My palace in Dallas - Myriah (Rye) Williamson

“Solitude requires you to move past reacting to information created by other people and focus instead on your own thoughts and experiences – wherever you happened to be”

— Cal Newport, Digital Minimalism

Hello folks, summer is always super hot in Dallas, I hope y’all are staying hydrated and indoors whenever you can like I am. Summer is always a special season for me, my job, green card, first apartment, graduation, and most recently, this little project that wouldn’t have come this far without you reading it is now being featured in D magazine! As I reached my 3 years mark with this beautiful baby blog, I’m super excited to keep doing this and watch it grow.

I started My Palace in Dallas during the height of the pandemic, and it was born from pure curiosity: I want to know, I want to see, and, most importantly, I want to document what the people around me have become after these unprecedented years. They can be artists or comedians, or they can also be the people you meet on the street—which is quite hard cause supposedly people in Dallas don’t walk at all. So, what is it that they do? This project delves into their stories and, as the name suggests, explores their Palace in Dallas.

Rye Williamson and I met at a pool party, she was wearing an earth-tone pool robe and holding a drink as chic as her usual self. We shook hands, introduced ourselves, and went on our separate ways into the Texas heat. Months later I got an invitation to her surrealist ball birthday party where we got to celebrate not only her big day but also the 100th birthday of the gorgeous house she lives in. I got to sit down with her and chatted about her journey in art, creative energy, and knowing when to let go, what she loved the most about the house, and what makes this historic palace her home.

Hello Rye! Thank you for sitting down with me today! Before I bomb you with questions, for anyone who might not have the chance to know who you are, would you like to tell me a bit about yourself? Who are you and what is it that you do?

I’m Rye, an artist who enjoys many mediums as my passion ranges from painting to jackets, shoes, perfume, handbags, and jewelry. There’s a variety of things I’ve worked on but at this point, I’m primarily doing wedding jewelry, every now and then I would also put out more avant-garde pieces as part of my own creative collection.

From Italy to launching your own business in Dallas in 2015, I’m sure you’ve seen and overcome so much. Could you tell me what the journey was like for you? How did you get to where you are now?

After studying painting as my primary course goal in Italy, I went to the University of Idaho. I went through a weird phase in life where I took on a bunch of credits in one semester and focused only on my painting and doing well in school. Looking back I wasn’t even sure how I managed to power through because there was so much workload on both art and school, but I wanted to finish school as fast as possible and fully dive back into making art. All of the focus I poured into painting during that year really solidified my idea to be a creative in some capacity for the rest of my life.

After graduation, I moved to Dallas and stayed with my mom. I picked up a job waitressing while I was still feeling the city out and deciding whether I wanted to stick around or not. Throughout those years I have already been making jewelry for myself and have been selling them at a little boutique in my hometown. While waitressing I started out selling some pieces off of my body at work and realized I might as well commit to this when I started making more on the jewelry I was wearing to a shift than I was in tips.

Right around the time when I decided to work full time with jewelry making, designer Abi Ferrin stopped me outside of a movie theater and asked me about a Necklace I was wearing. I didn’t know who she was at the time but she walked away having told me “We’re going to work together.”. My sister-in-law later on told me how big of a deal she is and how good this could be, Abi ended up mentoring me and has taught me just about everything I need to know for my own career.

My bridal line came about because I wanted to make pieces for my own wedding. My wedding ended up being featured in Brides magazine, and Rue De Seine, the company in New Zealand that made my gown reached out to collaborate on a bridal jewelry line. Since the collaboration, the bridal jewelry snowballed into what it is now.

Tell me about your time in Italy. You were inspired by your single mom’s journey through Europe and went on to study art there, with a love of painting established well before that, how did Italy help change or reinforce how you view and practice art?

Being uncomfortable in a foreign country really shakes you down to your essential being, and solidifies your purpose being there. I didn’t know anyone nor know where I could be going when I got to Italy, it was the time before smartphones so looking up places or navigating to make a community was not an option for me. I realized painting is my home base when I am fully isolated in a foreign country, it felt good when I was doing it, and picking up the brushes was really re-centering while leaning into this isolating discomfort. More than anything on top of skills, my time in Italy solidified how much I love art and making it.

