Renee Hartwick Designs (2026)

15/01/2021

Happy Two Years of Entrepreneurship to meeeee ☕️✨ Thought about dressing up and taking some fAnCy photos at my desk, but nah — this is it. The slouchy outfit I worked in today. The clutter on my desk from notes and design drafts. The hair that hasn’t been washed since Monday. The fourth mug of tea. The inbox that I love and dread. No in-person meetings, no networking. This has been Year Two. ⁣⁣
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The success of Year One had me thinking I was going to blaze through Year Two, but it’s been more of a stumble and tumble and several “oh f*cks.” I feel very open going into Year Three; not so rigid and not so sure, but in that good way that pulls a bit of weight off your shoulders and releases you from heavy expectations. ⁣
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But I’m glad I took this picture instead of getting dolled up for a different one. I’ll want to remember Year Two like this: no fluff, no filters, no faux snapshots to make self-employment look more glamorous than it’s been for the past 365 days. No, this is the real me in my real life where I’m really at. No pretending. Working for yourself is tough s**t. ⁣⁣
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But not tough enough to make me want to do anything (or work for anyone) else. At least, not yet...but we’ll leave that up to Year Three 😉

13/01/2021

As I happen to be in the midst of a DIY home renovation, I would like to give builders, architects, interior designers, electricians, plumbers, carpenters, construction crews and project managers everywhere an obnoxiously loud round of applause because holy wow it's a lot more work than you'd think. (We've lived here for 2.5 months and just finished A room. Like, one single room. So yeah. 😅 )⁣
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This week's is devoted to my building-industry businesses, Green Light Home Builders () and TAP Design Group (-dg). ⁣
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Green Light is a WNC-based company specializes in modern, new construction and renovations, and they are all about sustainable building practices and looking at their projects through a holistic lens. They collaborate with local architects and landscapers, and value both their small-but-mighty team and beloved clients as family (which I SO dig). ⁣
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TAP Design Group is a multi-disciplinary architectural firm based out of Atlanta, GA -- and when I say "multi," I really mean they can do it ALL. From yoga studios, to hair salons, to tricked-out barns, to home office spaces, these architects can beautify almost any space, residential or commercial. Seriously, it's impressive.⁣
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These companies and I jived super well, because they wanted their sites in a timely and dependable manner (hey there, Two Week Website package) and they appreciated that I only take on one client at a time (hey there, 1-on-1 attention and complete project focus), and those are my favorite parts of the gig too; like Green Light, my clients become my family, so giving their websites the "glow up" that they deserve is icing on the cake.⁣
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These building-related folks get their own section in my portfolio because I want about 100 more of them -- working with these two companies was SO fun and I've always loved turning simple spaces into cozy homes (hence DIY-ing our new one, which I only regret 37% of the time), so getting to collaborate with professionals and provide them with a website that's as impressive as they are just gives me the happies -- and ALL of the admiration because did I mention it's more work that you think it'll be...?

