The Art of Creative Living: Maz McWilliams
Maz McWilliams is a relentless explorer. He’s a creative director, entrepreneur, environmental advocate, and all-around lover of life. His impact has been especially felt in the realm of social media. A few years ago, his inventive #AmelonAday campaign to raise awareness for Traumatic Brain Injury went viral, and generated a tsunami of worldwide attention. Originally from New Jersey, he currently resides in NYC where he’s raising his young son, juggling several creative projects, and stealing time for surfing and skateboarding whenever possible.
Please give us a brief intro of yourself and what you do?
My name is Maz. I’m a creative director originally from NJ. NYC has been my home since 2005. Currently, I work with brands with a focus on content and strategy. My specialty is the space where brands and social good meet.
You’re a man of many talents. What are the projects that take up most of your time these days?
I’ve been working with a few different brands, mainly in content creation or strategy. I’m working with one, in particular, that is focused at the cross-section of creativity and environmentalism.
“My specialty is the space where brands and social good meet.”
Being that this is the Explorer Issue, we were very interested in your brand Ticamide. It has an outdoors, fuss-free vibe to it. Can you share more?
Yeah, Ticamide was started as a way to give back to a cause really close to my heart (Traumatic Brain Injury). At the moment we aren’t creating new product, however the spirit of the project is still alive and it’ll be interesting to see where it ends up down the line. We have lots of great basics like T’s, crew neck fleece and board shorts still available so it’s mainly about finding new brands to sell with or re-interpret the inventory we currently have in stock.
There are also other themes about the brand – Mindfulness, Meditation, Giving Back etc associated with it – can you elaborate?
A lot of those themes were really personal at the time of the brand’s inception. I was really experiencing grief, meditation and mindfulness were tools I was learning and heavily practicing at the time that helped me a lot. It only made sense to talk about them as part of the brand.
You can also be considered somewhat of a social media maestro – Your #AmelonAday movement went viral; can you give us a brief insight into that?
So much to say about #AmelonAday :). In short, it opened my eyes up to the power of one. But also to the power of the Instagram community. I wanted to create awareness and realized that the best way to do that was through my own day to day actions. So, I carried a melon for 100 days.
“Being a parent of a 5-year-old is an adventure. North is a constant reminder of the present moment.”
You brought your skateboard to our shoot. Would you consider yourself an avid skater?
I enjoy skating but mostly to feel closer to surfing when I can’t be in the water. I’ve never been a part of the “skate culture” or spent much time at parks.
At O.N.S, we feel the process of exploration never ends; what are some of the different ways you continue to evolve and explore in your own life?
Being a parent of a 5-year-old is an adventure. North is a constant reminder of the present moment. He is by nature an explorer, sometimes it’s work to be present with him and juggle being an entrepreneur. However, taking that jump is always rewarding beyond measure.
You’re also very active in the environment and nature preservation efforts. Why is this important to you?
This is actually a new more formal step for me. I’m trying to infuse more sustainable behaviors and practices in my life. Adopting this way of thinking/acting is kind of like evolving my personal value system and something I really want to expose my son to.
“I’ve tried to really de-noise my closet and break it down to the essentials of what I truly need and wear.”
Tell us a little bit about your NYC style and types of clothes you like to wear…
I’ve become progressively more simple with style. I used to go on the hunt. I had my vintage everything phase and def have standbys and brands that I’m super loyal to. That said, I’ve tried to really de-noise my closet and break it down to the essentials of what I truly need and wear. I like to wear outdoor/tech styles and combine them with classics like a sturdy pair of chinos. Clothes that go the distance and get better over time are at the center of my personal style. I’m not a fast fashion customer.
Finally, is there an overarching life philosophy/credo that you always strive to live your life by?
Kindness always. We all get caught up but nobody really knows whats going on for someone else.
Be sure to follow Maz on IG here
