We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Heidi Peterson a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Heidi, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Can you open up about a risk you’ve taken – what it was like taking that risk, why you took the risk and how it turned out?

My dream began 5 1/2 years ago when I first made my trip to Senegal, West Africa. As a child I knew that one day I would travel to Africa. There was something I needed to do there. Travelling to Africa isn’t easy. especially as a foreigner and in a non-tourist setting. I took a risk. I risked the secure and middle-class version of myself. There it was three months after my first visit, I went back. The second time I chose to stay with my son in a town for 5 weeks that was slightly more than an outgrown village, live with a family and our friends were the local artists and artisans. We had come as artists to participate and help create a youth festival called, The Gueoul Festart. People were not used to seeing white folks from the US who were there to participate in their arts, culture, and experience their lifestyle. My son a musician, and myself as a visual artist experienced some of the most profound experiences of art, love and hospitality, as well as being subject to prejudice and misunderstanding. This was a profound life changing event for me that ultimately led to my decision to shift my career focus entirely. Exposing myself to this local African Arts scene, I fell in love with the arts and especially the fashion. I know my lifestyle in the US would have to shift. It was at this juncture that I began wondering if I could sell locally created African fashions for a US market. It was then that I created my own fashion brand, The African Cowgirl.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

The African Cowgirl is a fashion brand that focuses on African inspired, one of a kind wearable art fashions. I got into this business of selling these fashions from multiple visits to Senegal, West Africa. Senegal is a fashion lovers dream as there are so many variations on the themes of their traditional garments, Also the fabrics make one who loves art, textile and fashion feel like they have hit the creative jackpot. My own background is a costumer/designer and fabricator, I also love painting mixed into all of this and this is where creativity starts to mix with a practical garment. My clients are individuals who want a garment that gives them a new look, and a creative version of themselves. My clients are sometimes hard to fit. I love to appeal to African Americans and want something that has a African cultural appeal. I am a tailoring brand whose tailors are from this small community where I have lived, We are cocreating the clothes and the looks that represent some of the looks of The African Cowgirl. In addition to the amazing looks, the give back to the community is outstanding. By paying wages that are fair for it directly benefits the community; the money largely stays local. When people are supported, they then in turn give to their own communities. Some of the examples of this are the creation of youth arts program called Gueoul Art, creating drums so the youth can have a drum program. On the tailoring end, beginning a sewing internship for young women to join in on The African Cowgirl team. I can be found and contacted through my website www.Theafricancowgirl.com and on Instagram and Facebook. My service projects can be found through my Gueoularts FB page, my Drumming in the City FB page, and Oomphspirit.org.

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

I think one of my biggest missions and maybe one that I need to make a goal is to make a real difference in the lives of people. When I am in Senegal I do feel that I do this. I also feel that my learning is accelerated by spending a day with the locals as they go about their work as vendors and artisans. As I am now a vendor I can relate to this aspect of their culture, and I am also an artist and I can see the need we all have to support one another by collaborating and sharing in the journey of self-employment I like being a small business owner, as well as using the locals as a source for my fashions, jewelry, soaps and spices. One of the most meaningful things that drives my creative journey is working with the children and being able to make their lives more hopeful through participating in the arts in their own community. This year the youth get to participate in the The Fanal of Saint Louis which is a yearly cultural festival.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

I think there are several things that make being a creative rewarding. One thing is that I am forever grateful for the arts being the mechanism for all that I do. I love when I see that even the youth in Senegal benefit from their arts by ultimately doing better in school. Imagine that the arts really do enrich academics and make young people feel like there are possibilities by using their imagination. Imagine meeting a master tailor that has been given new life by being given the tools and support to realize his beautiful vsions in fabric. Imagine as an artist being the catalyst for a weekly local TV program, the reason a new school is underway and helping to launch the career of a local artist. Ultimately being creative and artistic is how you affect the world.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.theafricancowgirl.com
• Instagram: @theafricancowgirl
• Facebook: @theafricancowgirl, @HeidiPeterson, @Gueoulart
• Linkedin: @HeidiPeterson