We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Michelle Hechme. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Michelle below.

Hi Michelle, thanks for joining us today. What’s been the most meaningful project you’ve worked on?

One of the most meaningful projects I’ve worked on would be a piece I created back in 2020. It’s a drawing of a man and woman from the neck up, facing one another, and the man’s lips are pressed against the woman’s forehead. There is not much detail, but when I look at it, I can still feel the emotion it portrays. The soft passion and longing. There are also pink magnolias draped on the side. I usually gravitate towards roses, but the magnolias seemed like the right choice at the time, only to later learn they represent everlasting connections.

This piece is meaningful to me because it reminds me of a time where I was reminded I could feel something after being so numb. It was the first time, after a long time, where I was inspired to express what was beating in my heart. I’ve tried to replicate this piece a few times but never could. Which further reassures me it was my emotions guiding my hand and pencil. It carries pain but it also carries love. Ironically, it is one of those pieces that I sometimes want to light a match to, but never do.

Michelle, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

My name is Michelle Elizabeth Hechme, I was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York and have had a passion for art ever since I was little. I would watch my dad draw and be in awe of how he created such flawless smooth lines. He taught me how to draw at a really young age and was always my best critic, still is. Over the years I’ve learned I don’t just love art, but I love the way it can connect people. Art and poetry can help the misunderstood feel understood, as well as make people feel seen. It can heal the soul, just like music or nature. I often listen to music or take a long walks when I need some extra inspiration. The lyrics, melodies, sun, water, and soft winds help me draft pieces in my mind, amplifying the emotions I’m feeling, which I then bring to life on paper, canvas, or writing.

I have had some of my art pieces in a few galleries. It was always so exciting knowing people that I never encountered are looking at my art. Even when I created an Instagram for my art and poetry, I never really thought I’d reach many people through it but it has led me to connect with so many beautiful people and their work.

When I first started sharing my work on Instagram it was mainly for my art, I kept my poetry locked in my phone’s notes app or just somewhere in my brain, never really giving it much thought. However, reading and seeing the work of the people I’ve connected with inspired me to be more vulnerable with my own.

Knowing your words or art can resonate with another, making both of you feel understood and less alone, is a beautiful feeling. You never know who will come across your work and feel something. It can be a light in the dark.

Aside from art and poetry, I work in healthcare, currently as a nursing assistant. Being there with someone in some of their most vulnerable moments and offering empathy is similar to what art can do for a person. It is in my nature to help heal another and something about it always heals me. I have heard healthcare can sometimes desensitize a person, and there are some rough days for sure, but there are also days that help me see with grace. Just like the people I’ve connected with through my art and poetry, I have met patients who have made my heart a little softer when I needed it most.

A helping hand and a heart that heals can show up in so many different ways, and that is what I strive for in my daily career and my art.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

Society has a way of showing us what the most popular thing to do is, or telling you what to do and how to act in order to get what you want. It often glamorizes not caring or being emotionless or unbothered. This is something I had to unlearn. I am someone who carries big emotions, so turning them off is unnatural to me. These big emotions often made me feel like I was “too much” and I started thinking I had to tone it down. As I’ve gotten older I learned the more I try to avoid my feelings, the more they pile up. So, as much as society says it’s “cooler” to not care or to not let people know how you feel, I believe it’s “cooler” to just be who you are, be authentic. Maybe you express yourself and you get ignored or maybe you express yourself and teach another it’s ok to be a little vulnerable, it’s ok to have a big heart. Just be you and the people meant to be in your life will always find you. You never know who needs your vulnerability and love when they can’t seem to find their own.

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

The most rewarding aspect of being an artist or creative is knowing I can connect with another on a deeper level. Knowing someone can look at my work and see what I see, feel what I feel or even something totally different, something that never crossed my own mind comes up in their own and teaches me to see through their eyes. It’s a stimulating experience for both me and my viewers.

I love being able to reach people through my work. Art and poetry have a way of awakening someone’s heart, mind, and soul.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @amplifiedsoul_
• Other: @michellizabethh

Image Credits

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