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

Heather, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. I’m sure there have been days where the challenges of being an artist or creative force you to think about what it would be like to just have a regular job. When’s the last time you felt that way? Did you have any insights from the experience?

So I will take the question the other way! I had a regular 9-5 job before finding cake design and often think back on why THAT job didn’t make me happy and fulfilled. Before heading to pastry school in 2010, I worked for the Department of Defense after leaving the US Air Force. I had some great coworkers, a security clearance, and a salary most 20-somethings would kill for. But I was stuck in a cubicle or working in a server room most days and I was not satisfied with my job. I need my hands on something tangible to mold as my mind doesn’t work with 1’s and 0’s floating around the internet. Getting into cake making helped fill that “void” I was missing from network engineering and gave me that physical outlet. My bachelor’s degree is in Graphic Design and Fine Arts and it makes me extremely happy to be able to create and share every day.

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

I started to get serious about baking cakes after I had made a few orders for neighbors and extended family in the Raleigh area. But when my neighbors started throwing out my name on Facebook, orders really took off. I am forever grateful for referrals and word-of-mouth instances from friends and families. There are a TON of amazing bakers in the Triangle area but I feel what sets me apart is my use of food coloring for painting. I like to create toppers or pump up the details on fondant by using gel colorings and vodka. A lot of bakers use edible ink printers (and I use them as well for some orders!!) but when I am able, I like to create from scratch.

How can we best help foster a strong, supportive environment for artists and creatives?

This sounds incredibly materialistic but I wish customers/potential customers knew what goes into our pricing and reasoning. Please ask questions about WHY we have our pricing set the way we do. We are here to help. If a price range doesn’t work for your budget, say so. Most of the time, artists are more than willing to work with you to accomplish a similar result at your price point. But every once in a while, you get a person who tries to haggle or they give excuses about why they can’t pay you because they have already spent so much money elsewhere. If you want something custom and one-of-a-kind, please know that you are paying for years of experience and training.

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

Hands down, the most rewarding aspect of being a cake maker is seeing the photos and smiles from birthday parties. It doesn’t matter if is a princess cake for a 3 year old or a ramen noodle bowl for a college student. It makes me happy every. single. time.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.thebakingpixie.com
• Instagram: the.baking.pixie