Designing Home: Meet Annie Stout
Annie Stout, Founder + Creative Director of Paper Heart Design Co.
(Photo by Reneé Deckrow, Captured Photography)
Hey, guess what? The Max Loves Midland Show launches NEXT WEEK! On Wednesday 07/17 Episode 1 drops, featuring Annie Stout and your tour guide, Kevin LaDuke, where they will dive into all the nitty gritty of Max Loves Midland! Read on to learn more about Annie, and tune in next week for the full show!
Love,
Max
Watch Episode 1 of
The Max Loves Midland Show!
In Her Own Words:
My name is Annie Stout. I'm a wife, mother, artist, community supporter, and the owner of Paper Heart Design Co. I have lived in Midland for almost 15 years, but grew up in Shelby Township, a suburb of Metro Detroit, with my mom, dad, and three older brothers. Compared to Shelby Township, Midland is much quieter. I graduated from a large high school with around 500 students in my class alone, which often made me feel disconnected. I felt a bit lost in the shuffle. My husband Jerod, on the other hand, is from Gladwin, a small town where he knew almost everyone in his graduating class. My family thinks we live “up north” and my in-laws think we live in “the big city.” I love it here because it’s a bit of both.
From a young age, I loved making things. Each year at school, when they asked what I wanted to be when I grew up, I always answered artist, or photographer, or some other creative path. Art was my passion, and my parents were very supportive of my pursuit of creativity. My mom would help me create stories before I could even write. My dad would rent movies about artists from the library and watch them with me.
After high school, I attended Central Michigan University. I earned a Bachelor of Applied Arts, double majoring in Graphic Design and Sculpture, with an Art History Minor, and a Bachelor of Science in Education in Art and Industrial Education. I also met and married my husband and best friend, Jerod, while at CMU. After college, we moved to Kentucky for his job. During this time, I started my business on Etsy, making custom wedding invitations and stationery. I later worked as an in-house graphic designer at a small print shop, where I realized my love for working with small businesses. My business gradually grew, and I enjoyed the variety and personal connection of working for local entrepreneurs. When we moved back to Michigan, I continued my design work while raising our children at home.
Getting into business in Midland was an interesting journey. In the mid-2010s, a friend posted on Facebook that someone was looking for painting instructors for a fun, occasional job. I immediately expressed my interest because, at that point, I had been a stay-at-home mom for several years and felt like I had lost a sense of myself in the daily routine of taking care of my two amazing kids. Many stay-at-home parents can relate to it—getting consumed in day-to-day life and suddenly wondering, 'Who am I now?’ I visited The Ashman Plaza for the first time and met with Dacia Parker and Renee' Deckrow. I was hired to teach painting classes at Parker Lane Art Design Studio, then called Captured Community. This was even before Live Oak Coffeehouse had opened in the Ashman Plaza.
We discussed my graphic design background during my interview, and I began working with them on various projects. Renee' also kept inviting me to BRAVE, her support group for entrepreneurs. At the time, my youngest daughter was only three and not yet in school, so I kept declining, thinking it would be too difficult. Eventually, Renee' convinced me to bring her along, assuring me that everyone in the group loved kids. I finally attended and connected with a fantastic community of entrepreneurs. This group provided me with valuable connections and encouragement. Other graphic designers in the group helped me realize that I was undervaluing my work, so I learned a new appreciation for my skills in the process, as well. I now help lead this group alongside these friends, and love connecting with creative entrepreneurs because of it.
Designing the Live Oak Coffeehouse logo was a significant turning point for me. After completing that project, I started receiving regular inquiries for logo design work. Things went well until COVID hit, and my kids were home for a year. I had to pause my work briefly, but I continued to receive occasional requests through email. Once my kids' schooling stabilized, I ramped back up and resumed working while they were in school.
Looking back, I've taken many small steps up the mountain. Day-to-day progress felt minimal, but reflecting on where I was in 2016 compared to now, I've accomplished a lot.
In October 2023, I moved into an office in the Ashman Plaza - and I get to be neighbors with Renee’ and Dacia! Their continued encouragement has been so appreciated. We continue to collaborate in our work as part of the Ashman Collective. I get to work with amazing nonprofits and small businesses in Midland and nationwide. I love the variety in my work; it's never the same, and I feel like I'm genuinely helping people build what they believe in. I've consistently contracted with the Midland Area Community Foundation since 2019, eventually that partnership led into work with Max Loves Midland.
Additionally, my journey with public art in Midland has been incredibly rewarding. I am an active member of the Public Arts Midland committee, where we have brought new artwork through the Painted Piano Project, Outside the Box Project, and Neighborhood Bench Project, to name a few. I was thrilled to be selected for the utility box project where I painted a giant Walkman at the corner of Patrick and Waldo. Both of my daughters were selected to paint benches in 2023. It was great to mentor them through the challenges of the project and have them contribute to the community's artistic landscape. You can see Madeline’s bench at Shop with Moxie, and Allison’s bench is outside of Dow Diamond. I also built the Key House in 2022, which is a community-inspired sculpture that lives at Creative 360. Most recently, I was part of a collaboration between Midland Center for the Arts and Chippewa Nature Center, where my nature-inspired sculpture design was selected and built by the Max Carey Blacksmith Guild.
My involvement with Max Loves Midland and Public Arts Midland has allowed me to not just be an artist or a designer, but to directly help people in the community. Through Max Loves Midland, I've helped connect people with resources they didn't know existed, whether it's assisting a young woman in exploring trade careers with the help of the Midland Area Career and College Access Network or helping someone with disabilities find food services, the work has purpose. With Public Arts Midland, I've been able to get involved with the Art Seen Festival, where I've been acting as co-chair. As of the 2024 Art Seen Festival, we have brought eight murals to Midland, including four community murals, like the new one on the side of Pizza Sam's. The community murals are my favorite part because everyone in the community is invited to be part of the creation process.
My hope for Midland is that our 'vision' statement, 'Midland: an inclusive community. Together. Forward. Bold. An exceptional place where everyone thrives,' becomes a 'reality' statement. No place is ever perfect, and there will always be room for improvement, but seeing initiatives like the Grove Park Changing Places Restroom come to life, or seeing more sensory-friendly events popping up, or listening to people who are actively working towards creating more affordable housing in Midland is amazing. We have so many people who care deeply and are working hard to improve our town. I want everyone to feel like they belong here, even if they haven't felt that way in the past.
Annie and Kevin on the set of The Max Loves Midland Show, recorded at J&C Media.
Do you have a Midland County story you would like to tell that aligns with our vision?