Indy Women Creating Space // Meet Maura Malloy
After being interviewed on Jona Wells’ podcast, Indy Women Who Inspire, it made me pause and think about all of the wonderful women I’ve met through my entrepreneurial journey over the last nine years. From clients to fellow business owners to passionate philanthropists who are working tirelessly to shape our city, I wanted to help share their stories.
Enter The Signature Series, Indy Women Creating Space, celebrating Indy women who are intentionally designing, organizing, creating, and elevating our community in their own unique ways. Think of it as a fun, inspiring, uplifting spotlight on the women who make Indianapolis feel connected and full of possibility.
I feel honored to call these women friends and to introduce you to them!
I am so excited to introduce you to Maura Malloy! Maura and I first connected on Instagram due to a mutual love of Indy, organization + minimalism. It didn’t take long to become IRL friends and business confidants. She is the only person I trust to create keepsake albums of my kid’s art and the absolute coolest thing was the works of art that she created in collaboration with Meghan Barich of my and Tyler’s childhood art (featured in last year’s Decorators’ Showhouse). I know you are going to love her as much as I do.
Who are you and what lights you up? Tell us your story, your mission, and what you’re building in Indy.
I am a sentimental minimalist. Born out of my 2015 TEDx Talk, "The Masterpiece of a Simple Life," my company, Less is Maura, focuses on the mental load that weighs the most: our memories. Whether it's tens of thousands of digital files, a niche collection of photos, or crumbly kid art, Less is Maura combines organizational strategy, an objective eye, and storytelling to create heirloom albums that tell the story of your life. How? I've created online and in-person classes as well as album-making services.
My online class, The Annual Heirloom Album, teaches 1) step-by-step lessons to gather, declutter, & organize your entire digital photo collection (+ your partner's if applicable!); 2) what to do once a month to stay organized; 3) how to then turn that collection into annual albums that will stand the test of time. My mini online class The Grandparent Album teaches 1) an efficient system to gather photos from your entire extended family without it becoming a full-time job; and 2) how to turn the collection into an album for your loved one.
In terms of services, The Emerging Artist's Album service (a TBM favorite!) turns collections of kid art into curated albums. The Themed Album takes your niche collection of photos and turns them into an album that will tell the story of your life. The Keepsake Collection is a match in memory-making heaven, as I partner with artist Meghan Barich and turn your memory bins into heirloom albums and one-of-a-kind mixed media works of art.
My in-person classes at Create Art Studio are an extension of these classes and services.
What values anchor the work you do?*
Less is more. Essentialism. Pairing down all the clutter so that one lives a life focusing on what matters most.
Give us a peek into your space! Share what makes a particular space in your home or workplace feel utterly and totally "YOU."
It is very, very tidy (but make it pretty). A calm, uncluttered space increases my peacefulness. But it's also rooted in the stories of my life, as well as the generations that came before me. Art, decor, - and even furniture sometimes - is collected from our travels, our family, and my artist friends.
Your go-to tip: What organization, mindset, or workflow trick has been a game-changer?
The systems I created and teach in my class, The Annual Heirloom Album. Digital clutter may be invisible but it exists. Did you know that, according to Phototutorial data, "In 2025, humanity will take ~2.1 trillion photos.” What are we doing with them? Why are we spending so much time and attention TAKING photos if only to store them in devices? Let's sort out the junk then display the best in albums that tell the story of our lives.
Your Indy List: What 3 local businesses do you love, support, and want to shout from the rooftops?
Cafe Patachou, The Toggery, and Create Art Studio.
Anything else you'd love to share that captures your personality or your journey.
I love hot yoga, my husband, daughter and dog, and confirmed my dedication to minimalism five years ago by choosing to downsize and move into our tiny stucco bungalow in So Bro.
The Baer Minimalist helps busy families create ORGANIZED + STYLIZED spaces throughout Indianapolis. To keep up to date with all of the tips, tricks and inspiration doled out, subscribe to our newsletter, The Minimal-List, here.