Valencia Lee: The Birth of a Healing Butterfly

Healing is a journey of truth. And that truth is not always a pleasant one. It has definitely been the case for Valencia Lee, who is a mother of 5, a makeup artist, and a makeup class instructor for beginners. A woman forced to face many childhood traumas, Valencia is choosing to not only break her silence but also break generational curses. She is sharing both her trauma and healing with the world in the up-and-coming documentary, “Birth of a Butterfly: Behind the 90 with Nneka.”

In honor of Women’s History Month, it was a pleasure to chat with Valencia for her to share “HERstory” of victory as a healing butterfly.

Dr. G.: Tell me a little bit about yourself.

Valencia: I am a content creator for YouTube where I share tips for those who are beginning their makeup journey. I also love working in funeral homes. When a family member or a friend has a loved one who dies they usually call me to do makeup instead of the mortician.

Dr. G.: What has your past taught you about your strength?

Valencia: What my past has taught me about my strengths is that I’m actually stronger and more resilient than I have ever given myself credit for! I would always hear people say how strong I am, and I never believed it because the things I was going through at the time seemed like it would kill me. But now that I’m older and a little bit wiser I’m able to appreciate my trials and tribulations, and I can attest to the fact I am a pretty strong individual!

Dr. G.: You are a part of a documentary. Can you share anything about it and its importance?

Valencia: Yes, I am! In the project, called “Birth of a Butterfly: Behind the 90 with Nneka,” I have the privilege of sharing my story and shed light on the evolution of mother-daughter relationships in the black community as well as focusing on mental health and the “why” behind one’s actions.

Dr. G: What does healing “look” like for you?

Valencia: Healing for me looks like being more relaxed and not tense all the time, motivated to complete the task I once enjoyed. Not easily irritated or on edge, more patient, more loving, more compassionate.

Dr. G.: As a mother of five, why do you feel your relationship with your children important not just for them but for the black community?

Valencia: My relationship with my children is so vital and important to me because not only is it my goal to raise healthy, creative young beings but I have to put them in society as well for them to flourish and be the best they can be not only for themselves with friends or husbands and wives soon to be one day, but  I have the tedious task of nurturing emotionally stable, creative,  loving little people. I want them to be cycle breakers.

Dr. G.: What is next for you?

Valencia: What’s next for me is growing my YouTube channel, teaching more in-person and online, the documentary, also speaking engagements that will flourish from that. That’s actually my main focus, motivational speaking.

Dr. G.: How can people connect and donate towards funding the documentary?

Valencia: You can contact me through Facebook messenger or just Facebook under Valencia L. Lee (because that’s where the gofund link was birthed). We are still in need of a lot of money to make this project successful across many popular streaming platforms.

Dr. G.: We all know how incredibly important it is when creating documentaries or movies. Everyone, please go and support. You can donate HERE.