Finding ways to creatively express ourselves can be a challenge. Connecting with and inspiring others can be even more rewarding and difficult to accomplish. And yet, a 32-year-old mother of three living in Alabama was able to do just that and more. After she started posting her chalk drawings on TikTok, one of her videos went viral.
The joy the mother, known as @chalkwithmakckenize on TikTok, felt because of that connection convinced her to make her chalk drawings a daily practice. TikTok responded with 81k followers and 2.4 million likes—but, unfortunately, not everyone in the neighborhood was a fan.
Complaints from a neighbor get the HOA involved
One of the neighbors found the chalk art to be a bit tacky and complained to the Homeowners Association (HOA). In early July of 2025, the HOA responded with an email explaining the community guidelines. In addition to a 10 p.m. curfew, artwork must be washed off each night. Mackenzie told People in a 2025 article, “I got an email saying someone had complained about it being tacky. After some back and forth, we have agreed to wash it off by the end of the night or there will be a fine.”
Mackenzie still gets up every morning with her two-year-old and crafts an inspiring message to share with her neighbors and TikTok fans. At the end of the night, she washes the driveway down. The next morning, she gets to repeat the experience all over again. “I love drawing sea creatures, florals, and little whimsical pieces, but the main thread through all of it is positivity,” says Mackenzie. “Every morning, I try to put down an inspirational or funny quote. Something that might make a neighbor smile on their morning walk or scroll on TikTok.”
Some might argue that Mackenzie should have the right to do whatever she wants as it’s only chalk drawn on her own property. As to why she didn’t aggressively fight back against the neighbor and the HOA. Mackenzie had the following to say, “At this point, I’d rather put my energy into the art than into justifying it.”
There’s an art to picking what battles to be fought and avoided
Some people love a good argument and find it easy to say why one person is “right” and another is “wrong.” Of course, most things in life aren’t so cut and dry, and every single disagreement doesn’t necessarily warrant a complicated discussion. Knowing which things are worthy of fighting for can help give a person a more peaceful and rewarding life. Some things demand attention, and others, like Mackenzie’s situation, are better left more easily resolved.
There are some simple rules to follow for conflict, as suggested by a 2024 study in the National Library of Medicine.
- Argue over something only when the issue really matters.
- There is a realistic chance for a change or movement.
- Stay calm and receptive to the other person(s).
- Think about how the relationship will benefit from working through the problem.
The best way to engage in a quarrel with someone or something like an HOA
One of the most important components of any disagreement is respecting the other person(s), regardless of position. A fantastic way to prepare for this perspective begins with mediation. In fact, meditation is considered so valuable that it’s been proposed as a necessary step before costly legal battles are started. A 2025 story reported in The U.S. Sun wrote that a costly, HOA conflict in South Carolina pushed lawmakers to propose legislation requiring mandatory meditation before legal action. The article mentions representative Val Guest telling WSBA 7News, “If you can go get it done in a mediation and you don’t have to pay attorney fees, you end up with a better relationship with homeowners and the board.”
Har.com, a consumer realtors association founded in 1918 to connect renters, buyers, and sellers, encourages calm and straightforward conversation. Homeowners benefit from their willingness to meet at the board’s convenience and seek proposed solutions rather than one-sided, disagreeable demands.
Mackenzie was able to find her way through an uncomfortable situation and maintain a positive mindset, behavior that many of her neighbors appreciated. “People have left me chalk, knee pads, and sweet notes. A neighbor even put a little cushion on my driveway for me to sit on,” Mackenzie mentions. “It’s shown me just how kind people really can be, and how one person’s negativity doesn’t speak for the whole community.”
Not every problem demands a fight. Sometimes, going with the flow and being the better person really works.
