Today we’d like to introduce you to Betty Fimbel.
Betty, we’d love to hear your story and how you got to where you are today both personally and as an artist.
I was diagnosed with Breast Cancer in January 2012. It took about a year to go through surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy. As much as this was all a struggle, the last straw for me was losing my hair. I knew it was going to happen and accepted the outcome, yet I couldn’t believe how it made me feel less feminine and less myself.
After trying wigs that itched and felt very uncomfortable, I chose to wear head covers. I liked many things about different styles, but each one wasn’t exactly what I wanted. I decided that I would make my own. I received many compliments and was asked about them by other patients. What I found was that there were so many women who felt the same way that I did about losing their hair. It was then that I decided to make them for others.
Inspirational HeadCoverings was born. I decided to create and make head covers for women and children with hair loss. I also decided to leave my full-time job. Life changes after cancer. One looks at life differently and priorities become more defined. I decided that I needed to spend more time with my friends and family and working from home was the perfect avenue for me. My whole family helps me with my business in different ways. My son built my workshop, my daughter helps me with my branding and marketing, and my nieces and nephews help me with modeling. What more could I ask for!
Inspirational HeadCoverings gave me a purpose as I decided to not only make the head covers, but to also give 10% of proceeds back to the cancer community. I support organizations that give financial and emotional support and well and cancer research.
We’d love to hear more about your art. What do you do you do and why and what do you hope others will take away from your work?
When creating the head covers for my customers, I try to keep in mind the struggles that they have which make it difficult to wear head covers. Some things we take for granted. For instance, I try to make sure that the head cover is easy to put on. Many chemo treatments cause neuropathy in the hands (which I had). Neuropathy makes it hard to use your hands. My scarves are all fitted and half of them are pre-tied. They all give full coverage, which is a major priority when one doesn’t have hair. I also pre- wash all the fabric before sewing. There are many chemicals used on fabric either from the manufacturer or with shipping. Not a healthy idea for cancer patients. I also make sure the fabric is all soft and breathable and each head cover is lined.
I started my children’s line when my young nieces were horrified that I lost my hair. They said that they would never cut their hair as they wanted it to be like Rapunzel. (On a side note, both these girls now cut their hair every year for wigs for cancer patients.) When I saw their reaction to my hair, I realized that children were struggling with the same insecurities as adults when it came to hair loss. My children’s line now has the same sales as the adult sizes. This also includes boys who I make bandanas.
All my products are made to build self-esteem, whether it’s with adults or children. The women feel more feminine and I make a special effort to have a lot of fun fabrics for adults and children. For example, I have fabrics in hearts, butterflies, balloons, pirates, animal prints, sports, etc. I also take custom orders for those who like something specific, like Unicorns.
Overall, cancer patients (as well as others with hair loss) want to be seen as individuals, not as their disease. There is nothing more satisfying than getting pictures of my customers with big smiles on their faces.
Do current events, local or global, affect your work and what you are focused on?
There are definitely many things going on in the world today. In my case, I focus on what’s happening in the health industry. Research is growing by leaps and bounds. Every time one turns around, another breakthrough is made.
As far as my art is concerned, I try to keep my head covers about my customer’s self-esteem and keeping their spirits up. That being said, I am about to launch a blog for customers and others to help educate them about health and nutrition as well as some insights into what type of breakthroughs are being made and how it will affect their disease. I am in the beginning stages of this, but I will be having some guest writers who work in these fields. I expect my blog to be launched by the first week of August 2018.
Do you have any events or exhibitions coming up? Where would one go to see more of your work? How can people support you and your artwork?
My work is sold in my Etsy shop which can be accessed through www.InspirationalHeadCoverings.com I am also on the Alopecia Areata Marketplace at www.naaf.org.
Contact Info:
- Address: Inspirational HeadCoverings
23 Ames Road Brookline NH 03033 - Website: https://www.InspirationalHeadCoverings.com
- Phone: 603-261-5862
- Email: InspirationalHeadCoverings@hotmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/InspirationalHeadCoverings
- Facebook: https://www.Facebook.com/InspirationalHeadCoverings
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/InspirationalHC
- Other: https://www.Pinterest.com/cancerchemohat
Image Credit:
Beth Yarrusso Williams
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