We had the good fortune of connecting with Heather Southerland and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Heather, why did you decide to pursue a creative path?
As a child, my plan “when I grew up” was not to pursue a creative career, even though I loved to write poetry and journal as a hobby. I had planned from a young age to go into a research science field, like marine biology. Ask any of us growing up in the 90s, and we will tell you the same: the media we consumed was a mixture of nature and art, expression and conservation. I only realized when I was much older how these two defined me. I watched the artistic adults in my life and thought that I could never be as talented as them, for what reason, I don’t know. Choosing science seemed safer until I realized it was much more challenging. I struggled with the complexity of it all, even if I understood the theories. After many failed attempts to get a primary science degree, I shifted my focus to metaphysics and have since thrived. Metaphysics pulls in many disciplines and literature, exploring the theory of “self” in all its forms. The material to study is vast, almost limitless, and I find inspiration in this.

In recent years, I have begun to shift into a creative career as a writer, planning to go full-time soon. I started writing professionally in early 2022, providing ceremony scripts for my wedding clients. I have now transitioned back to my roots of writing and publishing poetry, and I want to continue to do so to see where this will lead.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
While my introduction to professional writing came from the wedding industry, I do not plan to stay in weddings. I have since archived that portion of my business while offering a wedding script template (Etsy) for those couples or officiants who want to use this resource. While I enjoyed working with my clients as a wedding officiant and scriptwriter, I want to pursue writing full-time and try other business ventures. I will take those fond memories with me as I move forward, grateful for the experience I earned.

I do not know what challenges await as I begin this new chapter, but I look forward to diving deep and creating as many written works as possible in the coming years. Right now, I have been writing freely and often, gathering as much material as I can to publish into a poetry volume. From there, we will see.

 

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
In southern Indiana, there are several places to visit. My current city, Jeffersonville, Indiana, has several favorite locations. The downtown area along the Ohio River was updated recently, so I enjoy walking and visiting parks often. There are several ice cream and tea restaurants, such as The Widow’s Walk Ice Creamery and Kabuki Hibachi & Ramen, that I recommend. I would also visit the surrounding cities, as I have many people that I care about in this area. There are many locations in Madison, Indiana (another local river town) that I would visit. Along with many state parks, there are also several farms and wineries to visit. There are plenty of things to keep us entertained.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
My shoutout goes to those in my life who have loved and supported me through the times that I have made it difficult to love and support me: my family and dear friends. I have some “ride or dies,” and despite the length of time each person has been in my life, they have shown me that I can count on them repeatedly. They help me navigate toxicity and uncertainty, but most importantly, they encourage me to grow as an individual. In turn, I would do the same for them because they have earned that loyalty.

Website: https://write-events.square.site/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heatherw.rites/

Other: Rite Events Etsy Shop: https://riteeventsshop.etsy.com Medium Writer Content: https://medium.com/@heatherwriteevents

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