My teacher was really supportive and encouraging by letting me have free reign with my creation. From the very start, having that encouragement meant so much to me knowing that someone in the city, where I came to for art, believed in me enough to give me the freedom needed.

Going a little further back, knowing how certain you are about this loving relationship with art, what ultimately sparked your love for it?

All of the women in my family are artistic in some way. My grandma who is a painter amongst many other things, had a little studio in the woods tucked behind this big magical garden of flowers. Growing up, I would go back there and paint for hours.

I was one of those kids who moved a lot, probably over 10 times before fifth grade. In general, because of that, I was a loner but I’ve always painted, if you needed to find me you could always find me somewhere drawing or crafting away.

When people think of their childhood, they would probably remember their friends or siblings, but I could recall I had a lot of alone time sitting in nature practicing art. Art was always there for me to go back to but going to Italy was the first time where art became my only requirement for my day-to-day, which is why I felt so free because I could finally give art the time and space it needed to grow along with me.

You mentioned making bridal jewelry for your wedding, have you been doing that way before that?

Around the same time I launched my Opalmilk website my dear friend Lauren messaged how she’s been watching me making jewelry forever, I hadn’t really thought about it but I had been making jewelry from a very young age, entering them into state fair contests or submit them to open calls.

Coming back from Italy I was depressed and trying to figure out how to reconnect with this place. My family is pretty scattered around the States and the land is what makes it a home for me. I decided to dive into things I can find in nature that make me want to wear, crystals in the land, or skulls that surface when the snow melts. I found my connection with the land, my home, as I started making jewelry pieces out of these natural elements that I connected with the most.

Opalmilk as a brand was created purely out of business necessities. There was a little boutique – which was probably the nicest boutique my hometown has – and I brought in these chanty pieces to see if they would carry them in the store. To my shock, they loved them and wanted to have more pieces to sell. The store asked me what my brand was and if I had any more, but at the time I was just making it on my own without thinking that far, so I came back the next week with 100 more pieces with the name Opalmilk, all labeled and fully fleshed out.

I grew up really poor and to have someone seeing value in what I’ve created was so inspiring. Knowing how this could be my way out, growing up in welfare apartments and the potential of taking care of myself with my art ignited a fire in me. I went back to the store with everything within 7 days with a sense of control over my own destiny, feeling like someone believed in what I did.

**Following down the vines of jewelry making, you have your own collection running alongside the bridal series, how do you allocate your creativity between these two different genres?**

I think at this stage I’m still an endless well of creativity craving to put out creation, there isn’t a scarcity of me or concept to give to it, everything I make is something I genuinely adore. The bridal collection can be less avant-garde at times, and I do scale back or make sure to keep their gown line in mind when making them but even then they’re pretty non-conventional and I do have free reign in what I do.
As far as my own collection goes, they’re nothing but my full creativity on display, I am scared every single time when I put out a series because I was never sure if they were going to sell. I try my best to create these pieces for me, for the sake of creating, and pouring what I like into the process. Despite having the best time making them, there’s always that moment that was so terrifying right before launch, because it comes from a place that is so close to my heart and craft.
Jewelry is expensive to make! I would pour thousands of dollars into a collection not knowing if it would sell, all the while pausing production on my usual creation/income for maybe six months. It’s always a gamble releasing a collection but I would say that I pour my creativity and inspiration into anything I’m doing without worrying what others might think of it, well, until the moment I launch at least. *laughs

Like how you’d be curious about their letterbox account when you meet a film lover or would love to take a peek at someone’s mood board, can you tell me what consists of your media diet and where you usually get your inspiration from?

My biggest source of inspiration for everything that I do is music and the musicians behind it. I often got teased for not knowing designers or collections out there, and sometimes I would end up making pieces that ehcos what other designers had done in the past but I never knew their work before my friends pointed them out. I tried not to look at other artist’s work because I think the world is already so saturated with repetition and to me, the only way to avoid that is to avert my eyes from it.

