Photo credit: Jared Pearson
Originally published in FLAUNT MAGAZINE
The story of NeuThrone is the story of outsiders building their own kingdom.
The NeuThrone Creator Spotlight Series celebrates the bold voices of the "New Guard"—a generation of visionaries redefining creativity in a world increasingly dominated by big technology companies and cultural conformity. These are creators who have thrown out the old playbooks for success.
In one of their episodes, NeuThrone spotlights Shelby Parks: actor, director, award-winning director of photography, VFX artist, and an avatar of creativity. Her work is a vivid blend of the dark and delicate, instantly recognizable as her unique vision. In our conversation, Shelby shares the inspiration behind her craft, how she’s carved a place for her voice to be heard, and what exciting projects lie ahead.
Q: Your expertise spans so many disciplines. Is there a through-line that connects these areas of expertise, or do you see your skills as simply being very diverse? Or is it something else?
Shelby Parks: The through line would be “What is alive in me?”. I am multidisciplinary by nature and seek to use whatever tools are available to me at a moment's notice to express that aliveness, whether it be a camera, a paintbrush, a slab of clay and a spoon, or my voice.
I am very excited to learn new ways of expression, and I feel that the natural (and non-natural) things in the world can be an extension of us.
Q: You were formally trained as a painter in school. How do you get good at something new? Do you seek out formal training, do you look for role models, are you drawing from your own experiences? Where does your push to get better come from?
Shelby Parks: I got good by not seeking to be “good.”
First, it starts with an undeniable electric spark, almost like a crush. Otherwise known as intuition. I trust that intuition. If something is calling to me, or I admire a discipline, I follow that thread with childlike curiosity. I believe curiosity and play to be the root of all things meant to be.
From there, I keep following that highest excitement. Sometimes that does lead to formal training, but for the majority of my work, it is pulled from sitting with my own experiences and my own feelings.
Painting was absolutely my first love because it allowed me to speak in a way that would be heard, conscious or unconscious, by those around me at the time. The push to excel and be better comes from seeing those tangible results and trying to refine or get closer to expressing my truth and my soul.
Photo credit: Jared Pearson
Q: A lot of artists talk about feeling like “outsiders” to the Hollywood system. About not seeing themselves or their experiences reflected on screen as something that motivates them to create. Do you see yourself as an outsider breaking in?
Shelby Parks: I 100% feel like an outsider to the system. None of my family has ever been in the industry, and I think a lot of ways through it are gatekept and not available to the public, unlike traditional careers.
On the screen, hmm…I feel that way about certain topics. Love and intimacy stories for example, need a major facelift, in my opinion. On the other hand, I do feel moved mainly by films that might not get all the press or the spotlight. But I think that’s what good movies are: outsiders pushing their way in. Finding their place.
I think there is an endless sea of artists out there who have incredible stories to tell. The industry as a whole is shifting for those creators. I believe the viewer to be smart, awake, and ready for more grounded, unique story telling. My drive as far as breaking in is to connect with those people, and hopefully give them a part of me in return that resonates with something within them.
Q: There is so much talk about “vision” nowadays. Where does your vision come from? What do you do to ensure that audiences can see it?
Shelby Parks: Ah, my vision as I would define it: It’s what fuels me, gives me chills as I type this, waters my eyes, and shortens my breath. It’s my life force, my purpose. I feel I am channeling something from somewhere far away or closer than we may think. It comes from something outside of myself. I connect with that vision primarily through my dream life and my healthy relationship with imagination.
I learned from a young age there is nothing I could possibly do to make sure others ”see” it. That’s not the goal for me. I see my work more as a treasure in a deep ocean for those who seek it. They will find it. They will see it, and I will see them.
Q: What is it like when people don't connect with your work, either in the beginning phases when you're pitching it or after it's complete when you're showing it?
Shelby Parks: It happens all the time. I often get surface level reactions from others perceiving my work (mainly in the stills/social media gallery world) as “too dark” “depressing” “scary” or sometimes something as misaligned as “satanic”.
When I was younger, this deeply hurt me. It still can now if it’s a judgment by someone who knows my character on a real and personal level.
But if there’s one thing I have learned from my many, many years studying psychology and participating in multiple forms of therapy, it’s that the way we all see the world and the things within it is 100% shaped by our experiences and associations. Art is a mirror that’s put in front of you, that brings things to the surface and can sometimes be uncomfortable or foreign. People handle this or interpret it in different ways. It’s got nothing to do with me, really. It’s not my job to force them down a specific path, either. It’s up to them and that mirror on how they want to engage.
My hope is that they will be brave enough to go on that journey or see it as a chance to understand themselves a little better, or at the very least, an opportunity to have a new and positive experience.
Q: What’s next for you? What are some recent wins, and what do you have cooking?
Shelby Parks: Recent wins: I have DP’d two feature films and the most recent is doing incredibly well in the film festival circuit. It has a bright future and has guided me to sending in my paper work for the Local 600. I also will be seeking representation this year for my cinematography and directing.
Acting wise I feel I’m moving at a great pace and have a great team. My home and personal life is also teed up to provide inspiration, play, and the birth of new projects daily.
I’m also working on several features. Hoping to produce one in 2025!