09/12/2020

Remember that one time you were going to buy Something, but then you saw the price tag and you were WHOA NELLY, so then you were like, "I'm gonna DIY it, it couldn't possibly be THAT bad..." and then six months later you still have yet to buy OR build the Something you had your eye on, and you've settled for Something Subpar or gave up on the Something completely?⁣
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Yeah, I feel like renovating our house is going to be like that. (I've already gone from "I'm going to build a breakfast nook!" to "You know, a card table doesn't look terrible in the right lighting.")⁣
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But where you DON'T really need to be settling for Something Subpar is on your website. You know, unless you really dig Googling solutions that use bizzare tech jargon just so that you can get that friggin' text box to STAY where you want it to STAY already.⁣
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BUT. If you're not in a place to spend the big bucks on a full blown designer, you're actually *not* out of options:⁣
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Take a SQUARESPACE LESSON (and do it with a nifty holiday code that gets you a discount because 'tis the season 🎁)!⁣
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From the Squarespace beginners who just started their site and want to run through the basics to the semi-pros who want to know what magic they can work with CSS coding, to anyone (with any question, issue or skill level) in between -- I'm here for you. ⁣
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Every lesson:⁣
- is virtual⁣
- comes with a quick pre-lesson questionnaire, so I can plan your lesson ahead of time to maximize our face-to-face time⁣
- comes with entertainment (i.e. me. I'm entertaining.) and ZERO judgement ("no such thing as a stupid question" is something I take seriously.)⁣
- comes with a post-lesson write up, so have a reference for later⁣
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These one-on-one Squarespace Lessons are $75/hour and from now until 12/31, you can sign up using the code HOLIDAZE10 for 10% your 1- or 2-hour lesson! ⁣
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The result? An efficient, enjoyable, empowering experience, oodles of Squarespace knowledge, resources you can take with you...and no more Googling "how to do ___ in Squarespace".⁣
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In the meantime, I'll be over here figuring out how to back out of my promise to help my husband vault our living room ceiling. 🙅🏻‍♀️

03/12/2020

Small businesses don't exist in a vacuum; we need each other. For logistical reasons, for community, for support, for someone to tell us which invoicing system to use, for someone to drink with (cry with?) after we pay our taxes, and more 🥂⁣
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Building websites for businesses that exist simply to help *other* businesses was an unexpected niche for me to find myself serving...until I realized that I am one of these business too! My services exist to bring other businesses to life in a unique, clean, professional way online because I think small businesses should look as amazing online as they are in real life -- and these websites above represent small companies with that same goal: to elevate other businesses, organizations + entrepreneurs, just like them. So basically they’re saints. How amazingly badass is that?⁣
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From videography + live streaming to marketing services to financial management, these businesses I've had the honor of collaborating with can do it ALL (and you should let them, because they know their stuff). Scroll through, visit their handles and websites, and support small businesses this holiday season!⁣
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🎉 (And if you feel like giving the gift of Squarespace this holiday season, get yourself or your entrepreneur friend a lesson or two with yours truly! Personalized 1- or 2-hour lessons are available for booking through the link in my bio, perfect for the creative human with the creative skills who just needs a little guidance to feel comfortable making their own website changes, and would LOVE to not spend their time Googling "how to do ____ in Squarespace" articles anymore, thank you very much.) 🎉

20/11/2020

Happy Birthday Zion 🧡🎉 What a gift you are.⁣
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18/11/2020

I consider myself an "artistic dabbler" — it's a term I made up three seconds ago that means "one who dabbles in a variety of art mediums with various levels of skill ranging from 'what-on-earth-are-you-attempting-to-make' to 'that's-the-best-doodle-of-a-house-plant-that-I've-ever-seen!' 🌱👌🏽⁣
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Lucky for me, I've had the opportunity to work with artists and makers who are wildly talented, and I ADORE them and obsess over them regularly -- hence this week's mini Website Wednesday! Every entrepreneur and business owner is a creative being (period. end of story.) and the clients I've had the honor of working with in the artistic realm bring that creativity to a whole new level because it's woven throughout the every inch of their products and creations. When we collaborated on their websites, they got a stunning, functional business tool and I got endless waves of inspiration, and I honestly don't know which of those two things is better (let's call it a win-win) 🥰🎨⁣
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Squarespace is such a fabulous platform for artists + makers of all kinds -- it's very visually driven, where photos have their chance to make a big, beautiful impact while ALSO having capabilities like: ⁣
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- Easy peasy back-end editing, so that you can upload your newest photos, products and portfolio builders without a bunch of clunky, complicated steps (especially when your designer offers lessons *wink wink*)⁣
- Sophisticated (yet easy-to-use) e-commerce for selling physical + digital products⁣
- Integrations like forms, scheduling and email lists that help people connect with YOU to talk about custom pieces, set up photo shoots, etc., and help you to connect with THEM about an upcoming shop update, last minute availability and more!⁣
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If you are an artist/maker/dabbler with a portfolio to share, a main or side business to run or just love being able to put your creations + artistic services out there (for sale or not), I'd love to help you showcase just how impressive you are E I collaborate with you to build your website in TWO WEEKS and we finish your build with a Squarespace lesson so that you have everything you need to update your website as your artistic style evolves 🎨💻

