We recently connected with Heather Feather Rakas and have shared our conversation below.

Heather Feather, appreciate you joining us today. We’d love to hear about when you first realized that you wanted to pursue a creative path professionally.

I have always been happiest when I’m creating, but the moment that finally tipped the scale for me to walk away from a 20-plus-year veterinary career was July 3rd, 2023.

That day started like so many Mondays before it. I was up at 4 a.m., racing from house to house caring for animals while their owners were away on vacation, before heading into the eight-hour managerial position I had worked so hard to obtain. Ironically, once I finally reached that role, I couldn’t stand it. Workplace politics had drained all the joy from a job I once loved.

After finishing my last house visit, I started driving to work—only about five minutes away. I remember smiling and looking up at the sky, and then everything went black.

I lost consciousness behind the wheel, ran a red light, and was hit by an oncoming pickup truck. My Jeep flipped and landed upside down. I wasn’t wearing a seatbelt. When I came to, I was on the ceiling of the vehicle, airbags deployed, smoke everywhere. I was in shock, but somehow I climbed out with nothing more than a minor scratch. Standing there, staring at my totaled car, I felt disbelief—and overwhelming gratitude that no one was seriously injured.

I called out of work and went home, knowing I needed the day to steady myself. Once there, I did the only thing that made sense to me: I started to paint.

I painted clouds—one of my favorite subjects—in warm orange hues. As I worked, Rihanna’s Live Your Life came on, and of course I sang along. Somewhere between brushstrokes and lyrics, it hit me: I needed to live my best life. I put that song on repeat and played it for the entire painting session. In bold black lettering I painted “Live Your Best Fuckin’ Life”

Two days later, I hung that piece in an art show. It was the only painting I sold—and it sold for three times what I thought I could reasonably ask.

That was the confirmation I needed.

I had been given a second chance, and I wasn’t going to waste any more time staying in a job where I could no longer grow. I decided that if the work wasn’t art-related, I would no longer do it. I put in my two weeks’ notice and took a leap of faith.

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

My creativity is a generational gift, passed down through the women in my family.

My mother was a professional sign artist before the digital age, hand-painting grocery store sale signs with skill and precision. My grandmother, however, was the true catalyst for it all. Because my mom worked long hours, I spent most of my days with my grandmother. We shared countless hours at the kitchen table, drawing together with colored pencils.

She was a deeply talented artist who never had the opportunity to fully shine. Instead, she poured her energy into her husband, her family, and eventually into me. Art became her escape. She made handmade cards for every birthday and holiday and even helped teachers at the local elementary school with their bulletin boards. I watched closely as she colored and shaded, bringing simple lines to life. I knew, even then, that I wanted to be just like her.

Most of my childhood was spent creating. Art was joyful—it was play.

As life moved forward, I too placed art/school on hold while raising a family. No husband, just me. I am a proud mother of five young men, all grown now and doing well. When they no longer needed me in the same way, I knew it was finally time to pursue my own dreams and return fully to art.

Looking back, I realize that I had always used art as an escape—a way to find peace when the world around me felt cruel or unkind. About seven years ago, I discovered artist Whitney Freya, whose intuitive painting practices and warm, welcoming creative atmosphere reignited that spark. I immediately felt my passion return and knew I needed to keep investing time at the canvas.

Whitney taught me that many of life’s lessons can be learned through painting, and that time spent creating is sacred. That understanding deepened my relationship with art—not just as something I love, but as something essential.

The more I painted, the better I felt, and soon the idea of sharing my art with others was born. I create to bring more joy and positivity into the world through bright colors, whimsical designs, and words—oh, how I love words in art.

My hope is that if someone who is having a difficult day will see my work and, even if only for a moment, it brings a smile to their face, gently shifts their mindset, or even inspires them to create! That’s the best feeling when you encourage others and then they succeed and fall in love with creating!

I began seeking out places to sell my art—local pop-up markets and art shows—pushing myself to overcome the fear of being seen while continuing to refine and perfect my craft.

Today, I teach paint classes, receive regular art commissions, and am trained in art integration for both math and reading.

I am incredibly proud of my continued growth as an artist and, most importantly, proud that I never gave up on myself.

I don’t aim to stand out; I aim to make a difference—creating small ripples of art that move quietly through the world.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

Hands down, the most rewarding part of this journey is being able to do what I love while earning a living from it. I often wonder what the world would look like if everyone had that opportunity—how much more beautiful, kind, and inspired it might be.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

Early on, when I first began trying to sell my art, the process was anything but easy. I entered a local artists’ show and, for the first time, hung my work for the public to see. An hour later, after a painful argument with my partner, self-doubt took over and I returned to the show to take my art down before it had even begun.

At the next show, I pushed through my fear and hung my work again—only to have a group of women stand in front of it for most of the event, openly criticizing it. It was discouraging and deeply uncomfortable. Still, I didn’t give up. I showed up for the next three shows. Nothing sold, but I continued to show up anyway.

Then, almost unexpectedly, the door opened. At the following shows, my work began to sell. What once felt like rejection transformed into validation, reminding me that persistence, belief in myself, and staying the course mattered more than early setbacks.

Contact Info:

• Website: coming soon! feathers collective.com
• Instagram: feathers_collective
• Facebook: Heather Feather Rakas