Meet Heather Annis

We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Heather Annis. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Heather below.

Heather, so good to have you with us today. We’ve always been impressed with folks who have a very clear sense of purpose and so maybe we can jump right in and talk about how you found your purpose?

I feel like my purpose is shifting and evolving as I go through life. What I have found though is that it has always involved healing through art and sharing that with others. My first love, and something that I will always come back to is dance and movement. Dance was what I would turn to when I needed to process or how I could play creatively as a child. I used to go down to my parent’s basement, plug the Christmas lights in, put a cd in the boom box and dance my heart out. It was a time for me not to be judged on how well I moved or if I would be embarrassed if I showed my true self. It was time for just me, and it was so sacred. As I became more confident in my dancing, it became more about how I could make people feel with my performance. I wanted them to be able to relate to my movements emotionally in hopes that it could help them with what was going on in their own lives. I kept finding that when I went to choreograph, I would make pieces that felt joyful, serene or full of meaning significant to my life or the dancers I was working with because that’s what I wanted to feel. I get stuck in my head a lot, wanting to be someone everyone likes that excels in the things I love, and I craved feeling like I didn’t need to care so much about all of those things. I wanted to feel like I could just be me, like in the basement under the colorful lights, but I felt trapped being who I thought everyone wanted me to be. Dancing was healing and I wanted to share that with others. I would perform every chance I got and went into teaching dance as well for a chance that I could give others what had helped me. Once I got into embroidery, it was another outlet to play, to find something deeper and spark my creativity! I could make images that were full of meaning and symbols. I started to discover the meanings tied to different animals and plants, and how they could relate to healing. These images I was creating would become wearable art with intention. Right around the time I was really getting into embroidery my grandfather passed away and we were in the thick of the pandemic, so it became my safety, my new way of processing. Embroidery has such a meditative quality and it was so helpful with the anxiety I was feeling at the time. After that I would find any opportunity to make and embroider things for people. I would ask them what they needed in that moment or what they loved, and I would incorporate those things into the piece. I wanted to share how embroidery was helping heal me with others in a way that could be meaningful to them. I really enjoyed this process and I wanted to be able to bring that to more people. This is when I started Earth Angel Works, a company meant to share healing through art. So, as my purpose shifts in little ways in which I share it, it will always come back to giving what I have discovered, lived and found healing through with others to help them on their own journey. I want to be able to give the opportunity for deep beautiful connections through my work and life.

Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?

My name is Heather and I am the artist behind Earth Angel Works. Earth Angel Works is a company focused on healing through art. I create embroidered pieces on preloved clothing, necklaces and wall art, and have also worked with beads and sewing my own clothing. I started this company to share my art with others and to create opportunities to make connections with people. I want Earth Angel Works to be a space where I can share all of the art I feel called to create and that art can connect with others in a beautiful and meaningful way. Right now you can find me at in-person events and on Instagram, but I hope in the near future that could also include a way to see and purchase my pieces online.

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

The three most impactful qualities that have helped me on my journey are having a deep love for the art I create, a strong curiosity to learn more about what lights me up and following my intuition.
The love I have for the art I create is what sustains me through all of the ups and downs. This feels so important because this is what is here for you at the end of the day, and it is so much more enjoyable when it is something you really love to do.
Staying curious and following the things that excite me both help me feel fulfilled and inform the art I want to make and share with others. It’s exciting to find ways to incorporate what I am learning about into my art and to see how people connect to it.
Our intuition is such a powerful thing and something I feel I can really trust. When I am truly following my intuition I am my best self and creating the art I really want to make.
My advice would be to try different things that interest you and go all in with what truly lights you up. Take time for yourself to play and learn new things. Follow your gut, your intuition is powerful and it will lead you to exactly where you are meant to be.

Who has been most helpful in helping you overcome challenges or build and develop the essential skills, qualities or knowledge you needed to be successful?

My family has truly been the ones who have helped me most throughout my journey. My husband has been my biggest supporter! He is the one I talk through my ideas with and he even attends events with me. My two children have been a huge inspiration and seeing them follow their interests gives me the fuel to get curious and brave about what I want to learn and create. I think having people who see you and that want to support you in doing what you love is a very valuable thing.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @earthangelworks
• Other: Email: [email protected]

Image Credits

Sierra Madre Photography