Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to C.HeavenNezCree Kirby. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
C.HeavenNezCree, thanks so much for taking the time to share your insights and lessons with us today. We’re particularly interested in hearing about how you became such a resilient person. Where do you get your resilience from?
Years ago, during a trip home, an older relative said to me, “If nothing else, you are persistent.” Up until that moment I genuinely had never given thought to that. I was simply following my inner compass and allowing the seed inside of me which held my dreams, goals and plans to grow. On another occasion, a friend asked me, “When are you going to quit?”. I paused, genuinely taken aback. Quitting was never an option. My career pursuit was, and is, who I am. There isn’t any other place that I fit. I know this, because I have tried.
Even a blade of grass will follow its internal instructions and push through the tiniest of cracks in a sidewalk in order to grow. I, too, am obeying what is written in my DNA. In spite of every seemingly failed attempt, failure and crash, I keep going because I must. If I am still here, then I must. My resilience is born from an unshakable trust that my dreams and plans are not mere whimsy, but rather a well defined life mission that must be fulfilled.
“This, too, shall pass” is perhaps one of the best quotes to encaspsulate resilience. It’s possible to weather the storms when you know with unyielding faith that none lasts forever. My resilience comes from the quiet certainty that I was made for this. My purpose is not an accident and I owe it to that design to keep going.
Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?
I create portals of meaning for those who come not just to watch, but to notice. My work exists at the crossroads of imagination and consciousness, expressed through film, literature, music, and visual art. Each form serves as a distinct doorway into the same truth. Creative expansion can heal, reveal, and reconnect us to our most authentic selves. The Kirby-Clark Media Group is where all of my artistic languages converge. KCMG is a space where worlds take form to rekindle awe and honor the quiet grace of being. What moves me most are the subtle, human moments when art reaches across time and experience to whisper, “I see you.” Whether it’s a scene within a story, a chord within a song, or a canvas heavy with unspoken meaning, my hope remains constant: to awaken the part of us that still remembers beauty, purpose, and the wonder of existence
Right now, I’m completing my debut feature film, “The Storyteller,” a work that blends live action, fantasy, and my original music to explore the space between reality and the imagination. Alongside the film, I’m curating a virtual gallery experience where visitors can walk through art and sound as living memory. My project is an immersive reflection on story, sound, and soul. I often weave hidden symbols throughout my work. These are quiet signatures of meaning, small conversations between consciousness and imagination. They’re placed intentionally for those who are truly present, who come not just to watch or listen but to sense the whisper beneath the image or the echo within the sound. I love the idea that each creation holds secret invitations, waiting for the eyes and ears that linger long enough to find them.
My art is an act of revelation. My work is a translation of what is felt but unseen into form, image, and sound. That is where the magic lives.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
When I reflect on my journey so far, three qualities have shaped me more than anything else. They are the ability to listen deeply, to believe boldly, and to integrate what I know with what I feel. Together, they’ve carried me through every reinvention and reminded me that the path of creation is as much about paying attention as it is about daring to begin.
1. Listening Beyond Words
One of the most powerful skills I’ve developed is the ability to listen with the intention of understanding and not to react or respond, but to truly perceive. I listen for what’s said, what’s unsaid, and what hums quietly between the lines. It’s how I fill in the void left by the missing details. This practice helps me see a fuller truth. Practice listening as an art form. When you slow down enough to truly hear, life will start revealing its subtext and that’s where the real stories live.
2. Joyful Delusion
I call it joyful delusion. This is the audacious belief that something extraordinary can happen for you, not just for others. The ability to wake up and say, “Well, someone’s going to make a hit song this year…why not me?” It’s the courage to greenlight yourself when no one else has. Don’t wait for validation. Give yourself permission to try and do it boldly, imperfectly, joyfully. The dream only becomes real once you act like you belong inside it.
3. Integrated Knowledge: My Head and Heart
I hold a BA, an MBA, and an MFA, and each has sharpened how I think and create in both business and art. But the truth is, my greatest education came from observation: from watching people, learning patterns, and reading between the lines. I like to call it my gritty street-knowledge degree. It’s the part of me that trusts intuition as much as intellect. Don’t separate what you know from who you are. Let your formal knowledge and your lived experience dance together. The combination of both is where wisdom and originality truly form.
To close, maybe we can chat about your parents and what they did that was particularly impactful for you?
The most impactful thing my parents ever did for me was introduce me to the program manager at our local community center, Mrs. Karen Fletcher. She was the first adult outside my family to call me an artist, and she meant it.
Mrs. Fletcher put me on stage, asked me to improvise at the last minute, and later hired me to teach dance classes. Every teen in that program was uniquely anointed with a gift, and she made sure we knew it. She celebrated us with galas and White Dress ceremonies and plaques, teaching us that our talents were worthy of honor. That community center was my saving grace. It was the place where I truly came alive.
I still remember the day my father made me call her to ask for an interview. I was terrified. Her voice was so rich and poised, like Maya Angelou. She carried such authority that I could hardly speak. And when I finally met her in person, my nerves nearly gave me away. But she saw through all of that. She embodied everything a wise, intellectual, and loving woman should be.
My parents gave me love, encouragment and stability. Mrs. Fletcher gave me vision. She connected my artistry to something larger than myself which was genuinely sacred. She saw beyond our hometown and the illusions that tried to limit what we could become. Though she passed away several years ago, her wisdom still lives within me and in every student she lifted. I will carry her voice with me always.
Sometimes the greatest gift a parent can give is not an answer, but an introduction that changes everything.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.HeavenNezCree.com
- Instagram: @HeavenNezCree
- Other: TikTok @HeavenNezCree
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