We had the good fortune of connecting with Esther Heethuis and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Esther, what led you to pursuing a creative path professionally?
Growing up, I couldn’t fathom undergoing several years of schooling, followed by even more years of college–just to sit at a desk every day. I have always been more inspired by fullfillment than monetary success. Making art, composing pictures, designing websites, and being hands on gives me a sense of purpose and drive.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
My photos are not your stereotypical Michigan gloom, dusted in cloudy shadows and shrouded in grays, greens, and browns. I capture fine art. I aim for each of my photos to be composed, tasteful, and intruiging to the point that it can be printed on a canvas and hung in an art museum. My strongsuit is shooting in direct sunlight, capturing the luminosity and shadows produced by harsh light in a beautiful dance of balance.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Grand Rapids Michigan, though small, has a group of growing creatives and lovely entreprenuers. I would start the day at Lyon St Cafe with an oat milk cappucino. After our morning joe, we would head over to second vibes and peruse the gorgeous vintage and upcycled collections. Once we’ve scoured every rack, we’d head over to commune and check out the jewelry section. By this time I know I’d be getting hungry so we’d swing by Rise Authentic Baking Co for a quick bite. To finish out our excursion, we’d bring canvases to the top of a parking garage and paint as the sun set the sky ablaze with pinks, oranges, and the smell of summer.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
My boyfriend, Eden, has been one of the biggest supports in my creative endeavors. From driving with me to Detroit for fashion shows, or Washington DC for coffee shop branding sessions, to encouraging me when I feel less than capable, he is always there by my side cheering me on.

Website: https://www.esisdesignstudio.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/es.star.heet/

Image Credits
all images are my original work

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