Meet Hallie And Thai Acuna | Artist & Illustrators

We had the good fortune of connecting with Hallie And Thai Acuna and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Hallie and Thai, why did you pursue a creative career?
Hallie: I knew early on that art and illustration were ways in which I could share the inner world of my imagination with others. I spent a good many of my early adult years working in the mental health field. While working in that field can be rewarding, it can also be very taxing on your own mental health without proper self care. I needed an outlet. While most of my experiences working in mental health revolved around less positive human emotions and experiences, I am able to use my own imagination to transport people through my art to the magical world ‘Mo’relia,’ a safe space full of wholesome stories and kind hearted characters. Cafe Mushroom was born out of a desire to spark the imagination and fuel a sense of belonging and magic in everyone who runs across our art. The more time I have spent running Cafe Mushroom the more I have come to realize just how much joy inspiring others or brightening someone’s day with our ‘Mushies’ can bring.

Thai: I have always had quite an imagination that I could use in many different areas of creation and that brought joy to my life be it 2D art, woodworking, cooking, or problem solving. I chose to follow my parent’s direction of “what can make you the most money”. I went to college for Computer Science with a focus on the Cybersecurity route because those roles are important, helps others and are worth a lot. I found that didn’t make me quite as happy as following my creative urges. Once I started following my passion for art again that in turn felt more fulfilling being able to help others and be creative at the same time. Working on the world of Mo’relia with Hallie has been the happiest and most motivated I have felt in my life.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
Our work consists of mushroom themed art and illustrations set within the tiny hidden world of ‘Mo’relia’! We mostly make our signature “Mushies” which are mushroom people, about 6 inches tall and each with their own personality and story. These figurines each come with a birth certificate. We call our market outings ‘adoption days’ as our customers tell us they feel like our work is gaining a new forever home with them! While much of our work is in polymer clay, we also have a large focus on illustration and story telling with art prints, stickers and coloring pages.

The whimsical illustrations we create are of our original characters in the world of Mo’relia. Bo’Kesh, our resident bartender, Ting Ting, an adventurer and treasure hunter, and Croquet the frog are just a few of the characters people can find in our artwork. We love world building and story telling, so our illustrations are full of little details and easter eggs for people to enjoy finding the closer they look; it could be anything from a suspicious wanted poster in the background of a bus stop to a full recipe tacked on a wall!

It was definitely not an easy road to where we are now as a brand. When we first started, we were working long hours with our respective day jobs and spent most of our nights crafting and many weekends a month at artist markets. It was challenging for us to establish a healthy work life balance. However, as time went on, we developed routines to help us not only stay on track with Cafe Mushroom but also take time to take care of ourselves too. Thai and I both have our roles in running Cafe Mushroom and we are constantly pushing each other to be the best versions of ourselves! Our journey growing this brand has been something we have enjoyed together.

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.
We are both avid hikers and would love to recommend going up to the north Georgia mountains for some beautiful hiking trails! Fishing is another must in this state! While we prefer lake Jackson, we do recommend lake Lanier and lake Allatoona for spots closer to the city of Atlanta!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
For us, family has been an extremely crucial factor in our development as artists and entrepreneurs. My parents, Jim and Janet Smith, have been some of our biggest cheerleaders. There is truly no bigger compliment in life than knowing your parents have full confidence in your ability to bring your dream into reality, no matter how crazy the dream may seem.

Website: https://www.cafemushroom.store/

Instagram: https://instagram.com/cafe_mushroom

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100091749597605&mibextid=LQQJ4d

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@cafemushroom

Other: Tiktok: https://tiktok.com/@cafemushroom