Today we’d like to introduce you to Heaven Bonny.
Hi Heaven, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers.
I’ve had a passion for music since I was born. Growing up, I was always surrounded by art and music with my grandma formerly being an art dealer, having many paintings hanging around her home, my other one owning a piano I’d grow attached to, my mother being a music manager, and my father being a huge hip-hop fanatic. Listening to music and immersing myself in various forms of art has always been something i could escape into, being the introvert I am
Once I hit high school, it was time to think about what I wanted to do with my life and I became fascinated with marketing, creative direction, and curation. I aspired to be in the same position as the Fader Magazine, I took up photography and began thinking about my brand and how I could make an impact in the music scene. Being in the spotlight has never been my thing but it was important for me to be working closely with the artists and music I admired so much. I dreamed of throwing music events of my own and adding my commentary on the scene.
Soon after graduating, I began to explore the underground music scene within the DMV. I made audio tapes filled with interviews, laughter, and my experience. I networked and immersed myself in the colorful world I didn’t know existed below my nose. I had many good experiences at these shows, with unity, passion, creativity, and progressive conversation, as well as bad, with venues falling apart, fights, complaints, and shutdowns.
My mission evolved from just focusing on the music to focusing on the human impact it had. As I was documenting my very real experiences I pointed out the inconsistencies I was noticing at these shows and was told that hosting my events would be of interest in 2020, I began planning my new project “General Public,” a series of interactive events that would bring people together through art and music.
Covid hit around this same time and I distanced myself from the scene focusing more on my own music and learning how to produce. It wasn’t until years later I was able to begin my journey as a host, creative director, and curator with multiple events in 2023. Being someone who’s always enjoyed music but hasn’t always felt comfortable in the scene I feel passionate about creating a space for everyone to belong and enjoy art as it was intended to be.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Definitely not in my case. For me, my struggles came from within. There was a big mental battle I had going on where I felt uneasy about what I wanted to do in life and where I fit in. Around 2020-2021, I was diagnosed with BPD and I was forced to face myself and my past in a way I never had before. I had always struggled with socializing and forming fulfilling relationships even though I had always been surrounded by love. I didn’t believe in myself for a long time. I had all these ideas and felt I needed to find the right person to execute them but there was no one because it was me
There were also people in the scene I had met that just felt so beyond my reach with their status and following. I didn’t feel like I could be taken seriously being so new and young but as time went on my journey of self-love and building self-confidence has freed me from a lot of the negative thinking I struggled with before. I started to put trust in myself and my heart and ever since it seems things have started to open up for me. Doors that I thought were closed or even locked have started to open themselves. Imposter syndrome is real but once you realize we are all humans just figuring things out things become much easier to approach.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I like to say I’m a jack of all trades, proudly. I’m a photographer, producer, artist, creative director, journalist, writer, and curator. I’d say my specialty is being the glue of any operation and keeping things organized. I make connections between people, ideas, and resources extremely quickly so people come to me when they want to bring something to life or are needing more information to make an informed decision. I’m most proud of my music production and audio projects. My music is very abstract, atmospheric, and experimental and that’s something I’m very happy with in a climate where things sound the same.
I think what sets me apart is the care and consideration I have for people and my unorthodox approach to life. I believe people are the lifeblood of anything successful and they should feel heard and taken care of for the best results. Everything I do is to bring people together, open their minds to something new, and show them they aren’t alone in their thoughts and that we’re more alike than we are different. I encourage people to see themselves as just people before any other label. Everything from me is from the heart and mind equally. I love to explore the duality of life.
What would you say has been one of the most important lessons you’ve learned?
You have to love yourself the same way you’d love anyone else. Pouring into yourself and nourishing your heart and hobbies is so important. A lot of the resentment I used to feel was more from self-neglect than the way people treated me. It took a long time for me to open my eyes to how impactful self-love is.
I thought I loved myself because I always had my own back but I didn’t have it as well as I had my friends or family’s. If you want to cultivate love in your life you have to fill your cup before you pour it into others. Having strong boundaries and personal values will take you very far and protect you more than any violence or weapon ever could.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/heavenbhell?igshid=OGQ5ZDc2ODk2ZA==
- SoundCloud: https://on.soundcloud.com/WpaGdTUp38JLVKMz5
- Other: https://instagram.com/generalpublic.soc?igshid=OGQ5ZDc2ODk2ZA==
