Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Morgan Breon . We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Morgan, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Do you have a hero? What have you learned from them?
This is a tricky question. I strongly believe in the principle of “honor.” With this perspective, everyone plays the role of “hero” at some point in my journey. That includes the maintenance staff that let me into a locked classroom when I left my book. The groundskeeping staff that shoveled my path at the crack of dawn, helping me to get to rehearsal on time. As well as that professor or elementary school teacher who told me that “anything less than excellent” was beneath my capabilities. They are all heroes. They all deserve honor.
Additionally, however, if I had to identify a few folks who have been crucial to the START of my artistic and entrepreneurial journey, it would be:
– My late Auntie Margaret Barkley. She was the FIRST person that taught me to dream CRAZY. Any idea, thought, vision, etc. I had – she found a way to make the dream feel possible. Prime example. At the age of 6, I told her I wanted to be a waitress. She hosted a breakfast at her house, typed up and printed out menus with little checkboxes, and I “waited” on her house guests – delivering their “orders” between the dining room and kitchen. She loved me unconditionally and so I learned early on to appreciate myself and my ever-evolving dreams.
– My late cousin Ivy Jo Hunter. One would think that a Motown legend and musical genius could find better uses of his time than teaching a 4th grader how to write songs and filming her highly imaginative book reports – but this is who Ivy was to me. He took me serious as an artist at a young age. And introduced me to the equipment necessary to document my artistry. Beyond this, he took time to INGEST my art and help me feel heard. I am eternally grateful.
– My 6th grade teacher Claudia Canty. This was the first person to see me as an actress. She directed my first school play and the students had to write, direct and perform EVERYTHING…as 11 year olds! She was tough on us and held us to a moral standard – we were not allowed to participate if we were not responsible students and had poor citizenship. This is when I learned that my gifts were secondary to my character. Beyond this, Mrs. Canty embraced my desire to infuse creativity into my school projects. It didn’t matter if it was a science fair or a book report – I was going to give a full on production. Rather than stifle my design, she encouraged it! And I am an actress TODAY because of Mrs. Canty.
– My adopted aunt and mentor Leslie Ann Pilling. A STAPLE in the Detroit fashion, design and PR markets, Leslie took me under her wing (for no reason at all) and dared me to think of myself as a business owner. She taught me about branding and professionalism. She created pathways for me to be received as an artist AND administrator, and was the FIRST person I spoke to when I wanted to make heal.be.live. a reality.
– Finally, my mommy Nonie Peterson. She has been charged with the most difficult task – stewarding the gift God gave me, while also protecting me as a parent. She has always had to walk that fine line of discerning what opportunities would empower me vs. break my spirit. I always say she is my biggest fan and my biggest critic – which is a TREMENDOUS blessing. My mother doesn’t lie to me. So when I’m off – I can trust that she’ll let me know so that I can get better. But when I’m good – I’m great. And we can celebrate together. In state performances. Out of state productions. To date, my mother has NEVER missed a performance. And I’ve been doing this thing called “artistry” for over 20 years.
Morgan, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
The logo, itself (which was completely created by the Holy Spirit), is so packed with a message of healing. heal. be. live. The words all tell a story, individually and collectively. The idea is that “in order to live, you must first learn how to “be” and in order to “be,” you must first heal.” heal. be. live. Each of these words represent a single phase that must be carried out in its own right. The three periods represent an “ellipsis.” “In creative writing, the ellipsis functions to indicate that the speaker has trailed off and left a sentence or thought unfinished.” In my logo, the ellipses symbolize the reality that the process of healing, learning to be, and living are ever-ending processes, again, individually and collectively. Finally, be. live. is a play on “believe.” The idea is that some level of faith (or belief) is necessary to walk out this process. The logo is black, white and red. “Black” and “white” represent a spectrum of “extremes.” Red is the color of blood, which is the source of life and one thing that all humans have in common. (Red also represents the blood of Jesus).
