We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Heather Parker a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Heather, appreciate you joining us today. What’s been the most meaningful project you’ve worked on?

The most meaningful project I have worked on thus far the Shades of Red Show earlier this year. Christina Dunbar, who facilitates the RED Writing Circles I am a part of, also produces this show. She is phenomenal as a Producer, Director, Friend and Guide. Writing within the RED Circle activated something deep within me that I could no longer make pretty for public consumption. My voice emerged from my soul like a fire-breathing dragon and I loved it. I felt every ounce of it in my entire body. The Show consisted of Christina Dunbar, Kristina Italic, Marianne, DeAnna Carpenter, Diahnna Nicole Baxter and myself. Each of us shared our own stories. The way our energy and stories wove like threads in the same fabric was AMAZING. We performed for a SOLD OUT Show, both LIVE and Livestreamed! I am not a performer or theatre person by trade. I am a Poet who braved her first open mic more than ten years ago. I love open mics, yet I was not going to put myself out there as a “Spoken Word” Artist. In fact, it wasn’t until I went to the Nuyorican Cafe in NYC 8 years ago, that I rocked the hell out of that mic. I did that again at my book release in 2016, where I shared 2 pieces without reading them. I admire Poets that spit their pieces from their dome and with so much heart, you can’t help but feel them. I aspire to that. I am doing that NOW and love how it feels.

Heather, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I am Leo Sun and Rising. I am an intuitive healer who practices and teaches Reiki. I understand energy. I read energy and see feelings. I get to express my gifts both via Reiki and coaching as well as with writing and story-telling. Both are my passion and purpose in helping people remember who they are and in finding their voice. Many people hide and shrink themselves due to social programming, familial programming, trauma, and the stories we cling to. For me, I am the 2nd child. My brother, who is 2.5 years older than me, was born deaf. We were born in the 70’s. There were much fewer resources available for parents whose children have special needs. I grew up in his shadow. My energy field is huge. Yet, my parents worked and spent a lot more time and energy on my brother. Of course they loved me and provided for me. I know now, they did the best they could with what they had. Yet I didn’t see that when as a child or teenager. Additionally, I come from a family that didn’t have a lot of tools to communicate emotions. I am a FEELER. I learned to shut down. Not being able to communicate feelings sabotages relationships, both friendship and romantic. I was stuck for a long time. I was angry for a long time. It wasn’t until trauma surfaced in my mid-twenties that I began a path to healing. I remember my first therapist, of my choosing. I learned to trust what I was feeling again. I learned to be good in my own skin. I learned to deal with my thoughts. In my progression, I found it easier to share my feelings with others, which was once paralyzing for me. I reason better now. I communicate better now. With Energy Healing, the work supports opening up the chakras, clearing negative energy, supporting the expulsion of toxins in the body and the subtle bodies, healing and fortifying. It is amazing. Writing and Story Telling has a similar premise for me. I deal with what’s in my heart by expressing, just as much as I do when my desire (sacral chakra) is intense and I write about it. Story telling (audible) is a throat chakra activation. The download or stream of consciousness, is my crown chakra and my third eye. The correlation between ART/Healing/Activism are interwoven as much as we are dynamic beings. When you work with me, you get the benefit of my own experiences, as well as my study and practice, which allows me to flow with you wherever you are at in your journey.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

The most rewarding aspect of being an artist/creative for me is pouring soul into my writing and then seeing it/feeling it/hearing it reflected back to me. Most commonly after a set, when someone comes up to me to tell me how much they felt seen, or to tell me how my sharing encouraged them. I remember at my book release at the World Stage in Leimert Park (2016), my best friend’s husband was so moved by my piece “A Letter to My Younger Self” that he went home that night and wrote a letter to his younger self. Do you know how much that filled my heart and soul? Even more so now that he has passed. I impacted someone’s heart in a way that moved them to create. How does it get any better than that?

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

Yes! A few actually. One = it takes courage to bare our souls to other people. Maybe you won’t get on the mic, yet if you are moved to write your story, that is something major that can change the world. We repress so much about ourselves for false notions of acceptance. Be yourself. Easy to say, more challenging to BE. When we find the courage or the faith to step outside of the “being liked” comfort zone, and find our way home to our soul, we shine in such a way that reminds others it is okay, it is worth it, to BE who we are. We can then KNOW that who we are is enough. Two – art is activism. My mars is in Gemini, I am a Leo Sun and my Chiron is in Aries. I have a lot of shxt to say! The world is operating from imbalance and it shows. I am here to express my soul and help activate others to do the same, so that we shift collectively. We can experience a whole new world, one that benefits everyone, nature, animals, the land and water.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.skeh.org
• Instagram: @soulknowingenergyhealing
• Facebook: @soulknowingenergyhealing
• Youtube: Funky Sunshine (@lovehp3)
• Other: You can contact me or my assistant Max at [email protected] You can hear some poetry on soundcloud @funkysunshine