03/11/2020

Vote him out. 🇺🇸⁣
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Or in the much more poignant words of from her newsletter:⁣
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“...it's critically important that we vote our current President out of office. Donald Trump has used racism, xenophobia, sexism, homophobia, and ableism to divide this nation. He has sparked deep distrust of our political system and will fight this election's results if they do not work in his favor. We have written about how his racism has directly caused violence against people of color and sparked a rise in white nationalism. Twice. He will only continue to unravel our most basic rights to safety and freedom.⁣
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But if that's not enough to convince you to vote, vote for the people that can't: for the millions of people who cannot vote because of voter suppression, whether through voter registration, access to polls, and ballot counting. Rally for those whose ballots might be thrown away or may not arrive on time, and for the 5.2 million that can't because of a felony conviction. Vote for the people that can't take off work, have to care for their kids, or can't find transportation tomorrow. And, for the immigrants who can't, despite all they bring to this country. ⁣
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As of November 1, we have lost 230,000 lives in the U.S. to COVID-19. If you still aren't convinced to vote, do it for them – and the frontline workers, the families that can no longer afford to stay in their homes, the people with disabilities and those immunocompromised that can't access medical care, the long-haulers that may never fully recover, the kids out of school, the people struggling with the physical and mental toll of quarantine – addiction, violence, domestic abuse. ⁣
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Vote for the 545 children who can't find their parents, and all those detained in ICE detention centers. Vote for the 6500+ Black people killed by the police. Vote for the whales and the forests – actually, vote for the whole damn planet. Vote for those who came before us to protect our right to participate – and vote for those who follow. Vote for abolition. Vote for transformation. Vote for tomorrow.⁣
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Vote for you. Vote for me. Vote for us.⁣”
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Photo from the Women’s March in San Diego, Jan. 2017

28/10/2020

I can literally think of nowhere I'd rather be than outside. Nature is my getaway, my grounding, my place to disconnect from the incessant mental and external chatter, and reconnect with myself and the world around me in a deeper, meaningful way.⁣
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So it's no shock to me that I'm drawn to clients who feel the exact same way -- building Squarespace websites for outdoor-oriented brands just brings me to life. These clients are different from one another, certainly, but they all have that palpable, underlying duality of 𝘫𝘰𝘪𝘦 𝘥𝘦 𝘷𝘪𝘷𝘳𝘦 and the deep sense of solace that comes from being grounded in nature -- working with these brands is an area of my job where I feel like I get just as much from them as they get from me; collaboration just happens so naturally when you and your clients share the same passions ✨ (And let's be honest, they've got THE most magnificent photos, hands down. )⁣
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I have the honor of working with many different types of brands, but today I wanted to shine the light on these beauties, most of whom went through my Two Week Web Design + Lesson process and are now the successful owners (and adept editors!) of their Squarespace sites. Big S/O to all of them for keeping me "outdoors" even while I designed their sites from desks and coffee shops 🍃🏕🌲💙 More info on each of these amazing businesses in my Stories + my "Websites" highlight 💻👌🏽 ⁣
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Slide 1: Grizel Caminas (www.grizelcaminas.com)⁣
Slide 2: International Adventure Guides (www.iagadventures.com)⁣
Slide 3: The Vanlifers (www.thevanlifers.com)⁣
Slide 4: The Retreat at Lake James (www.theretreatatlakejames.com)⁣
Slide 5: Asheville Van Life (www.ashevillevanlife.com)⁣
Slide 6: Discover Spruce Pine (www.discoversprucepinenc.com)⁣
Slide 7: The Kinsleeshop Farm (www.thekinsleeshopfarm.com)

