Meet Heather Tyson | Actor, Writer, Storyteller

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

Hi Heather, what’s the most important lesson your business/career has taught you?
Just one?!? It’s tough to narrow it down to just one! Hmmm… one lesson I think I’m always learning is the importance of being adaptable, embracing the unknown, and letting go of expectations. We never really know what’s going to happen in the act of creating. When we’re in it, we have to be willing to follow what’s stirring us, what’s moving us, rather than trying to control the outcome. It’s important to set intentions, certainly, and to have an idea of where we hope to go, but if we fixate on outcome alone, then we might miss something magical. We limit what is possible.

Now I’m thinking about something crucial I learned in the process of writing my solo show, TITLE PENDING. When I write, especially in the early stages, I release control of what I’m writing. Meaning, I try not to edit or judge or second guess whatever is showing up on the page. I had to learn to do this, but now it’s a comfortable practice for me in my writing process. However, when it came time to share my writing, I used to really worry about how people would react to it or receive it. I’d want to get it “perfect”, worrying about the words, or obsessing about how people might interpret something. Often, after I shared pieces of my story with people, I would feel the need to explain myself, especially if their interpretation was not the same as mine. I’m sure that was a defense mechanism: I wanted them to SEE me, and validate my experience. But then something in me shifted. I had shared the same piece of my story a few times, which had to do with how my religious upbringing impacted my view of myself. Each person who heard it had something different to say, and often their responses were emotionally charged. I became intrigued by that. I started to really listen to their experience of religion, as a story separate from own, and I thought, “How interesting!” It finally hit me: how someone else interprets my story is not my concern. That’s up to them. I can’t control what anyone else thinks. I don’t need to make them see it “my way”. The work is not about making them see ME. It is about hoping they see themselves, or maybe someone else in their life, more clearly. If they are thinking about what I’ve shared, if it’s giving them some sort of clarity, or making them ask a new question, then that is enough. Isn’t that the goal of art? To get people to think about something for themselves? And frankly, that’s my goal in my facilitation work as well. I can’t tell people what to do. What I can do is share ideas and ask questions that inspire and challenge them to come up with their own solutions. When it comes to telling my own story onstage, all I can do is share the truth of what I experienced, inhabiting it as fully and truthfully as I can. Then I let it go. The audience receives it as they will. It’s quite freeing! I think if I hadn’t had this insight, if I hadn’t learned this lesson, I’d still be debating on whether or not to do the show. TITLE PENDING would still be pending!

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
It’s a super exciting time in my career right now, because I’m at the cusp of new expansion. For the last decade, I have been working as an Independent Corporate Facilitator. People rarely know what that means, so I like to say that I am hired by companies to travel the country leading interesting conversations about topics such as navigating change, overcoming challenges in the workplace, and developing better self-awareness in order to establish stronger connections within teams or with customers. If you want that simply put: I work in “Learning and Development.”

However, my background, and my true passion, is acting. Since I was 10 years old! I have a Theater degree from Northwestern University, and I spent my 20s and early 30s pursuing a career as an actor. In my mid-30s, life went sideways. I went through a divorce, which changed the trajectory of my life, or at least, what I thought the trajectory was going to be. At the time, I walked away from acting because it felt like too much. Living an artistic life requires such a hustle, trying to make ends meet while you’re working your tail off to find opportunities to make your art. And I needed stability. I had to put the pieces of my life back together, and I had to heal from the disappointment of the end of my marriage.

While I was going through the divorce, I was writing about it, trying to make sense of what had happened. I have always used writing as a tool to try to understand the world around me. In 2015, I went to a writing retreat with Ann Randolph. She’s a brilliant writer, teacher and solo performer. Working with her, I saw a way that I could return to the stage on my own terms. I could tell my own story, which was exciting, but also terrifying! As an actor, I always played a character. I could “hide” behind the character’s story. If I told my story, there would be no hiding.

Over the next few years, I took more workshops with Ann. At the end of each one she would look at me and say, “Book the theater, Heather. Do the show.” In early 2023, I knew it was time. I took a hiatus from work, and I did the show! I wrote it, I produced it, and I performed it. The show is called TITLE PENDING. It debuted at the 2023 Hollywood Fringe Festival, where it enjoyed a sold out, award-winning run. It is by far one of the best things I have ever done for myself. Being back on stage was like returning home. I reclaimed who I had always been at my core: a performer and a storyteller. And not only that, the show itself feels like a celebration of the person I have become.

Over the last two years, I’ve performed the show at multiple festivals in Los Angeles, I had a run in San Francisco, and my international debut in Mexico City. Next up is a run in San Diego! I have also returned to my facilitation work, but I am clear that I need to approach things differently. For years, I felt like I was in an either/or scenario: either I’m working in my corporate role, or I’m being my creative self. I’ve now shifted that thinking. It’s not either/or. I AM a creative. That’s the truest part of myself, and it exists in everything I do.