I would look at music, musicians, and style icons like the Beatles or Jimmy Hendrix, someone cooky and flashy, and imagine what would they wear as a necklace. I usually have more fun creating from that place rather than being inspired by other existing wearables.

I gravitate towards the energy and the conversation around musicians, we would have conversations that lead to great inspiration, and as time went on I formed a circle of amazing musicians around me that I thoroughly enjoy.

My latest collection Velvet Hammer is heavily inspired by the Italian interior so I would also add traveling and immersing myself in different scenery and culture as part of my inspiration as well.

As someone coming from the Pacific Northwest, from which elements you’ve drawn a lot of inspiration at the beginning of your career, how does that differ from music and traveling as your source of inspiration?

I would be honest and say it used to be a huge source of my inspiration, more than it does now. The Pacific Northwest was where I started. For example, I’d still use crystals even though I hate how they are now pigeon-holed into a bohemian look but I love the fact that they were made by the earth and it constantly blew my mind.

I used to incorporate bones found in PNW or crystals because I believe in objects carrying energy, but I’m in a new chapter in life and even though I still love those elements dearly, I think I’ve outgrown those elements and haven’t been using things found from the land as much as I used to.

It’s hard to do that transition because once you have an established audience or career, walking away from a style where people start recognizing you is very vulnerable and difficult, scary even.

I don’t want the bohemian bridal style to be the only thing people know me for, knowing I have the capability to do so much more. I’m sure I’ve lost clients by shifting into a new style but I think it’s important to keep evolving with your art so you don’t grow into resenting it.

It’s been four years since the pandemic hit and for some reason, we all came out alright, if not stronger. What did you do to stay centered and sane? Did any of those new habits carry over now that things are back to normal?

I hate how there was so much fear and pain happening all around during the pandemic but it was a good slowdown and a special time for me. Painting had been on the back burner as I pursued Opalmilk as a jewelry line, the fact that the world slowed down took away all the excuses for me to not paint. I loved and missed painting dearly during that time, if you ask me what I want to do for a living if money was out of the equation I would always say painting.

The pandemic gave me a reason to get back to it because what else are you going to do? I did a whole series on women in many forms, sexuality, maternal, and all the sides we are. I felt the societal pressure to have a baby as a woman having just gotten married, and the series made space for me to explore what might have happened if things or choices had been made differently. Maybe I would have had a baby during that time if the pandemic hadn’t happened.

I also got very in touch with my earth-witchy tendencies – learning how to make all these potions that benefit your body – I’m sure everyone went down this path to some degree but I really leaned into it. Those rituals really stuck with me and to this day I still kept a cabinet fully stocked with every mushroom powder you could ever imagine.

Having worked in so many mediums and having such a passion for beauty in life and a unique background, I’m sure you have your fair share of traveling experience and exposure to different scenes across the states. What do you think sets Dallas apart from all the other well-known big cities or any other city you’ve been to?

I’ve lived in Austin, Wyoming, Denver, up and down the coast, and California as I travel or venture around the country trying to put my jewelry in stores, and for some reason, I keep coming back to Dallas even when me and my husband went on a van trip in hopes ending up somewhere new to live in.

I am not fully immersed in the industry scene like I mentioned I tried to avert my eyes on existing objects and am more drawn towards musicians so I can answer more from a creative standpoint.

The lack of nature here kills me but I keep coming back to this city because of the people. The creative culture here, in general, is really hard to beat, having access to a big metroplex like, this is the only place that I know of where everybody is so supportive and on your team without any sense of scarcity for opportunities.

If you talk about materialism or connections I think Dallas is a really competitive city in that regard, but I’ve not met anybody who made me feel unwelcome or unwilling to learn about what I do and how they can help.

I now have a really solid group of girlfriends here compared to a few years ago. Moving around as much as I did made me a loner as a kid, I never got the chance to not be the new girl. The group of women I’m surrounded by are so supportive and that sense of community for me is really rare, as I go through this chapter of life having them feels almost like making up for the lost sense of belonging from childhood.

Are you a Dallas native? From taking inspiration in female power, PNW, your time in Italy, paintings, and nature and now being in Dallas. You must’ve spent quite some time finding your identity here, what do you think of this city?

