Weaving Light into Chaos with Nikki Harris

A Weaver’s Journey of Art, Advocacy, and Belonging — from WEAVE: The Social Fabric Project

In this edition of our special Weavers series, we sit down with Nikki Harris—fiber artist, mother, advocate, and community connector from Baltimore, Maryland. Through art and action, Nikki embodies what it means to weave the social fabric. She shares her journey from self-taught fiber artist to founding HGE Designs, and from 911 dispatcher to autism advocate with Pathfinders for Autism.

This conversation delves into what it truly means to create space—for healing, for connection, and for community. Nikki opens up about raising her son Roman, navigating systems as a caregiver, and the spiritual resilience it takes to serve while healing herself.

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Timestamps & Highlights
• [00:01:00] – 🎨 What is a fiber artist? Nikki’s journey to fiber art and how it began as therapy for her and her son.
• [00:05:00] – 💡 Creating art for sensory engagement: Tactile art as a bridge to connection for her son and others with sensory needs.
• [00:08:00] – 🖼️ Nikki’s favorite piece: A portrait of Roman mid-fry at Chick-fil-A—and the touching story behind it.
• [00:11:00] – 🧵 The birth of HGE Designs: A dad’s encouragement, a mall encounter, and a scarf that helped pay for therapy.
• [00:14:00] – 🧒 Spotlight on Nick: Her older son’s quiet strength and deep empathy as a big brother to Roman.
• [00:21:00] – 🏫 Building systems of care: Nikki’s work with schools, hospitals, and emergency services to create inclusive systems.
• [00:26:00] – 🚨 From 911 dispatcher to advocate: Real-world applications of her emergency service experience in autism advocacy.
• [00:35:00] – 💔 The wall and the hospital: A pivotal moment during COVID that deepened Nikki’s mission.
• [00:39:00] – ✨ Faith over fear: Tattoos, God-engineered paths, and finding miracles in moments of despair.
• [00:43:00] – 🧘‍♀️ Reiki and rest: How Nikki refuels through meditation, art, and her tribe of supporters.
• [00:47:00] – 🤝 Discovering Weave: Finding the Weave Speakers Bureau—and finding her voice.
• [00:50:00] – 💬 Politics, funding, and community self-reliance: Why community is the greatest resource.
• [00:54:00] – 💬 How do we talk across divides? The power of “why” in understanding others.

Key Takeaways
• “Creating for one means creating for many.”Nikki's commitment to building inclusive spaces for her son has ripple effects across Baltimore and beyond.
• "God-engineered."Her life path may not have been planned—but it all fits. Fiber art, advocacy, and community work interweave into a purpose-driven life.
• “I don’t care about being right. I just want us to get it right.”A guiding principle for productive collaboration across differences.
• Faith, art, and healing are inseparable.Nikki finds spiritual nourishment in everything from crochet to reiki to prayer.
• Caregiving doesn’t mean self-erasure.Her marriage, her tribe, and her creative practice help keep her cup full as she pours into others.

Links & Mentions
• 🔗 HGE Designs: Instagram | www.instagram.com/hge_designs
• 🧠 Pathfinders for Autism: www.pathfindersforautism.org
• 🧵 Weave: The Social Fabric Project: weareweavers.org

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May you find the courage to create space — for yourself, for others, and for a future woven with care, connection, and quiet strength.