We were lucky to catch up with Flynn Heathcliff recently and have shared our conversation below.

Flynn , looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. It’s always helpful to hear about times when someone’s had to take a risk – how did they think through the decision, why did they take the risk, and what ended up happening. We’d love to hear about a risk you’ve taken.

I decided after graduating from Georgia Gwinnett College that I would take a position there as a staff-member . While there I spent a lot of time encouraging and showing students how to find themselves, figure out their purposes in life, and live in their dreams. I was doing what I was passionate about, but I still felt an emptiness inside. The job helped me to scratch an itch but not satisfy the flame that was burning within me. The truth is, I wanted to pursue my own dreams and passions, not just support other people’s. I wanted to make music, do photography projects, create my own fashion lines, not just help and encourage students to do theirs.

In early May, I decided to move on. I decided to take a risk and leave the comfort of a 9-5pm lifestyle in order to pursue that vision that The Universe had planted so deeply within me. I spent the first few months, creating my tail off: doing photoshoots, making short videos, doing live performances. For the 1st time in a long time, I had the freedom to do what I wanted to do. I was enjoying it, but there was always that fear in the back of my head: “how am I going to monetize?” “when are people going to start paying attention to me?” “why haven’t I blown up yet?”

I tried my best to push forward and ignore the fear, hoping that my work will ultimately speak for itself and that’s when it happened: I fell in a deep depressive pit. Instead of getting the breakthrough I broke down. All of the suppressed feelings from my past started to catch up with me: the guilt of being a bad friend, regret for leaving my job, disappointment in my lack of success at my age (26). There were times when I let out a silent cry, not knowing if my life had any meaning, questioning if it was even worth living. If it wasn’t for the support of my Girlfriend, KK, I would have definitely given up. She was always there supporting me, encouraging me, and reminding me of all the progress that I have made and am continuing to make. She was my strength.

Currently, I have reached the other end of that tunnel (thank God) and I know I am better because of it. In retrospect, I can see that that time period was a purge, or purification if you will. It was a time where I was letting go of what no longer served me and facing my demons. It was, and still is, a blessing in disguise. I am stronger now. I am embracing the good in my life. I have set healthier boundaries with people. I have set healthier boundaries for myself. And now I am back to taking the biggest risk: bypassing the societal pressure of settling with the known, in order to pursue my vision.

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

My name is Flynn Heathcliff. My creative brand is Revànchi. Revànchi is all about being our naturally Bold and Beautiful selves in . My goal in life is to live in my true creative potential while inspiring others to do the same. I do podcasting, music (my #1), photography, videography, fashion design…you name it. One of my visions is to use creativity as a means to reshape the school system. I believe the school system is not up to par with our advancements in consciousness and technology. I believe it is failing to teach students interesting/engaging topics in an innovative way.

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can provide some insight – you never know who might benefit from the enlightenment.

People love to label things and put them into a box. I think in many cases, using this rational/logical tool is beneficial, but when it comes to seeing things through a creative perspective, this left-brained thinking is too limiting. Creativity is not about “thinking outside the box” true creativity is realizing that there is no box. Non-creatives struggle in seeing the importance of creativity outside of being a form of entertainment. True Creativity is a science, It is also alchemy. True Creativity is working with the same forces that our creator used to create this world and that takes a level of understanding in order to be able to utilize it effectively. True Creativity is less about what you produce and more about realizing and being who you are.

What science is to the physical world of reality, Creativity is to the emotional and spiritual worlds of reality.

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

First off, a real effort has to take place in order to shift the world’s priorities from earning money and seeking fame to learning, growing, and contributing to society in a meaningful way. What that’ll do is instantly change the intentions of consumers and creators, leading to more content that has substance and meaning. That doesn’t mean that we can’t view content as a form of entertainment, it just means that even through engaging with that entertaining content, we are receiving something substantial from it.

After that, we must encourage originality by teaching people how to look inwards towards their Soul rather than outwards towards the world for validation and affirmation. It is very true to say the vast majority of content today is being recycled, that is to say that we’ve seen it before (look at all the movie reboots). The reason we lack originality is because we have more followers than leaders. There are so many people who would rather follow something that they know already works than to try to reinvent the wheel. The reason that there is so many followers than originators is because there are more people who are focusing on what is going on around them, then there are people focusing on what is going on inside of them. Originators take the time to understand themselves through quiet reflection, journaling, meditation, prayer, etc.. This allows for the creative force of life to flow through them. If more people would focus on who they are and what important things they have to say or showcase, then the creative force of life would flow through more people leading to less imitation and more originators.

Lastly, it helps to have creative mentors. A mentor can guide you through the ups and downs of life, helping you to understand both the world and yourself along the way. A creative mentor works in a similar way, but instead of focusing on life, they focus on creative works. They help younger creatives to find themselves, find their voices, and develop their styles.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/revanchi/?hl=en
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCTGZm7aMYzyaLw9oJHhhT-Q

Image Credits
Holly Roman