Meet Parker Hurley

Today we’d like to introduce you to Parker Hurley.

Parker, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
My life revolves around art and movement. I went to school for Fine Arts and graduated with a degree in Printmaking. I thought I was going to be making custom stuffed animals but then I somehow found myself pursuing a modeling career. During this time, I also became a yoga, martial arts, and calisthenics teacher – helping people live more fulfilling lives through movement.

Besides drawing for myself, I put art as a career aside for nearly a decade to pursue modeling. I learned about the ins and outs of the fashion industry and took issue with where most of our clothes come from. (Plus, I couldn’t find a decent t-shirt that wasn’t covered in branding).

While visiting Indonesia, I became friends with a young artist whose family owned and operated a clothing studio. As an avid hiker and traveler, Leave No Trace is something I try to live by so I decided to start my clothing line. Keepr pieces are made from 100% organic cotton that you can wear for just about every occasion. They’re unisex, durable, breathable, and flattering – pretty much the only thing I wear. There is no better feeling than getting an email or review from a happy customer who loves the clothing and is on board with minimizing the impact we have on the planet.

I also own a holistic wellness business called Human Heroes. During the pandemic, I hosted an online movement intensive to foster a sense of community via different forms of movement, mindfulness, and meditation. I’m currently putting the finishing touches on a book about movement, mindfulness, and meditation as the best forms of medicine we have available to us. The goal is to create a new form of social media – a game-based digital platform where you can move and meditate with your friends. I’m going to need some help with that one though as it’s a big undertaking.

After the book is done, I’m going to get back to work on a card deck – similar to Tarot – under the Human Heroes branding. I just from one creative product to the next, sometimes juggling a couple at a time. Art. Writer. Mover. Model (sometimes). Those are probably the four most accurate descriptors for what I do for work.

We all face challenges, but looking back, would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Being an entrepreneur is tough. It’s all on you. I feel like I’m always working. As a writer, even when I’m getting in my daily movement to unwind I’m always taking voice notes or solving problems in my head. Movement is when I have the most clarity.

As a small business owner, I’m competing with massive companies that have massive budgets for marketing and advertising. It can be a great challenge just to get your product in front of the right people. This is why I’m so grateful for the customers I have that spread Keepr by word of mouth.

Workflow is an evolving practice. I have to be very mindful of when I need a break and when I need to just buckle down and power through – it’s a fine line.

It hasn’t been a smooth road but I wouldn’t say I want a smooth road. I’ve lived a pretty interesting life – experiencing places and people that continue to remind me that life should be an adventure.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
Before I found exercise, art was my outlet for making it through a rough childhood. It’s always been my therapy.

Human Heroes is the culmination of a lot of things coming together – an affinity for comic books and superheroes, my love and dedication to the movement, and the creative process. We are living in a time where we ALL have to be engaged in taking care of the planet and ourselves in all the little and big, ways that we can. HH is a practice that I believe can aid in that quest. Most of us can’t donate millions of dollars to battle climate change, but we can be conscious about what we consume and why.

With HH, I try to tap into the cultural phenomena that are superheroes and humanize them. To utilize the tools accessible to all of us to better manage our mental, physical, and spiritual health. I’m trying to target young men as, statistically, they are having the toughest time right now.

Is there anyone you’d like to thank or give credit to?
The first person that comes to mind is one of my teachers at the University – James Dupree. He was an incredible artist. He had us drawing circles for weeks. One time in class I asked him when we’d move on from these damn circles. He asked me to draw one – it wasn’t great. He drew a perfect circle with his eyes closed. ‘You never stop drawing the circles,’ he told me. To me, this meant, you always have to keep up with your craft and also keep the bigger picture in mind.

Friends and family have all felt like teammates along the way. Chris, Nikki, Paul, John, my mom, Imma, Ahlan, Ketut, and everyone that has purchased a Keepr. The family in Bali I stay with. The crew of Human Heroes joined the intensives during the pandemic. The modeling agents I’ve worked with. The girlfriends I’ve had have been patient with me as someone who is constantly on the go, out exploring the world. All the strangers I’ve met while out exploring the world share a smile or some words.

Contact Info:

• Website: keeprwear.com, humanhero.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/parker_hurley, https://www.instagram.com/keeprwear

Image Credits
Gabe Ayala