Story & Lesson Highlights with Dr. Heather Heckel of Harlem

We recently had the chance to connect with Dr. Heather Heckel and have shared our conversation below.

Good morning Heather, we’re so happy to have you here with us and we’d love to explore your story and how you think about life and legacy and so much more. So let’s start with a question we often ask: What is a normal day like for you right now?
I have a duel career as an artist and art educator, so I try to maximize my efficiency to be as productive as I can. I live in Manhattan and teach on Long Island, so I have a pretty lengthy reverse commute via the subway and Long Island Rail Road. I am able to wake up at 6am and be out the door at 6:18am, this includes making my bed, opening the blinds, showering, and grabbing my charged devices and the breakfast smoothie and lunch I prepared the night before. I catch the 6:55am train from Penn Station to the district where I teach, and this gives me 47 minutes to sit and work on writing articles or sometimes artwork if the moving train doesn’t disrupt my accuracy. Then it’s a 6 minute walk to the public middle school, and I chat with a colleague who teaches English at the high school on the way. I’m in my Art classroom at 8am, when the teaching day begins. I teach five 41-minute Art classes to grades 6 through 8, with some periods off here and there. The school day ends at 3:10pm. I run a Yearbook Club meeting once a week, and sometimes there is a faculty meeting, or I monitor figure drawing at the high school in the evenings. Then my commute is identical on the way home, just in reverse, and by that time of the day I usually listen to an audiobook or podcast to unwind. My weekday evenings in the city usually involve seeing a movie, getting dinner with a friend, or going to the gym on the way home. Then ideally I’m in bed by 9pm. We are only here for a short time, and I want to make sure I’m getting the most out of each day.

Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I’m an artist with decades of experience in both traditional and digital media. I’m actively seeking commissions, and my passion is creating original fine art, illustrations, and graphic design for clients. I earned my BFA in Illustration from the Ringling College of Art and Design in Sarasota, FL, and worked in corporate design for several years before moving to New York City. I made the decision to inspire creativity in others through teaching, and earned my MAT in Art Education from the School of Visual Arts in Manhattan. As an art educator, I believe in experiential learning through hands-on activities that allow students to exercise choice while expressing themselves. Most recently I earned my MFA from the Savannah College of Art and Design, and my EdD in Educational Leadership through the University of the Cumberlands. My MFA thesis visually explored my strabismus that causes me constant double vision, and historic and contemporary artists with the same eye condition. My doctoral research focused on the relationships between art education, leadership, and teaching creativity.

I provide original graphic design, illustration, and fine art to my clients. Something that sets me apart from others is my unique approach to create visual solutions, and my ability to make artwork in a variety of styles and media. My artistic styles vary from classical portraiture using oil paint, to collaged landscapes, to digital logo design. My award-winning artwork has been shown internationally, is part of several permanent collections, and I have been awarded 30 artist residencies through the National Park Service and Bureau of Land Management. My passion is storytelling through distilling ideas into rich, informative imagery, and I’m most proud of my ability to translate abstract concepts into something visually concrete.

Great, so let’s dive into your journey a bit more. What part of you has served its purpose and must now be released?
I am a people pleaser. I enjoy making people around me feel good, and am pretty accurate at detecting what they might need to see or hear. This helped me to survive a pretty chaotic childhood, however, it is time to release it. I want to make others happy, but if that is at odds with me being honest I want my honesty to be what gets communicated, not what others want to hear. I hear that honesty is what others truly appreciate, and there might be some discomfort in practicing that, but I want to speak my truth. I appreciate when others are honest with me, and I’m working on providing that for others as my first instinct.

What have been the defining wounds of your life—and how have you healed them?
I’m not sure if I have healed my wounds yet, but I’m always working on trying it improve myself. I was born three and a half months premature, and I can only imagine that experience must have been jarring for my pre-memory self. Luckily I made it through with no health issues, just misaligned eyes, which is called a strabismus. I was bullied intensely as a child for this. It caused me to be shy and not initiate connections with others for fear that they might notice my disfigurement. I also never knew my father and didn’t have any siblings, so it was just me and my mom growing up, and we moved around a lot.

After four muscular eye surgeries I can pass for having aligned eyes. I explored this topic for my graduate thesis in painting at the Savannah College of Art and Design MFA program. I created a series of double images that embraced the way I see, and historical and contemporary artists that have the same condition. The lack of consistency and a second parent during my childhood has allowed me to become an incredibly independent person. I also adapt quickly to chaos and changing circumstances, which can be good for a middle school Art teacher. Ultimately, I think the defining wounds of my life have inspired my greatest strengths, and encouraged compassion and self-reliance within me.

I think our readers would appreciate hearing more about your values and what you think matters in life and career, etc. So our next question is along those lines. What’s a belief or project you’re committed to, no matter how long it takes?
My longest project is creating artwork for the National Park Service and Bureau of Land Management. Over the past decade I have been awarded 30 artist residencies, and plan to keep going indefinitely. I am an artistic advocate for our public lands, and the series of artworks that I create align with the mission of the National Park Service, to “preserve unimpaired the natural and cultural resources and values [. . .] for the enjoyment, education, and inspiration of this and future generations”. Furthermore, I am inspired by the environmental historian Alfred Runte, who said “in no small measure, artists saved [the National Parks] by making them unforgettable. The parks themselves were never enough”. I hope my artwork inspires dialogue and appreciation for our environment, history, and culture.

Okay, we’ve made it essentially to the end. One last question before you go. Could you give everything your best, even if no one ever praised you for it?
Yes. I believe I am currently doing that with teaching public school Art. I know students, parents, and my district appreciate me, but most days I am teaching art the best I can because I believe in its importance. Creativity is priceless, and I want to pass that tenant on to future generations.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://heatherheckel.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heatherheckelart/