We recently connected with Teri Heidemeyer and have shared our conversation below.

Teri, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. We’d love to hear about a project that you’ve worked on that’s meant a lot to you.

As a freelance illustrator I have the opportunity to draw many different things, some serious, some whimsical and wacky. When l am left to my own devices I tend to draw silly animals doing human activities or characters from my fav Britcom shows. I draw with pens and markers on paper, something tangible in a digital world. I enjoy doing illustrations for people all over the planet and having my artwork on product labels, gig posters, and most recently in Abenaki language books. Unexpectedly I?ve become most recognized for what has turned out to be my most meaningful projects?.memorial portraits, especially drawings of pets. I am sure to ?high art? aficionados this may be considered unimportant fluff but to a person that is grieving it?s their whole world. I have received hundreds of notes and online messages about how much these portraits mean to people. Odd as it sounds I have made countless people cry. There is much to be said of the value of touching someone?s heart. Capturing the essence of someone who has passed and honoring their spirit, be they human or animal, is important to me and to the recipient .Oftentimes it?s friends or family of the grieving person that reaches out to me. They want to do SOMETHING at a time it?s hard to know how to help.

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

My name is Teri Heidemeyer but I am known online as the artist DegoPunk. I mostly do 2D drawings/illustrations on paper but also make Muppet influenced puppets and art dolls. I came of age when punk music was a movement and not a fashion line and I?ve tried to keep that energy about me and embrace my eclectic nature. I?ve always been an artist but didn?t pursue it full time until my day job was shut down by Covid-19. When I told my mentor, artist and swordsman Michael J. Sullivan, that I lost my job he replied ?Good now you have time for your art?.

My goals as an artist are to spread joy and to make people think. I am all about supporting the underdog and I have created logos for many family farms and have created images for independent businesses for their small scale products. I work frequently with Little Paws Rescue on the East coast donating my drawings monthly for fundraisers and drawing things for their events. People that don?t have a corporate budget but are still trying to make their mark are some of my favorite clients.

I don?t want to limit myself to doing one specific thing. Art should never box you in. I am just as comfortable doing portraits or fanart and making decals of my silly drawings as I am making protest posters and prints in response to those who wield power irresponsibly.

In your view, what can society to do to best support artists, creatives and a thriving creative ecosystem?

Society can best support artists, creatives and a thriving creative ecosystem by seeking out independent artists and creatives and telling others about them. We are surrounded by mass produced ?art? that people decorate their homes with. No soul no creative energy. Saw it at the store hung it on the wall. There are countless creatives in the world and many can be found online. There are art walks and arts and crafts shows in almost every community. Comic cons and the like are full of artists of every medium. Art is out there and it is accessible if you just look for it. Buying something created by an individual supports that artists creative journey and adds some life to your home. If you cant afford what someone has but you love it show other people! We do enough to support corporations we need to support each other!

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

The most rewarding aspect of being an artist for me is connecting with people all over the world. We are not so different each of us. Doesn?t matter where you live or how you live there is something special about art that allows us to find our similarities. I?ve met (and drawn for) celebrities and people from all walks of life and at the core we all just people looking for things that bring us joy or help us express ourselves.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.degopunk.com
• Instagram: @degopunk
• Twitter: @Teri_Degopunk
• Other: linktr.ee/Degopunk