So here’s the new expansion! All of that experience has led to creating my own unique training programs. I am combining my love of teaching, performance, and the power of writing and storytelling. I recently led the pilot of my first workshop, called BREAKING OUT OF BOXES, which is about examining our belief systems. When I went through my divorce, the loss was bigger than the loss of one relationship. I questioned everything. My marriage wasn’t what I thought it was, and if that wasn’t what I thought it was, what else was false? I discovered that I held a lot of beliefs that were no longer true for me. In fact, some of those beliefs weren’t even mine! They were things I was handed, from my family, from the religion I was raised in, from our society in general… things I didn’t really believe but were still holding me back. To move forward, I had to redefine my beliefs for myself.

I designed BREAKING OUT OF BOXES to help other people examine their own beliefs. Through a series of writing exercises, reflection, and group discussion, I hope it inspires people to ask, “Which beliefs are empowering me to create the life I desire, and which ones are in my way? What am I ready to release?” My mission is to help others reclaim their power, rewrite their story, and live by their own rules. If you want to learn more, please follow me on Instagram or check out my website for more details.

In addition to that, I’m developing a workshop designed to support women in the workplace, especially in male dominated industries. I have worked in automotive for years, working primarily with management and sales teams. There’s typically no more than 10% female representation on those teams. I recently led a Female Empowerment Forum for a group of female technicians, and let’s just say they are even more dramatically outnumbered. We had some incredibly eye-opening conversations. These women chose to be technicians. They love the work they do. They worked hard to get their jobs, but they face immense challenges and roadblocks once they are hired. And sometimes they wonder if it’s worth it. I was excited to work with them to build strategies to recognize and own their value, and to support them in growing and thriving in their careers. I came back from that conference totally fired up! I thought, “This! I want to do more of this!”

Ultimately, I know that my purpose is to use my experience to support people who are standing up for themselves, using their voices, and trying to break out of those boxes. Whether that’s through performing my show, or through these new programs that I’m creating. I want to help people reclaim and celebrate who they are. I walked away from the person I am, the actor, performer, storyteller in me, because of life circumstances. And for a time, I believed that part of my story was over. I mourned it. When I found a way to return to myself, I felt alive again. I was truly happy for the first time in years. And I am so grateful! If I can help someone else who feels lost, or disconnected from themselves, return to their truth more quickly than I did, it would be my honor and my joy.

After years of feeling lost myself, I have no doubt that this is exactly what I am meant to be doing.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
If someone is coming to visit, I want to give them a little bit of everything. I want to go to the beach, go for a hike, find a unique event, go to the theater, hear some live music. But I don’t really have a “go to” list. Having visitors gives me a reason to explore! I’ve been here over 20 years, and I still feel like there are so many parts of Los Angeles to discover. That said, Monsieur Marcel is a place I like for happy hour, and I think the Farmer’s Market is always something fun for visitors to experience. A friend just took me to American Beauty in Venice before an evening of theater at the Electric Lodge. I need to add that to my list of favorite restaurants. The staff was so lovely! Speaking of theater, I enjoy going to The Geffen for new plays, as well as supporting smaller independent theaters like The Open Fist. They are always doing interesting, high-quality work, and I have friends who have been part of that company for over 20 years! I love The Whitefire Theatre, especially because they are huge supporters of solo shows. I performed in that space twice, and their team is incredible. For live music, it depends on the season. For example, I love Jazz at the LACMA in the summer. Of course, there’s the Hollywood Bowl and The Greek. Both of those venues are so special! And I turn to KCRW as my source for other music-related suggestions. I had a fun evening at Harvard and Stone not too long ago, listening to a band I randomly discovered on Spotify. My friend who lives in that neighborhood suggested Tabula Rasa Bar afterward. They have some interesting wines on their list, and the late night vibe was awesome. I guess my favorite evenings in LA tend to be the ones that are less planned. For example, a friend was in town for a conference. We met at her hotel in West Hollywood for a drink (I can’t remember what hotel it was!), and then we went to a new restaurant near the Larchmont area, but the wait was too long. So we went further across town to Silverlake and basically had an unplanned mini-progressive dinner. We had mussels and cocktails at L&E Oyster Bar, and then dinner across the street at Botanica. I say pick a place to start, then go where the wind takes you!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I’d like to dedicate this to my friends, especially the ones who encouraged me to get back on stage, and the ones who are currently reminding me how much more I have to share! I mentioned Ann Randolph to you. She was instrumental in helping me birth my solo show into the world. She’s created a beautiful community of kind creatives, and I am grateful to be part of that circle. I am also grateful for other writing communities I’ve been part of here in Los Angeles, led by wonderful teachers such as Karin Gutman, Wendy Hammers, Joshua Townshend, Adam Lesser. There are also acting communities I have been in, going back many years. It is through the connection of these creative communities that I find the strength and inspiration to keep going. Community is everything!

Website: https://heathertyson.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/msheathertyson/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/heather-tyson-69b92780/

Image Credits
Mary Hurlbut, Alejandra Carreño, David Haverty, The Apex Agency