As an artist, it is my mission to “present” reality in creative ways, allowing audiences to engage with the topic of conversation in way that is of lower risk. I do not “reinvent the wheel.” I am not trying to be a hub for mental health resources. At minimum, I use theatre to depict ways in which mental health plays out in the real world. If an audience comes into agreement with a particular “depiction,” then we have been successful at 1) helping communities acknowledge that mental illness is real and 2) mental health is worth striving for.
As a social worker/activist, my goal is to then connect audiences to mental health resources within the community that are already doing the work…and doing it well. I am a bridge. Nothing else. Occasionally, these two versions of me come together when I am facilitating workshops or groups in which we are using the theatre to have conversations and challenge participants to engage with their own state of mental wellness (or lack thereof).
As of right now, I am most proud of our art-infused workshops. (You can check these out on our website). One of our programs teaches educators and mental health professionals how to identify trauma symptoms amongst Black youth. Since 2021, we have reached over 300 participants – and the research shows a major impact! I also love our artist training and development program called The heal.be.live. Method. This process uses theatre and writing to cultivate participants as: people, professionals and performers. These are both multi-day workshops. My two favorite one-day workshops are “Don’t Appropriate, Appreciate!” which is all about discussing cultural appropriation (it’s an audience favorite!) And the second favorite is “It’s Already In You,” which is an interactive workshop empowering non-traditional college students to trust that the obstacles they have endured on their journey have actually PREPARED them for academia…we just discuss how to recognize and implement these skills.
There are so many other things to be proud of…but I’ll share a testimonial from one of our workshop participants: “This session opened me up to things I wasn’t even aware of and has made me more thoughtful and intentional with the way I interact with people. I am transitioning from being the youth discussed to being the one the youth is talking to/ relying on. While this has been overwhelming, in a way, it has been allowing me to heal parts of myself I did not know was hurt. I love coming to things like this because the more I learn about myself and my place in this world, the more help I can be to others.” – Community Representative
Have any books or other resources had a big impact on you?
The top three resources that have impacted my entrepreneurial journey are:
– The story of Joseph in the Bible (Genesis 37-50). This gave me ALL of the tactics I needed in order to navigate the entertainment industry as a budding actor. But the principles I implemented have helped me transition into a SUSTAINABLE artist and business owner. (If you’re interested in learning more about this process, email me at: [email protected]. I may be leading a workshop soon that teaches people the process I learned from this Biblical story).
– Pastor Ron Carpenter Jr. taught a sermon called “Honor Gives You Access.” (Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WSHLLiQyq94) This sermon, again, has taught me how to respect opportunities and people. This principle has led to the most open doors. Not only do people appreciate my work, but they enjoy working with me because of how skilled I am in the skill of “honor.”
– A book called “The Ancient Path” by Candace Long (Link: https://www.amazon.com/Ancient-Path-Creativity-Innovation-Brains-ebook/dp/B076JKXCSQ) This book helped me to learn about how my brain functions as both an artist and business owner. Then Ms. Long details how to combine and leverage the two. It is a brilliant read for those who want to have the language to describe this unique duality. As well as how to communicate the value of the duality to future partners and collaborators.
Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?
In this season, I had to unlearn a POVERTY MINDSET. When you grow up learning how to be “resourceful,” you struggle to recognize seasons of “abundant resources.” I remember winning my first $25K grant and fearing that I would never win that much money again. I called this “scared money.” Scared money can’t produce any lasting fruit, because 1) the spirit of fear is a fruitless seed and 2) when you sow seeds of lack…you reap lack. Alternatively, when you sow seeds of abundance…you reap abundance. What this looks like PRACTICALLY is…a “lack” mindset may purchase a bulk of printed labels because it’s a “cheaper” option. An “abundant” mindset may purchase a label-maker because in the LONG-TERM, it will afford me more efficiency, more control and will ultimately decrease my expenses overtime.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.healbelive.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heal.be.live.llc/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/healbelivellc
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/morgan-breon-4665812a/
Image Credits
PD Rearick