By Stacie Boyls | Arts & Life Writer
For Franklin, Tenn., sophomore Madelyn Gregg, a simple question has shaped an entire creative career: Why not?
Gregg pursued watercoloring and yearbook design as a hobby while primarily focusing on athletics in high school. Art was always present in her life, but it wasn’t until her senior year that it bloomed into something more intentional that has now become a side hustle and passion for Gregg.
The interior design major arrived in Waco knowing only three people from her high school. What she did know was that she had a passion for beauty. While the move from out of state felt like a leap of faith, Gregg said the leap has been “definitely worth it.”
“The community has been like no other,” Gregg said. “The church culture that I’ve been plugged into has been awesome. My classes and professors have all been wonderful. I just love it here.”
What began as commissions through Instagram messages eventually expanded into a full-scale small business. Gregg designed and launched her own website, mgartwork.com, where she sells stationery and prints and accepts custom commissions.
“I try to make pieces that people might not have the opportunity to get out of a store,” she said. “Original, colorful, creative and playful — but also really intentional.”
Her portfolio ranges from playful bunny-themed stationery to detailed portraits and abstract cityscapes filled with personal “Easter eggs” unique to each client.
Over the past year, Gregg’s side hustle has accelerated into what she describes as “crazy cool opportunities.” Among them are creating commissioned pieces for three NBA players — Keon Johnson, Kobe Brown and Shaedon Sharpe — as well as presenting paintings to President Linda Livingstone and the Baylor Board of Regents.
After independently creating a painting of Pat Neff Hall and gifting a copy to President Livingstone during her freshman year, Gregg later received a request for a larger commissioned piece as a gift for the Baylor Board of Regents. She eventually presented the work in person at a board meeting. From then on, business boomed.
“It was kind of like, since I was able to reach out and take a step that could have been seen as silly — like, why would you do that? — but kind of, why not?” Gregg said.
Her mother, Amy Gregg, said creativity had long been a part of their household culture.
“My husband is a homebuilder, so sketching and designing and building and creating has always been part of our home,” Amy said. “I just saw a little girl who enjoyed crafting and drawing. We always kept supplies nearby and never minded the messy part of creativity.”
Knowing her talents, a family friend facing a difficult season asked Gregg to create a commissioned portrait. The experience reframed how she saw her work.
“Art just became a way that I could capture memories for people,” she said. “The goal is always just to make them smile when they see a piece that they hold daily.”
