My Creative Life: The Journey of Heather Forbes-McKeon

Chat Session 166 with Heather Forbes-McKeon

🎧 Catch Up Link

Topic- Breaking Barriers and Embracing Possibilities

Monday 3^rd August 2026 1pm https://rppfm.com.au

Inspirational Quote

Heather has this quote above her desk at home: ‘Your imagination is your preview of life’s coming attractions’ — Albert Einstein.

Early Life and Education

Growing up, Heather and her family holidayed regularly on the Mornington Peninsula, which eventually became her home for nearly forty years. In her youth, feeling uninspired at her state high school, Heather transferred to an experimental Victorian Government program based on the Summerhill model of education, emphasizing freedom from coercion. She flourished in this environment, which influenced her as a person, mother, teacher, and writer.

Early Career: Acting and Industry Experience

Heather’s father, an executive at Astor Records, helped her land her first TV commercial role for a Bing Crosby Christmas album. She gained industry experience, secured an agent, and pursued acting, joining a local theatre group and auditioning for NIDA at seventeen. Though she made the short list, she was advised to gain more life experience first. After working in television soaps, commercials, and films, she eventually chose to study Drama Teaching at Deakin University.

Teaching and Family Life

Heather spent thirty years as a Drama and English teacher, including twenty-seven at Frankston High School. Despite her acting pursuits, life as a young mother and wife kept her busy, and she focused on teaching and family. In 2007 she embarked on a Master of Writing and Literature and completed it in 2014.

Pursuing Creativity and Volunteering

During this period, Heather sailed her own boat, joined women’s keelboat sailing, and volunteered at RPP FM as a broadcaster. She also started a drama group for high-functioning disabled adults and supported her mother’s recovery after surgery.

Loss, Grief, and Creative Healing

In 2012, Heather’s parents were diagnosed with cancer; she took leave to care for them. She tragically lost both her mother and stepfather within six weeks in 2013.She completed her Master’s degree and turned to writing to process her grief, joining Melbourne Writer’s Theatre and producing plays and monologues.

The Ides of March and Poets’ Corner

In 2015, her father’s brain tumour returned, and he passed away on the Ides of March, March 15. Inspired by her father’s love of poetry, she started Poets’ Corner in 2017, which produced anthologies and hosted live poetry gatherings until the pandemic. She recently decided to pause the regular events and focus on filmmaking and writing.

Filmmaking and Collaborations

In 2017, Heather met Yanni Dellaportas, who invited her to write a screenplay. They produced the award-winning short film The Shell in 2018 and continue collaborating on projects, including the series Dreamweavers about inspiring women on the Mornington Peninsula. Her registered production company is Dreamcatcher Productions Australia.

Watch Dreamweavers Documentary on Film Freeway

Recent Losses and Continued Creativity

Heather recently lost her two siblings—one in 2023 and another on Christmas Day 2025.Her creativity remains vital to her healing process, and she loves collaborating with talented artists. She has produced comedy shows for the Flinders Fringe Festival, most recently at the 2026 Glen Eira Winter Storytelling Festival.

Values and Future Outlook

Heather believes in the importance of values, love, compassion, family, and community. She advocates for collaboration and helping others to shine in your community emphasizing that everyone’s unique talents deserve recognition.

Closing Reflection

“The most important aspects of ourselves are our values, our ability to love and be compassionate, family, our friends and what we bring to life. I believe the way of the future is to collaborate with others as a community, and to allow yourself and others to shine.” — Heather Forbes-McKeon, 27 May 2026.

My hope is that when you’re looking at yourself in the

‘The Daily Mirror’

YOU SMILE

EMBRACE BEING YOU

AND FIND 10 MINUTES IN YOUR DAY TO NOURISH YOUR SOUL!

To get in touch with Cathy email smileinthedailymirror@gmail.com 

'The Daily Mirror' acknowledges Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people as the Traditional Custodians of the land and acknowledges and pays respect to their Elders, past and present.