It’s been said that what separates artists from the rest of the world is their ability to see the possibilities others do not.  They’re often curious and open to more experiences with a determination to see things through. After interviewing Michelle Tieman, it’s clear that she’s not only an artist but also a person who loves to bring joy to others, combining artistry and joy with a strong work ethic. It’s no wonder she’s so successful in her art and work with students.

Michelle is an award-winning balloon sculptor who is responsible for some of the coolest balloon sculptures around. These eye-catching original structures, characters, and balloon replicas of iconic monuments have adorned public buildings, events, and centers, and have been featured in celebrations of all kinds.   Maybe you saw the Iwo Jima Monument sculpture on the news, or the space shuttle with an astronaut at the Nesmith Library. Michelle has worked hard to learn and create the most fantastical, larger-than-life balloon creations.  She also does balloon twisting, wowing the crowd with bows and arrows that really shoot, or she’ll create Rapunzel hair and giant green fists that kids can actually wear. She can make pretty much anything asked of her. Then there are the décor projects where she says the sky's the limit. She’s truly a pro, but of course, it didn’t begin that way.

Michelle was introduced to balloon art by her grandmother, Sandy Keyser, at the age of 13. Where some parents might hand their kids a video game, Michelle was handed a bag of balloons and a pump. Michelle’s grandmother is a wonderful Christian lady who learned how to twist balloons at a clown convention and was often seen entertaining kids at all sorts of events. Over the years, Michelle dabbled in the art form, checking out library books and practicing a lot! And then YouTube came along, taking online learning to the next level and giving Michelle plenty of teachers to learn from. “All of a sudden, I had balloon instructors from all over the world in the comfort of my room!” Michelle explained.

Michelle started small, handing out her homemade business cards, building her business slowly and steadily learning. For example, when she was hired to do a shark party, that was the week she learned how to make a shark. When she developed the courage to attempt a big build, she spoke to a man named Christian Cox at her local library. “He had visions of grandeur,” Michelle shared, and went on to say that he was the one to challenge her to create a life-sized elephant out of balloons. “That was a huge opportunity for me to try to broaden my horizons.” Michelle had never attempted anything that big, and it was extremely intimidating. “After three painstaking days, I was pleasantly surprised that it came out looking like an elephant!” Michelle went from having a side hustle to an LLC in 2023, and the rest, as they say, is history.  

These giant installations require extensive planning and a lot of math to calculate the scale and number of balloons needed to complete the structure. Scale was always a hurdle for her until she started sketching the sculpture in inches and then converting them to feet. Good thing Michelle works at a high school. One time, Michelle was stuck while planning the Iwo Jima build, which required some trigonometry, so she asked the students for help. "Don’t ever tell your math teacher that you will never use this math!" she said. Fun fact about the Iwo Jima sculpture: it took more than 1,700 balloons and over 60 hours to complete!

Michelle is multi-talented, wears many hats, and has lived in many places. Michelle has been teaching Spanish for the past 9 years. The first 4 years were in schools such as Windham Middle School, Bedford High School, Methuen High School, and Timberlane High School as a long-term substitute while she completed her degree and teaching certification. She accepted a full-time position at Alvirne High School five years ago, and she loves it. She also has a book! She created it for her students during the hybrid days of COVID. “It was inspired by my Timberlane students since they had no other resources at home other than Google Translate, which was not permitted,” Michelle said. It’s called Profe T’s Ultimate Guide to Spanish Grammar for Students, and it’s a 100-page comprehensive guide to the Spanish language with every grammar concept that is taught from levels 1 through 5. Her students over the years have found it to be a very useful tool.  

Michelle attributes her success to her amazing family.  “My family is an incredible support system. None of this is possible without them.” Michelle is married to Michael Tieman, who works as the Director of Contract Administration at Physical Sciences Incorporated in Andover, MA, and they have two daughters, Abigail (Abby) Tieman (16) and Jennifer (Jeni) Martinez (21). Abby loves books and is also a very talented artist. She enjoys learning about historical events and watching Futurama with her dad. Jeni is also artistically inclined. She loves the occasional scary movie and playing Roblox and is expecting her first child in May. “Our first grandchild!  We couldn’t be more excited!”

Michelle's girls were introduced to the art form at a very young age and participated in countless events. Jeni loved the décor side of the business, and Abby took to the twisting. Abby even taught high school students how to twist balloons when she was just 7!  She used to challenge Michelle to make her very intricate Halloween costumes out of balloons every year. She still helps her mom with her Cricut from time to time whenever Michelle needs vinyl lettering or customizations. Michelle’s family also often helps her see things from a different perspective when she can’t seem to get a sculpture to look right. “Abby is by far my toughest critic, and I rely heavily on her for her honesty.” Her husband is an amazing listener, especially when she’s in the middle of a big balloon build. He’s also there to remind her to prioritize her health when she’s pushing herself too hard.

Describing Michelle’s work ethic as strong isn’t enough. She’s the kind of person who never backs down from a commitment, no matter what.  In 2019, she was asked to provide a “wintry scene” for a Scholastic Book Fair at a school in Windham. Just days before the event, Michelle was admitted to the hospital with symptoms that negatively impacted her vision and balance.  Days later, she was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. Where most of us would have focused on dealing with this new set of challenges, she instead asked her husband to bring her balloon gear to the hospital. From the hospital bed, she weaved a huge igloo, a polar bear, and a Narwhal.  Imagine the nurses' reactions!  

Michelle’s perspective on life is contagious. She understands intimately how special and short life can be. She never takes anything for granted, and it makes sense that she’s come to call what she does, “The Thrill of the Build.” For her, the process of making the sculptures is as enjoyable as the final outcome.  "Balloon sculptures are a temporary art form, and sometimes it is difficult to accept that what goes up must eventually come down...with a sharp blade."  Like a beautiful plate of specially prepared food, you enjoy how it looks and smells as much as making it disappear. Michelle relishes the looks on children's faces as they see their favorite character take shape. Michelle loves making people happy.

Michelle puts everything into what she does. She loves getting involved with the community and supporting local clubs, organizations, schools, and libraries with their events and fundraising efforts. She’s supported Make a Wish, Believe in Tomorrow House, and has held various positions on the FLOW board (Friends of the Library of Windham), and has participated in Putting for Patients, Karate International, and Black Out Cancer.  Michelle shared, “The balloons have always been my way to connect with people throughout my community, and I love how this skill continues to allow me to do just that.”