We recently connected with Laurelann Porter and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Laurelann thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. What’s been the most meaningful project you’ve worked on?

One of the most meaningful projects I’ve ever worked on was the play, 27 Signs, which I co-wrote with a nursing professor named Amy Funk. The collaboration on “27 Signs” began in 2016 when I met Amy at a conference. She shared my passion for ethnographic research and had a personal connection through sibling grief, a topic she explored in her presentation. As we were walking to lunch after her presentation we got to talking about what she envisioned doing with her research after the conference. She mentioned that she has always dreamed of making theatre out of this material. I stopped dead in my tracks and said “Did I mention that I’m a playwright?” That was the beginning of a beautiful and lasting collaborative friendship.

Over the years, our partnership flourished, marked by milestones like Amy’s visit as a scholar at Benedictine University in 2017 and our joint presentations at conferences. The play, initially titled “27 Listeners,” evolved through workshops and readings, resonating deeply with audiences despite lacking a full production. There were several instances where actors performing in the readings commented that even the stage directions were somewhat poetic and they almost wished the stage directions could be included in the actual performance. This made me reflect on how we could also imagine new ways of presenting this material that did not adhere to traditional conventions of theatre.

Throughout casting and workshops, personal experiences of loss often influenced the play’s characters, even adding to the lines of some of the ensemble composite characters. This fluidity underscored our belief that “27 Signs” was not meant to be a static creation but an ongoing process. By 2018, we achieved a workshop production at IWU, exploring the therapeutic potential of the play for those touched by sibling loss.

In 2019, in a collaboration with Julie Holston who, at the time, was the director of the theatre program at South Mountain Community College, we were able to stage a production of the show in their black box theatre. We are currently preparing a co-authored article to discuss how the play has has therapeutic effects for audiences.

While the COVID-19 pandemic briefly interrupted our momentum, the project remains a fulfilling endeavor. In fact, this has been one of the key experiences that has led me to having a focus specifically on grief and. How creativity can support us on our grieving process. I recently published a self-study workbook on Amazon called quite simply: “Creative Grieving, a Self-Study Workbook.” It follows the curriculum of my course in Creative Grieving that I offer.

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

Oh where do I even begin? ha ha ha. I am a writer: playwright, screenwriter, poet, lyricist, essayist, scholar, and songwriter.
I am performing artist: songstress, theatrical performer, lover of dance and movement, occasional performer of several instruments including keyboards and percussion, and perhaps a kazoo if the mood strikes.
I am a media maker: music video maker, documentary and narrative filmmaker, YouTube channel host, livestream producer-host, digital composer and arranger.
I am a theatremaker: director, producer, dramaturg, sound and media designer.

I am a shamanic artist: I channel through works of art that are healing for me and my community.

Some people might look at that long list and think that it’s ridiculous. They might say there’s no way one person could do all those things and do any of them well. I disagree. Certainly I have not been outstanding in all areas. Some areas are stronger than others. Some I love doing more than others. But I always love making art and theatre and music that enhances the well-being of my community. Sometimes all that means is singing good music with good musicians in a relaxing environment. Sometimes that means making a work of theatre that serves a community purpose and has ongoing growth potential. Sometimes it means making people laugh.
Sometimes it means I have to do the work of shamanic healing on myself to face my deepest shadow figures; and a song comes through with its own wisdom and medicine.

People can hear and feel those healing vibrations in the music. I don’t really understand the science behind it all and I realized I don’t have to. My conscious rational mind has been in control for far too long in my life. I’ve been reviving my relationship to dreams and mysteries and the sub-conscious. That’s where the juicy stuff is. I mean the conscious rational mind is super helpful for things like getting along in the world of daily life. But it’s not so helpful when doing deep healing work or creating art. Intuition and imagination are far more valuable in that context.

Actually, no. I’m lying. In a recent experience it was actually my rational mind that saved me from my wounded inner child. I was experiencing an acute moment of cognitive dissonance. I can’t go into the context but there were words being spoken to me and my conscious mind was saying to me: “This is information you can receive to help you grow and become a better person.” And the wounded inner child was screaming in rage out of deep wounds of shame and unworthiness. But, in that moment, it was made explicitly clear to me that the “logic” of my wounded inner child was still holding onto fears of judgment, failure, etc. and that these thoughts were not true. And that the logic of my rational mind was true. It was a painful experience but with the support of my community of fellow healers I was able to bounce back from a deep spiral rather quickly. I was also able to understand on a deeper level that those wounds did not have to be “justified” by my life circumstances. They felt so ancient that it didn’t matter which lifetime they came from. What was important was to forgive myself for the shortcomings and failures in this life and in all lives. I imagine there are others out there who are perfectionists who face these kinds of occasional mini-crises every once in a while.