I love old things, history, and being surrounded by that vintage romance. I wish Dallas could honor its historic buildings and houses a little bit more. I worry it wouldn’t be my forever home if we keep tearing down what was here and continue to expand solely on building new scenery or properties.

If one day I decided to become a mom, I also wouldn’t know how to do that here, knowing the way I would like to parent is by showing them nature, and I don’t feel like I could do that here.

With that being said, I’m so grateful for all that this city has given me. The perfect mentor fell into my lap at the time I needed them the most, we have family here, and the group of friends I’m able to have is what had and has made this city so special to me. I’m not sure what the future holds but I don’t have any plans for leaving.

As I look around I can see a lot of your taste in a tangible form! Now the hard part is, what would you say is your most prized possession?

The second I walked into the door I knew I had found my home here. My husband and I had toured so many houses by then, I stayed behind after both he and the realtor stepped out and spoke to the house, and decided that I think this is going to be my house.

I grew up in old buildings and the fact you can clearly see someone poured so much love into this place made it so much special. The emblem on the fireplace matches the ones on the pot out on the porch, details like this were built so elements across the house can speak to each other, it’s something you don’t get anymore.

It’s an old house, so the molding and the spiral staircase outside were so endearing and were what spoke to me the most when I was looking for a place I could call home.

In the living room, this vase was gifted by a very special friend. My friend Lauren Werner opened up a place called Willow House in Terlingua, we went out there for my birthday right before it was opened for business. I was amazed by how much work she put into curating the space, this vase was something she had in the room, and after expressing how much I loved the piece she wanted me to have it.

The reason I love it so much is strictly because of the generosity behind it, this vase fits the incredible, well-curated space of hers yet she decided to gift it to me because I love it so much. Every time I look at this vase I’m reminded to reciprocate the generosity that landed this vase on my shelf in the first place.

Here in the bedroom, there are two very special things. This painting was the first thing that I picked up for the house. My husband Charlie and I were looking to furnish the space and instead of household items, I brought back this painting with a woman in a feminine yet powerful pose, I love her masculine hands and the energy behind it and we ended up building our bedroom around this piece. The fireplace was painted brown to match its palette and the touches of black echo around her background too.

The other one is this rug I’m standing on right now. This was the rug Charlie and I were married on, and I placed it in the bedroom, right in front in front of the bed – a place where we end and begin our days with - as a reminder of the love we shared and the vows we said to each other that day.

And we are almost at the bottom of my list of Qs for today, for those who are interested in getting into this business or starting something of their own. What suggestions or advice would you like to give them or wish you had known sooner?

You have to really love what you’re doing, and accept that there will be some not-so-fun parts that come along with it. I am all right brain so all of the admin and business handling part was rough for me. Having somebody to handle the logistic or non-creative part for you so you can be creative freely would be helpful. The way I’m running my business is fully fueled by my love for what I do.

Packaging, shipping, advertising, visuals, shooting, correspondence, and admin, if you break it down even with a higher-priced necklace, doing it all on your own chips away a lot and adds an invisible cost to your life. No one really prepares you for that, so you have to really love it and be comfortable with the fact that sometimes you would have to rough it out just to make it happen.

to our conversation earlier, allowing yourself to evolve and not be afraid to walk away if the thing you started out with doesn’t resonate with you anymore. I’ve reinvented myself and my brand so many times, maybe I would be more successful if I stuck with what I started long enough till it caught flame, but I wouldn’t be happy. Deciding what’s more important to you in longevity – livelihood or something new that brings you joy – they’re not mutually exclusive but ultimately you need to accept the fact that either way holds risk and comes with hardship.

To wrap this interview up, I am also curious personally: What’s on the horizon for you? Are any “Big things coming” in the works for you? What would you like the world (whichever random soul stumbled upon this article) to know about?

I’m really excited and plan on picking up my paintbrush once more, looking forward to seeing where that would lead me to! I have an idea in mind and would be great if I had the time to turn it into a multi-piece series. Shifting gears to make space for painting can be a bit of a challenge but I could be painting from home too.

I do have something else in the works so keep your eyes peeled!