Meet Mykle Parker

We were lucky to catch up with Mykle Parker recently and have shared our conversation below.

Mykle, 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?

I had no idea I was at the GLBT Center for Orange County, nor would I have cared. The woman interviewing me had short hair and overalls. All I could think as I wore my lame conservative “hire me” gear was, damn… I wish I was wearing overalls. The head of the program was interested in me but not sure how I would fit in. So she tested me… said she had to go to the bathroom… and while she was there I should look over their hand outs to see what I thought. Mind you, as she is saying this to me, she is removing several rubber dildos, complete with balls, from the drawer and placing them on top of her desk before she hands me the pamphlet of two men kissing. Little did she know how well I would fit there. She became one of my best friends and mentors. She believed in me in a way that no one ever had. She taught me the importance of women elevating each other in their work. And that’s where I found my voice and my purpose.

Honestly, three years ago if you had asked me what my purpose was I would have told you I had fulfilled it in my 20’s doing HIV/AIDS education and everything else since then has just been icing. In the last three months I have begun to wonder if the current mess we are in is what my whole life has been leading up to.

At the end of the day, I really don’t know what my purpose is. Some days I think it’s just to pet my cats. I’m trying to learn to live life and feel fulfilled without a “purpose”. I don’t think it will ever happen, but what the hell, I’ll try.

Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?

I am a documentary photographer who specializes in social justice and gender equity. I have been working on various long-term projects over the past 20 years that seek out stories and perspectives that are overlooked, clandestine and unseen. My philosophy is that if we only record singular versions of events, we won’t have a full picture to inform us. With my work, I hope to record and document elements of “her-story” to ensure various narratives and perspectives are remembered into the future.

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

Know who you are and don’t give a fuck. GAH! The clarity that comes with age is really not fair! Here’s the truth. You have to live inside your head 24/7. No one else does. Be picky about who you allow to take up property there. Find your people. It takes time but they do exist. I have realized that mine does not live anywhere near me. We connect once a week as a group virtually and are in so many different time zones it’s hilarious. But none of us care because that’s how important it is to us to be grounded.

One of our goals is to help like-minded folks with similar goals connect and so before we go we want to ask if you are looking to partner or collab with others – and if so, what would make the ideal collaborator or partner?

Being an artist is lonely so collaborating is imperative to keep energized. Yeah, I send out random messages to people all the time on Instagram. I would say 1 out of 30 respond and we connect. It’s liberating because there is no one else to answer to, you can run as fast/slow as you want with an idea, and I learn so much from each experience. I’ve been wanting to add in climate change for a few years now and after covering the Los Angeles fires I am just PISSED on a whole new level so if anyone out there knows the ins and outs and wants to connect, hit me up. I want to learn and I am ready to hit the ground running.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://MykleParkerPhotography.com
• Instagram: MykleParkerPhotography

Image Credits

The image of me “Pay me like a white man” t-shirt is by Chiara Merico IG @chiaramerico_s_ph

The rest are by Mykle Parker