Meet Skywalker Payne | Storyteller, Energy Healer, Author

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

Hi Skywalker, can you talk to us a bit about the social impact of your business?
Vibrant Velvet Voice Productions mission is to create compassionate community by helping individuals and organizations recognize and express their vibrant velvet voice. What is your vibrant velvet voice? It is the complete essence of your experiences, beliefs, and feelings freed of external influences. We help heal ancestral, racial, and spiritual wounds through story circles, energy healing, educational and entertaining events.Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I came up with the name Vibrant Velvet Voice when I was attempting to establish a voiceover business. As I failed in voiceover, I realized a person’s vibrant velvet voice embraces all aspects of life blossoming beautifully. My business has evolved as I expanded the healing power of story with that of energy as a Reiki master and ancestral healer. The protests of 2020 led me to create R.A.C.E.S., Race A Concept Explored in Story. I facilitate racial story healing circles in which members and directors of organizations and businesses approach racial issues through storytelling. The circles serve as a first step for large organizations or cities working with diversity issues. The root of my work is storytelling. Storytelling is our first art form and the unique skill of humanity. I was a performance artist, looking for ways to better connect with audiences and to enjoy performing. That desire led me to study and practice the art of storytelling. For me storytelling is sacred. I expanded the meaning of sacred to create my program opening, Storytelling Art Creates Revelations of Enlightening Delight. As a Black woman, I come from a long line of storytellers on both sides of my family. Our storytelling happens at our dining tables, on our phones, on walks, and now in Zoom meetings. My storytelling career began with folktales but as I worked with young children I started telling stories of my childhood.  I next moved to historic stories when I met a Des Moines historian who shared his Iowa Underground Railroad research with me. That research led me to create Underground Railroad storytelling programs and to become a Humanities Iowa speaker. I traveled throughout the state telling to historical societies and colleges. However, I still had to work a part-time job, I thought was secure. When that position was ended, I experienced a midlife crisis and became a registered nurse. During my 10 year nursing career, I continued to tell stories at events in the places I worked and online.  As a naturally introspective person, storytelling allows me to genuinely communicate and connect with a variety of people, from older Iowans in small town historical societies to children. Zoom enables me to tell live to Black people in England, families in Homer, and women in Anchorage. Youtube comments to my story videos introduce me to people and ideas, some differing but always interesting, from all over the world.  Storytelling allows me to engage in communities as well as to create community. I’ve seen storytelling bring a little shy Black girl in a class of white students to speak with confidence and happiness. An older Native Alaskan opened up to share her traumatic experiences through storytelling.  During three years in Homer Storytellers, men and women, who’d never stood in front of an audience to tell a story, did so and shared personal stories as well as folklore.  With the protests of the summer of 2020, I found how to use my art to open doors to racial understanding and healing.  As I’d seen time and time again, in a story circle, the sharing of a story by a skilled storyteller opens others to share theirs. I also discovered the importance, value, and creative potential of my personal stories. For me storytelling art is especially needed in these challenging times. I’m grateful to practice this sacred art and share its restoring magic with many.

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?
I live in Homer, Alaska called the Hamlet by the sea at the end of the line. The Sterling Highway ends at the tip of Homer Spit. The small town sits on the beautiful Kachemak Bay and is surrounded by high snowcapped hills. If you like being on water you can fish or take tours in boats and ferries. You can see moose, eagles, around town. In the Bay you see whales and many other sea animals. My favorite place is the labyrinth at the Episcopalian Church and the views from Bishop’s Beach.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Although I’ve had support and guidance from many business coaches, the person whose most influenced and helped me is Jen the Rainmaker, a traditional Toltec healer. Through her teaching, I found my way as an energy healer. And watching her build DreamYou University has provided more education than many business webinars. After experiencing a transformative breakthrough during an ancestral healing, I was able to do the same for an online group based in England.

Website: https://vibrantvelvetvoice.net

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

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/skywalkerpayne/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/vibrantvelvetvoice/

Image Credits
Brian C. Payne