Sure enough, from that experience I wrote another song. Writing the song was its own healing experience for me, to help me deepen the lesson in a way that holds beauty, through music.

Here are the lyrics:

“Be Careful What You Ask For” by Laurelann Porter (c) 2024

I went in seeking healing but I got more than I bargained for
She asked me “How deep do you want to go?”
Without even thinking I said “Bring it all on!”
And then she cut right to the core.

Be careful what you ask for when you come to the mirror of the healing well.
Don’t say I didn’t warn you when the shaman’s blade pierces like a sword of steel.

She came to me asking for a tune up
But this is not her first time in this rodeo.
If I say the same damn thing every time you show up.
I’m gonna take the kid gloves off and stick it right in your nose.

Be careful what you ask for when you come to the mirror of the healing well.
Don’t say I didn’t warn you when the shaman’s blade pierces like a sword of steel.

Be clear about the type of hand you need.
An anchor in the storm to keep you from blowing away?
Or a gentle loving hand to hold you close while you grieve?
Or a sharp blade to dig out the ancient wounds in the way?

Be careful what you ask for when you come to the mirror of the healing well.
Don’t say I didn’t warn you when the shaman’s blade pierces like a sword of steel.

How can we best help foster a strong, supportive environment for artists and creatives?

For a while I’ve been saying that we are in a transition right now. We are transitioning into a mode of value exchange that recognizes and rewards efforts to improve communal well-being. We are going to see that when we are all well, … we are all better. So I’ve been open for a while to trade and barter agreements. I’ve tried to walk my talk in that regard. I believe that very soon profit is going to no longer be seen as a viable motivator for how our systems work. I think we are seeing a kind of saturation of that. Just last night in a meeting I heard someone quote a source that specifically identified social value and community well-being as the industries of the future.

But while this whole system is shifting, one thing we can all do is actually begin budgeting for your wellness. And I think we all know that our healthcare system is not actually a healthcare system. It is a disease treatment system. So for us to really achieve wellness, we need to be investing in the kinds of healing that don’t occur in a medical facility. Healing of our emotional wounds, healing of our fears, healing of our spirits. Invest in artists and healers and poets. Buy original artwork. Join a community where holistic healing is valued. Ask yourself what gives you joy? and do a little bit of that every day. Invest in personal development and in creativity. These are the practices that will help all of us imagine a better existence for ourselves, one that does not fight over resources, but shares resources with our neighbors simply because that is what it is to be a good neighbor. When our neighbors are well, we are better.

My other big soap box I like to get on sometimes is that I believe artists, especially theatre artists, are uniquely primed to be the visionary healers of the future. I have come to learn from my training and initiation in shamanic energy medicine that intention and imagination are two of the most powerful tools in a shaman’s tool bag. Those happen to be key skills performers develop in their craft. If there are any artists out there who are looking to use their talents for a slightly different purpose, I’d love to chat. I love helping healers tap their creativity and helping artists tap their divine innate healing potential.

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

The most rewarding part of being an artist is that I get to live in creativity every day. I get to choose what projects to work on every day. I get to make music right in my living room. We have all the tools at our disposal on purpose, because it is important to both of us to have this be a home where music is made. That’s the magic right there. I live in a home where music is made. I get to explore my dreams and the mysteries of life every day. I mean not all day, every day. Obviously there are things that have to be done. It’s not all sunshine and roses. But beauty infuses everything I do because this shamanic pathway teaches us to find beauty in everything. It’s a process. Sometimes I have to look at an ugly old wound and I get all curious. And sometimes I open the wound to see what’s under it all. And sometimes that hurts. But beauty and wisdom always come through on the other end.

Contact Info:

• Website: laurelannporter.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/laurelannporter/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Laurelann-Porter-The-Singing-Shaman-138360372881973
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/laurelann-porter-936a7b8/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC28HboNmBjtg25c0ToN-gNg
• Other: Spotify for Rhythm and Flavor: https://open.spotify.com/artist/21cmn9J8U55C6rvqnuTirl?si=yJh601jwSZu1UQjB7rHaGA Spotify for Laurelann Porter https://open.spotify.com/artist/2sDwYxPkISMWW72xhcN1UV?si=MfiEru19T1a3XUGWrP1Fjw Booking: https://LaurelannPorterHealingServices.as.me/

Image Credits
Phots: Libby Danforth