‘Beauty and sorrow at the same time’: Woman processes trauma through embroidery and hand

ST. GEORGE — Inspired by the tragic loss of her husband and a love for cats, one woman is stitching her way to mental health, offering unapologetic art while encouraging others to do the same. “Art to

ST. GEORGE —Inspired by the tragic loss of her husband and a love for cats, one woman is stitching her way to mental health, offering unapologetic art while encouraging others to do the same.

“Art to me is letting yourself go,” Anne Whitney, owner of Spunky Cat Co., said. “Digging into your inner self and working with trauma – it’s really a major release of any fears or excitements or anything that I just can’t vocally express.”

Raised in an artistic family, Whitney said her talents didn’t come to light until she moved out of the house and began to date. After learning the art of cross-stitching from her mother, she found a way to relieve her anger at boys in an artsy way.

She bought her first cross-stitch pattern of the Space Needle during a visit to Seattle and continued to purchase patterns while honing her craft. Around age 24, she learned embroidery, and a few years later began to create her own embroidery patterns.

“My husband, at the time, was my biggest cheerleader,” Whitney said. “He was always so happy and proud that I was doing what I wanted and just making a difference in my life.”

But after her husband took his own life last year, she found it difficult to continue needlework when her biggest supporter was no longer there. During a time she felt depressed and suicidal, she found an alternative creative outlet – painting.

“It really brought me out of my funk,” she said about painting. “I didn’t care if it was good or not. It didn’t have to be good. It was a release.”

While some people read an entire book in one sitting or go for a long run to decompress, Whitney said she found therapy in painting and began to draw her own sticker designs.

“He is a big reason why I’m pursuing my art business,” Whitney said about her late husband. “I know he’d be so proud of me for how far I’ve come. I want others to see that art truly can be therapy and you can have beauty and sorrow at the same time.”

Whitney said she has been able to get back to her embroidery art and now sells a variety of unique embroidered items such as pendants, necklaces and keychains.

Art by Spunky Cat Co. is available in person at the downtown Modern Farm and Artisan Co-op (MoFACo), or through their online shop. For more information on Anne Whitney and Spunky Cat Co., find them on Facebook and Instagram.

“Really, I just like the needle and thread – stabbing things legally,” Whitney said. “Put your anger into art. It’s not illegal to destroy a canvas.”

Photo Gallery

An embroidered design by Spunky Cat Co. hangs from a Christmas tree inside MoFACo in downtown St. George, Utah, Dec. 7, 2022 | Photo by Jessi Bang, St. George News

Anne Whitney's hand-drawn stickers sit on a shelf, St. George, Utah, Dec. 7, 2022 | Photo by Jessi Bang, St. George News

Christmas trees stitched by Anne Whitney are seen inside her home in St. George, Utah, Dec. 4, 2022 | Photo by Jessi Bang, St. George News

Anne Whitney, owner of Spunky Cat Co., stands outside of her home in St. George, Utah, Dec. 4, 2022 | Photo by Jessi Bang, St. George News

Anne Whitney's paintings are seen on her bedroom wall in St. George, Utah, Dec. 4, 2022 | Photo by Jessi Bang, St. George News

One of Anne Whitney's cats, who inspires her work, is seen lounging on a bed inside her home, St. George, Utah, Dec. 4, 2022 | Photo by Jessi Bang, St. George News

Anne Whitney's paintings are seen on her bedroom wall in St. George, Utah, Dec. 4, 2022 | Photo by Jessi Bang, St. George News

Stitched art by Anne Whitney sits on a table inside her home in St. George, Utah, Dec. 4, 2022 | Photo by Jessi Bang, St. George News

An embroidered design by Spunky Cat Co. is shown, location and date unspecified | Photo courtesy of Anne Whitney, St. George News

Embroidered pendants by Spunky Cat Co. are shown, location and date unspecified | Photo courtesy of Anne Whitney, St. George News

An embroidered design by Spunky Cat Co. is shown, location and date unspecified | Photo courtesy of Anne Whitney, St. George News

Anne Whitney, owner of Spunky Cat Co., stands outside of her home in St. George, Utah, Dec. 4, 2022 | Photo by Jessi Bang, St. George News

Jessi Bang was born and raised in Utah and has a passion for nature and the great outdoors. She graduated from Kaplan University in California with a degree in criminal justice. She has extensive experience in marketing, content creation, photography and copywriting. You can find her showcasing outdoor adventures through her blog, “The Rambling Raccoon.” In her free time, she enjoys climbing mountains, trail running, working out and cuddling her two lovable pups.

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