We recently connected with Heather Horror and have shared our conversation below.
Heather, appreciate you joining us today. Are you happy as a creative professional? Do you sometimes wonder what it would be like to work for someone else?
I am certainly happiest as an artist and creative, but even still, that does not come without its challenges. I have worked “regular” jobs most of my life, and every single one of them felt highly unsatisfying. I’m passionate and purposeful, and doing work I cannot connect to always feels soul-crushing. Of course, I can always do what needs to be done, but if I let my creativity sink into a void, it is still there, battling to get out. So, while being creative fuels and fulfills me the most, there are a lot of obstacles that come with that territory as well, just in a different way. It becomes a fight of choosing stability and dissatisfaction or instability and fulfillment. There’s stress involved with both; you just have to decide which one feels more worth fighting for.
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.
I am a fashion designer and live entertainer. I have always been interested in fashion for as long as I can remember. I started doing freelance work for other brands, and while it was a helpful experience, it still didn’t satisfy my needs. During the pandemic in 2020, I decided to take the risk of a lifetime and jump all in on starting my own brand. I create Victorian-inspired latex clothing and accessories as my designer collection. Still, I also do custom pieces for clients with a vision of their own, anything from simple pieces to more extravagant ones. I have my own fashion flair that I have not really seen anyone else do, and while having that sets you apart from others in a world filled with everyone doing the same things, breaking into a niche also has its own set of challenges. I have been in the live performer realm for a little over a decade. I began as a fetish performer, gogo dancer, and burlesque performer. 2 years ago, I added live streaming on the Twitch platform to that. I started my live streaming as a source for spreading the word about my latex brand, but it has now grown into something much bigger than that. I have been fostering a community of people who range from just wanting to have a fun distraction to people who feel like they never had anywhere else to fit in and can just be themselves. While both of my brands have become separate at this point, they are still very relevant to one another in many ways, embracing individuality and creativity as the staples.
What can society do to ensure an environment that’s helpful to artists and creatives?
I believe now more than ever, it’s both more complex and more accessible to support artists and creatives. We live in a time when we have the internet at our fingertips, and just talking about or reposting a brand goes a long way. Discoverability is, without a doubt, the most challenging part of thriving as a creative. We also live in a time where we have large companies mass-producing things quickly, so that is now sort of the expectation in which to operate. I think many people have lost sight of the individuals behind small brands and are usually operating things by themselves.
Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative?
Some people are satisfied just living a “regular” life; working a corporate job, and just earning a paycheck. Some people are seeking more than that out of life. We spend so much of our time and energy at our jobs, and everyone’s needs or wants are going to look different.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.deathstetics.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/deathetetics & https://www.instagram.com/casketofchaos
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/heatherhorror/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@deathstetics
- Other: https://www.twitch.tv/deathstetics
Image Credits
Johnny Bones