures. I would love to walk into the Old Fourth Ward or Decatur and drag my friend along to see the artist’s hotspots. That’s the real meat of Atlanta. Most of this culture that you see dispersed throughout the world originates in places like that. I love the culture here, we are trendsetters; a millennial Florence! But also, no one does that…..

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I would love to dedicate this shout out to my daughter, Gwen. She is my “Why”. Without her there would be no House Number Four.

Website: housenumberfour.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shophousenumberfour/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/HouseNoFour

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/shophousenumberfour