A year and a half ago, local business owner Megan Hoghaug faced a daunting choice by her employer: Stay at the university and complete her degree, losing her job in the process, or pause her higher education ambitions and keep the stable income that funded her.
Simultaneously, Hoghaug had just started her own business, Manic Depressive Arts, but was unsure if that would be enough to keep her afloat. However, Hoghaug took the risk, left her job to prioritize her education, and went all in on her new art business.
“They essentially told me I needed to choose between school and my job, so I took a really big leap of faith,” Hoghaug said. “It was really scary, but I was like ‘OK. We’re just gonna do this,’ and that’s when I went full steam ahead.”
Hoghaug began investing a majority of her time into promoting her new business, selling portraits, jewelry and her specialty product, painted glass. A unique line of art pieces came from experimenting with translucent paint she found at Michaels.
“I brought some home, and I just took an old picture frame to see what it looked like when it dried,” Hoghaug said. “[…] When I woke up the next morning and I saw how bright and vibrant it was, something clicked. I was like ‘Oh my God, this would be so cool,’ so I kept playing with it, and the more I did, the more I fell in love with it. And now, it’s like my favorite medium.”
Previously a customer, Hoghaug was familiar with the local vendor markets held at True Leaf Studio, located at 301 S. Locust St. Once she became more serious about her art business, it was True Leaf owner Taylor Bales who helped encourage her to start selling at the market.
“She mentioned dipping her toe into markets and I told her she absolutely should,” Bales said. “She’d be fantastic and I’d love to have her. The rest is history. […] It’s been a joy and honor to watch her thrive.”
When it comes to selling her products at art markets, Hoghaug said the painted glass is what draws most people’s attention to her booth. Another thing that grabs attention, Hoghaug said, is the name of the business itself, Manic Depressive Arts.
Inspired by a bipolar disorder diagnosis in 2017, Hoghaug said she aimed to break the stigma around talking about mental health with the name of her business. It also has the advantage of being memorable enough to stick with customers.
“My favorite thing at market is when somebody approaches me and they ask me about it, or they share that they have the same illness,” Hoghaug said. “[…] Those little interactions of ‘You’re not alone,’ it’s the really, really meaningful part of it for me.”
Another product line of Hoghaug’s that has turned heads is her bedazzled pill bottles, embossed with the names of popular anti-anxiety medication brands. Hoghaug said the idea came to her as another way to incorporate mental health awareness into her business.
“It’s really fun when people at market see them because they just want to pick them up, feel them, open them, and they’re like, ‘Oh my God, that’s me,’” Hoghaug said. “It’s not even about the sale, but to have that fine line between healthcare and art and something that’s functional, I think it’s really cool. […] It’s another way of being in your face about mental health while celebrating it. It’s a statement.”
Recently, Hoghaug reached another milestone with her business when she became one of the featured vendors at Sundance Thrift, located at 521 Bryan St. The store, owned by local thrifter and friend of Hoghaug, Damaris Combs, has become a way for Hoghaug to continuously sell her art without the need for art markets.
“I’ve been a big fan of her art ever since we met each other,” Combs said. “I feel like it fits in with the store itself, but also the Denton community in a broader sense. […] It’s super important that she’s shedding a light on mental health awareness. We need more models in the community because mental health really affects all of us, whether we want to acknowledge it or not.”
Even with her recent accomplishments, Hoghaug has no plans of slowing down anytime soon. She said her next plan for Manic Depressive Arts is to establish an online storefront so people can buy her art not just in person. She hopes to continue to spread her message of mental health awareness.
“For every occasional person that will see my name and roll their eyes or laugh, there’s another person who stays a second longer, and they ask why my business is called that and I get to share a little bit of my story,” Hoghaug said. “It just opens the door to other conversations. So in being myself, I hope, in a small way, it encourages other people to be themselves too.”
After the past few semesters of Hoghaug’s schooling being supported by her business, she graduated from the university with a degree in anthropology in May. And that little art business she took a chance on is reaching new heights, landing in stores and still being sold in art markets across North Texas.
“It feels like all of the little pieces and all of the little reasons for why I worked as hard as I did were coming to fruition,” Hoghaug said. “It’s probably the biggest accomplishment I’ve ever had, and I cried a little bit on that stage. […] I’ve just been super excited and happy and just touched by all the support I’ve gotten.”