We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Heather Abbasi. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Heather below.
Heather, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Did you always know you wanted to pursue a creative or artistic career? When did you first know?
I first knew I wanted a creative career when I was 5. I was getting really into a lot of music and entertainment. I knew every song and did a lot of dances that were popular at the time. When my Mom noticed this, she told me that those people were paid professionals and I asked if it was possible if I could do it, too. She said, “Yes, of course! Is that what you want to do?” I said, “Yes!” Every step that I have taken since that day has been to become an artist and performer.
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?
Well, I got into the industry of modeling by discovering there was a strong market for plus-size women in modeling on social platforms after I dropped out of college at Los Angeles Community College as a music major due to medical necessity. I had a seizure and hit my head on a few things on the way down and there was a lot of mental recovery to do. This gave me a traumatic brain injury and I lost a lot of short-term memory, had no energy, had trouble with speech, friend’s names and most devastating of all, my ability to sing without difficulty. The Dr. told me that it was due to PTSD from my abusive and neglectful upbringing finally coming to the surface and any extra stress needs to be cut out of my life immediately. Because of this, I moved from LA to Arizona, determined to find a way to start over given that I am technically disabled and was unable to do the things I had trained for in college. Modeling/Influencing seemed like a great choice to flex my artistic skills without putting too much pressure on my brain to create the new neural pathways necessary to go back to singing. I am starting to sing again privately but have plans to sing publicly on Twitch and YouTube in the near future. In the modeling sense, I offer a passionate, artistic flare to help brands achieve their vision for their brand. I do my best work when representing body-positive, ethical, sustainable and inclusive brands. I almost exclusively work within that market.
Speaking of that market, I recently started working as an Independent Consultant for The Body Shop At Home TM. It has the ability for me to be a beauty influencer and model all rolled into one in addition to the ability to have my own small business, all on my terms! It is a bit of a direction change but then again, it really isn’t. I am still doing what I used to do but my focus is more on beauty as opposed to fashion and because it is the most ethical brand I know, I have a greater passion for doing what I do. I never thought of myself as a cosmetics / beauty model because my focus was always getting fashion brands and society to see plus-size people as equals. It was more about the clothes than about the person and the body and face as the highlight. That, and it didn’t really occur to me yet that I could model cosmetics because I thought that nobody really wanted to see my face in make-up as much as they wanted to see a plus-size body in body inclusive brands to feel seen, heard and beautiful just as they are. In my business sense, I offer plant-based, allergen friendly, cruelty free, vegan beauty for everyone and their beautiful bodies while making the world a more fairer and beautiful place through our B Corp business practices. The Body Shop is a very inclusive and positive brand that loves with open arms. Their values spoke to me because they fully aligned with my own. When I saw that they had a work from home opportunity, I jumped on it! Being an artist in modeling and performing will always be my number one but I don’t have to give it up to be a Beauty Ambassador for The Body Shop TM and it gives me regular income to enjoy in between modeling other things like clothes.
What I want my fans / followers / clients to know most about what I do is that I will never promote a brand that I don’t fully believe in and would use or wear myself. If I feel like I am selling or promoting lies, it won’t make me feel good and my heart wouldn’t be in it. That is what I feel makes me stand out the most. The Body Shop also prides itself on helping people find plant-based solutions to common body problems such as oily scalp, aging, and overall comfort in one’s own body. I believe that we are all truly our most beautiful when we feel good in our bodies and skin. Thankfully, so does The Body Shop. I have seen the transformations in myself, my husband and my closest friends that believe in the brand as much as I do. I am most proud of seeing people happy because they are comfortable and more accepting of themselves and their personal beauty. I love being a creative and I wouldn’t have it any other way and am so thankful to be where I am. Especially because the journey here was so rocky.
Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative?
Non-creatives have a hard time understanding creatives and artists because they don’t see the vision their artist counterparts can. We see happiness, doing what we love, having fun, eventually becoming successful at it. It’s a foreign idea to non-creatives to do something that won’t immediately bring a steady paycheck or career, or to simply do what they are expected to do. That’s the way it is. Artists and creatives want the steady paycheck and a streamlined track to success but that hasn’t always been the case. Even then, we still have to work to stand out and make a name for ourselves. I don’t know why but, non-creatives often see us as stupid or crazy because who would honestly choose to live a life where the pay isn’t steady and neither is the work? It is a lot of work, travel, late nights, rejection, low pay, no pay, broken promises, odd side jobs, and all other kind of disappointments, obstacles and setbacks. To non-creatives, I am sure it looks like a total waste of time and nonsensical to struggle for something you can’t easily attain. To the creatives, it’s living the dream, warts and all. I will be the first to say none of this is easy. We do it for the love of performing or bringing our art to life because it brings us to life. Ordinary is for when we no longer have the drive and ambition to pursue our “outrageous” goals. It isn’t perfect but it is who we are. Ordinary beings living extraordinary lives.
How can we best help foster a strong, supportive environment for artists and creatives?
Society starts at home. If you have a creative child, friend, sibling, whoever, the best thing you can do is go to their events, promote them on social media, above all else, encourage them. Be there and say to them “This is what you are meant to do, keep going!” Let them surf your couch, take them to auditions, buy something from their side-hustle. Little things like that are so huge to the creative loved one you have. It shows you believe in them and don’t want to judge. It shows them, you want them to succeed or at the least, be happy. Taking them out for a meal once in a while wouldn’t hurt either! I needed that so much growing up. Until a few years ago, I only had my mother’s voice in my head telling me to keep going and reminding me how talented I was and encouraging me to go after things in my life that I wanted. That one little flame of hope took me many great places I thought I’d never go and do. Just imagine the possibilities that could have opened up to me if I was more comfortable embracing myself and pursuing my dreams a lot sooner. I might have had more success. Don’t get me wrong, I am grateful for my experiences and all that I have accomplished despite what life throws my way but a strong support system is invaluable. Society has taken a lot of important steps with internet platforms that make it easy to put ourselves out there but, if we don’t encourage within our relationships with creatives as well as social media platforms, artists may never give themselves the permission they need to take the initiative and try. Sometimes, to keep trying again. We as society can normalize artist as a career option. Especially when that person is out of the ordinary. We need people in our lives that wouldn’t give us a second thought when we tell them who we really want and deserve to be.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://consultant.thebodyshop.com/en-us/myshop/HeatherAbbasi
- Instagram: @heatherskyeabbasi
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HeatherAbbasi.MermaidMelodies
- Twitter: @abbasiheather
- Youtube: Heather Abbasi
- Other: [email protected] for collaborations
Image Credits
Andrew Abbasi