27/07/2020

In graduate school to become a therapist, I took a course called "Career Counseling" because it was required. It was there that I learned for the first time that people were allowed to have more than one career in their lifetime. This was news to me -- at 23, I still thought you picked one and stuck with it. ⁣⁣
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What do you want to be when you grow up was always my least favorite question, no matter how old I was when it was being asked. It felt confining, and honestly, I never knew the answer. It changed from day to day, idea to idea. I was always green with envy when I met people who knew they wanted to be doctors or writers or teachers when they were seven.⁣⁣
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It was the narrowing down that I liked the least. What do I want to be? Like...I have to pick ONE thing? Even as a child it seemed improbable, but I figured the secret to choosing something would unveil itself to me down the line and I'd choose What I Wanted To Be easily enough. I'd heard all you had to do was "follow your passion" and that *had* to be simple since passions, by definition, are obvious things.⁣⁣
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Turns out I'm passionate about quite a lot. It also turns out that there's no secret: I never narrowed it down to one and I never chose. And yet, conversely, I did figure out who I wanted to be. When I grew up, I wanted to be someone who simply kept...growing. Not just up, but also out and down and in and around and over and through and everywhere. Someone who kept learning, adapting, experiencing. Someone who might live a hundred lives in one and have stories to tell for a hundred more. ⁣⁣
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If this resonates, know that you are not faulty. If you cannot choose, perhaps you were never meant to. Unlearn the odd and silencing pressure that you must only be or do one thing with your limited and valuable life (and we'll save the tendency to hard-wire our worth to our job title for another day). Breathe a little space into the question of what you want to be, and realize that perhaps it is not a question you answer only once, but over and over again.⁣ 🌱⁣
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"Do I contradict myself? Very well then, I contradict myself. (I am large, I contain multitudes.)" - Walt Whitman

02/06/2020

I am here to do the work. I am here to unlearn. I am here to dig deep and root out what it has meant to be raised in a society built to uphold white supremacy. I am here to listen to your experiences and amplify your voices. I am here to support you and donate to your causes and pay you for you services and wisdom and expertise. ⁣
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I’m sorry it took me so long to get so loud. I’m sorry I spoke about it quietly to friends instead of shouting your injustices from the rooftops. I’m sorry I passively read books and articles instead of asking others to do the same or asking to hear your experiences outright. I’m sorry I am late. It will never happen again. ⁣
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I am here to do the work. I am here to do the work. I am here to be an antiracist. Black lives matter.⁣
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✊🏾 Actionable Things You Can Do: ✊🏿⁣
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- Sign the petition (text ‘Floyd’ to 55156)⁣
- Sign the petition Justice for Floyd on change.org⁣
- Donate to causes like , and ⁣
- Follow black accounts. ( .cargle to name a few)⁣
- Educate yourself on white supremacy and racism ( has a great list of books, .cargle has a 30 day antiracism course, podcasts are readily available, etc.)⁣
- Listen to black experiences.⁣
- Listen closer.⁣
- Stay updated, and don’t put your phone down when you’re uncomfortable. ⁣
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Incredible art by 🎨🖤

02/06/2020

I am here to do the work. I am here to unlearn. I am here to dig deep and root out what it has meant to be raised in a society built to uphold white supremacy. I am here to listen to your experiences. I am here to support you and donate to your causes and pay you for you services and wisdom and expertise. I am here to support black, indigenous and people of color. I’m sorry it took me so long to get so loud. You have always deserved better. I am here to do the work. I am here to do the work. I am here to be an antiracist.

25/05/2020

That feeling when you worked all through Memorial Day weekend but it’s because you’re getting ready to pile into a van with your husbabe and vanish into the wilderness for two weeks 🥴🤩💯🌿🌾🌊⁣
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Renee Hartwick Designs

15/01/2021

13/01/2021

09/12/2020

03/12/2020

20/11/2020

18/11/2020

03/11/2020

28/10/2020

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