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

Heidi, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Can you talk to us about how you learned to do what you do?

I have always enjoyed creating art, but I quickly found that I was running out of places and ideas as to what to do with my art when it was finished. My sister is a very successful wedding painter, and I wanted to find a way to make my art lucrative as well, not just a hobby. However, I am in a stage of life where working outside the home was just not something I wanted to tackle. I have three small children, all under the age of 4, so I really wanted to be able to stay home with them.

When I was pregnant with my first child, I started watching reels and TikToks of people decorating sugar cookies. I don’t have any baking skills, but sugar cookies are an easy item to bake, so after watching several hundred videos, I decided to give it a try myself. I found a recipe on Pinterest, found an icing recipe that seemed easy to follow, and tried it out for the first time. A coworker’s baby shower was coming up and I wanted to contribute in some way, so I decided to let her theme be my first go at cookie decorating.

Pinterest, YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok were my go to resources for learning more about cookie decorating. There are so many creators out there that post helpful information. I started messaging them and getting tips from them on how to improve my icing quality and baking consistency. Friends and family noticed my new hobby and I was often gifted baking supplies and cookie cutters as presents.

Learning the craft was a pretty easy endeavor. Mastering the craft is an ongoing process. To speed up that process, you just need to practice more. Learning to pipe with royal icing has a lot to do with the consistency of the icing. Is it too runny? Is it too thick? Each of those will affect the way the icing comes out of the icing bag, so really knowing what icing is supposed to look like is an essential skill for decorating neatly.

Having three small children, time is always an obstacle I face when learning anything new. My life revolves around them and their well being, so I don’t often have a lot of free time throughout the day to practice and learn more. When I have a cookie order to work on, I have to be very diligent about how I spend my free time. I’m still in charge of my household, the cooking and cleaning, and laundry of it all. So nap time is often a mad rush to prepare my supplies and after the kids are in bed, I make it a goal to spend 1 or 2 hours on my orders. I also have a wonderful, supportive husband that happily takes on some of the household tasks that go on hold while I’m working on a cookie order.

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

My name is Heidi Davies. I own Heidi Ann’s Edible Art, a cookie decorating business! I am the sole baker and decorator. It’s a business that grew from a hobby. As an artist, I was often creating works of art that had no home. I got tired of creating things that would just sit in my closet. I wanted to create art, but I wanted it to have a purpose! I discovered cookie decorating and knew I would be successful with it. I provide delicious sugar cookies that are decorated in any theme or style that my customers ask for. Most cookie decorators provide cookies that are decorated with royal icing. I do that as well, but I am also a painter, so I offer watercolor painted cookies that have a unique appearance and set me apart from other bakers. I am very proud of my ability to create cohesive designs that are almost too beautiful to eat.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

I love finishing a cookie set, taking pictures of it, and sending it to my customer. The excitement I hear about the finished product is always so fulfilling for me. It gives me so much joy to know I’ve added something to this person’s gathering. I know that cookies just get eaten, but for me, that’s a great reason to make them delicious and beautiful!

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

As a society, we tend to stray from small businesses. It’s faster, easier, and more convenient to order from big box providers. I’ve got a growing family. I understand the need for convenience and efficiency. However, there are so many small businesses creating the same things that we are buying elsewhere. I know it’s not always financially possible to purchase every day items from these places, but I think using them for gifts is a small way to support a creative ecosystem. For every person on your gift list, I think you should try to find at least one gift from a creative to give as a present. I know I am thrilled to create for other people, and using creatives to fulfill your gifting lists is such a wonderful way to support their business, fund an individual directly, and have a unique gift for the person you care about.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: Heidi.Anns.Edible.Art
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/15dnZVT4aU/?mibextid=LQQJ4d

Image Credits

Amber Fox Photography