Meet Lisa Whealy

 

We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Lisa Whealy. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Lisa below.

Lisa , so good to have you with us today. We’ve always been impressed with folks who have a very clear sense of purpose and so maybe we can jump right in and talk about how you found your purpose?

Where does your purpose come from?
I am open to the notion of “what if?” and why play is what it is all about.
When I was six, my best friend and I loved a few things. Playing with our Barbies acting like they were cowgirls in the old west like in the John Wayne movie The Cowboys. John Wayne’s The Cowboys 50th Anniversary Full Panel
Our dreams turned to imagining a story like the film but with cowgirls as central characters. In 1972, American culture still had not found a place for women. Growing up in Huntington Beach, California, John Wayne’s house was somewhere real to us. Melissa Gilbert’s Little House on the Prairie was a hit on television then. My best friend and I eventually pitched NBC with our idea for a weekly television show.
Stories shape us. My dad always said that if you walk into a room, regardless of who is in there, remember that you belong, or the door would not have opened. As a little kid, I dreamed of attending the University of Southern California, which has a history as one of the oldest institutions in the United States. I have earned a master’s degree in communication management at USC’s Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism. I am at the home stretch, earning a doctorate in social work focusing on visual social work.
I was diagnosed with systemic lupus in 1993, nearly dying in 2013. My gift of becoming a parent did not come together as I had hoped. Instead, I found that becoming involved with Girl Scouts gave me a group of kids from other mothers and my beautiful daughter.
My daughter and I were at a show listening to Less Than Jake, where I got a black eye from a crowd surfer. I received a black eye ending up in front of Tommy Chong at the bar after getting a cup of ice. He casually asked what I was doing, and dumbfounded, I said I was at the show with my kid. In his existential way, he said, “No, what are you doing with your life?” I stood there dumbfounded with no good answer, eventually saying I wanted to work with music and film for a living.
He looked me in the eyes and asked why I wasn’t There. I collaborated on the Senses Fail music video for their song “Priest and the Matador” a few minutes later through the now-defunct Net Studio TV.

Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?

The Sound of Humanity Music Project is a 501(c)(3) organization founded in 2021 filed with the IRS as a benevolent assistance foundation. We are in the early stages of program development. Still, as we continue receiving critical acknowledgment for our early work with our first projects, we are beginning to negotiate opportunities with the Virtual Film School to create “boot camp” sessions to elevate filmmakers from social media into short film and full-length aesthetics.
Much of the upcoming news is covered by nondisclosure agreements! Follow us on Instagram and YouTube for early looks at upcoming projects.

Follow us on Instagram where we will be announcing I took this shot of @abrahamalexamder of @TenAtoms at the Rialto Theater when he opened for @shakeyGraves – we will host a silent auction in the fall (TBD). *Fundraiser with signed never published photograph of Abraham
from this show was taken by
@rex_scofield_photography

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

Don’t second-guess the process. I often lack patience, but I have learned that there are no mistakes. The people and experiences that are part of our path are there for a reason. What it takes for us to understand and the lessons we take away from each experience are the gifts we can share. Paying it forward can be an exponentially expansive experience if everyone digests an experience, assesses the gifts, and shares it with others gracefully. We could all be so lucky to have each other to learn from and with.

Any advice for folks feeling overwhelmed?

When I feel overwhelmed, I immerse myself in music. Live music performances and listening to the right song or album can help me flush the mental toilet, as I call it. There is something about live music concerts, the vibe, the crowds, or dingy clubs that were nearly wiped out during the pandemic. Thanks to the National Independent Venue Association and my friend Stephen Chilton in Phoenix, Arizona, the value of live music in the United States as an asset received funding and recognition. Music saves me and helps me find my people, my inner peace, and, more importantly, my soul.

Contact Info:

Image Credits

1. Taken by my beautiful sister and Sharon Whealy who reminds me to look forward with grace.
2. Self Portrait – that says it. The color of the Lupus Foundation is Lavender.
3. NBC – That image hangs over my desk.
4, Shakey Graves – Lisa Whealy, photographer.
Abraham Alexander – Lisa Whealy, photographers

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