That Girl Spotlight: Haley Russell

Meet Haley Russell, the self-taught artist behind @wispandmallet, blending pyrography and metal stamping into deeply intentional, meditative works. Inspired by nature, mythology, and song lyrics, Haley’s slow-crafted art invites viewers into a space of reflection and healing. She’s also the creator of In Her Space Journal’s Issue 2 cover: Metamorphosis — a stunning embodiment of growth, strength, and feminine creativity.

Q: How did you get started with woodburning and metal stamping?

I started them both as ways to reinforce Irish language vocabulary that I was working on. So I started right at the very beginning of the pandemic. I would stumble across words that I thought were really beautiful and meaningful. I wanted a tactile way to remember what each word meant to me and why I want to remember it. So I started stamping bracelets with words that I really liked, and then the first wood burned thing I ever made was a present for my teacher.

Q: Was there a specific moment you knew this was your thing?

I never really thought of myself as an artist. But there was just something about working on those gifts for people, and just seeing how versatile it could be, and there's something about the woodsy, smokey smell I fell in love with. That’s when I knew that I'm just going to keep doing this.

I found some accounts to follow on Instagram, and saw that you can do some really crazy, cool looking stuff that I had no idea about. It inspired me to become better at it. Creating this art turned on parts of my brain that I'd never been able to access before

Q: What does a typical creative day look like for you?

It’s definitely broken up into chunks. I’m a mom of two school-aged kids, so I’ll have maybe two, maybe three good hours in the middle of the day that if I don't have anything else going on, So a lot of times I’ll take sketchbooks wherever I go so that way I have some pieces that will be ready to burn when I get a chance to sit down at my desk.

“I have a habit of being a little bit ambitious. Like, well, I don't know how i’m going to do this, but I’m diving in because I want to do it. I mean, how else are you going to grow, right?”

-Haley Russell

Q: Woodburning and metal stamping are such unique and hands-on art forms—what do you love most about each medium?

Wood burning gives me the freedom to take more risks, and I like the versatility. I like how meditative it is, because it is quiet, generally, depending on my surroundings. There’s usually a nice smell to the wood and it’s very meditative and slow. The metal stamping is very loud and tactile. I'm sitting at a table, and I have a little metal block that I'm putting my jewelry blanks down on, and then you've got your stamp with either your letter or your picture on it, then you have to hit it. Sometimes that is a little bit cathartic, like if I had a bad day…it’s the perfect way to release frustration.

Both have it’s unique characteristics. So that’s where I get my artist name..wisp and mallet. The wisp is a reference to the wisps of smoke, and then the mallets is the hammer for the metal stamping

Q: How do you stay inspired when creativity feels hard to reach? 

Keeping my running list of ideas gives me something to fall back on when new ideas aren’t the most forthcoming. It’s the lack of motivation that can be harder to deal with. But I’ve found sometimes just making yourself sit down to work on something - anything, even if you’re not feeling it - can help snap you out of it. 

As an example, I hit a rough patch last fall: my summer art fairs were all financial losses, I lost a canopy tent to a storm at an event, my self-confidence had tanked and everything I was doing felt pointless. Inspiration was at an all-time low for me. Nothing on my ideas list was making me excited, and I felt like I was steps away from throwing in the towel on this entire venture. 

I looked at my ideas list again and picked a random Celtic goddess, Artio, I had put on it after I read briefly about her somewhere and decided to just give her a shot and see what happened. I ended up liking the way she turned out well enough, and I posted the piece. Someone I knew from my college days who’s now in med school and about to graduate as a doctor of naturopathy saw her, and Artio’s symbolism spoke to her deeply. So much so that she has plans to name her practice Artio Integrative Medicine. She bought the piece, too, which was fantastic; but honestly, knowing that my art had a small role in helping her find the identity for her future practice did a lot to reignite that creative spark. And all because I just sat down and did something, even though I wasn’t really feeling it.

Q: What does success mean to you as an artist?

I want to be clear that I’m in the camp that believes creative work is work and is worthy of fair compensation. I want to be able to make a living from my work, but that’s a goal I’m still working toward. In the meantime, I feel successful when I know someone has encountered my work and it’s made an impact on them. Hearing that a person looks at a piece I made and feels moved, or that a piece of jewelry I stamped makes them feel happy or empowered gives me a big emotional payoff.

Q: What advice would you give to someone who wants to explore hands-on art like woodburning or metalwork but doesn’t know where to start?

Online communities have been my biggest resource. You can learn a surprising amount by seeing high-quality examples of finished work, or from watching process videos from an established artist you admire. I’ve made connections with other artists through social media, and most of them have been incredibly open-handed with their experience and insights. I love reading, too, and I’ve found a few books to be helpful.

Rapid Fire Questions

Favorite creative mess to make: Eraser crumblies

Biggest inspiration right now: Music

One word to describe your art: Healing

Morning person or night own: Night owl

Dream collaboration: Woodburning with Zona Grieg

If your art were a song, it would be…? a power ballad

Follow Haley Russell for more stunning art

Haley Russell is a woodburning and metal stamping artist based in Indianapolis. She draws her inspiration from mythology, nature, and music. When she’s not practicing her crafts, you might find her studying the Irish language, going for a run, reading, or spending time with her family. You can see more of her work at wispandmallet.com or follow her on instagram @wispandmallet