Today we’d like to introduce you to Byron Edwards.
Hi Byron, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
Allow me to reintroduce myself…
If you’re new here, my name is Byron L. Edwards aka #ByronLinnell.
I’m a self-taught visual artist (@byronledwards), entrepreneur + mental health advocate (@wllnssfrcrtvs™️), and marketing consultant (@wearejoycollective).
I was born in California, raised in Southern Virginia (#757), received my comms/PR degree from @georgemasonu, and spent over 10 years living in NYC before making Los Angeles my home.
Some people know me from my past life where I was a Head of Social Impact (@theshaderoom), influencer engagement manager (@colorofchange) press logistics manager (BET), publicist (Joy Collective, Huff Events & PR, Roc Nation), social media strategist, and certified run coach (#RunWithB).
These days I’m creating and selling art, producing events and wellness experiences through #WellnessForCreatives™️, and consulting on entertainment and mental health projects with friends & former colleagues.
I focus my efforts around the intersection of wellness and creativity because I experienced severe career burnout in my 20s, diagnosed with anxiety and depression in 2016, moved back home at 30 because I was having extreme suicidal ideation, and was later diagnosed with #bipolarII disorder in 2020, which I’ve been able to manage without meds using wellness.
My goal in life is to provide tools and resources to prevent other creatives from burning out, help those currently experiencing burnout using art + wellness, and for my artwork to live well beyond me in museums and galleries for centuries to come.
Contrary to popular opinion degrees and certificates keep me warm at night… in addition to a degree in communications/PR, I’ve held @nasm_fitness personal trainer certification for over six years, have a run coaching certificate from @rrcanational, a marketing certificate from @nyuniversity, and wellness certificates from @yale and @ucberkeleyofficial.
You can learn more about me and my art at www.ByronLEdwards.com, learn more about Wellness For Creatives™️ at WellnessForCreatives.com and read my favorite quotes over at ByronLinnell.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
No, it has not been a smooth road.
Many of my prior careers had been to serve and support others. Stepping out as a creative and entrepreneur in a subject so personal was challenging but rewarding.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
Using oil paints, pastels and bold colors I create abstract and figurative art that addresses stigmas, stereotypes and historical narratives. My work explores social and racial dynamics that foster dialogue around cultured experiences. The canvas is my passage to advocacy and resistance.
I’ve also turned an art series into an adult coloring book and wellness activity book, which I’ve launched under my trademark and LLC, Wellness For Creatives.
Merging wellness, art, supporting creatives and selling my work to a list of clientele I respect is what makes me most proud.
Do you have any memories from childhood that you can share with us?
My mom took me to the theater to see Whose Afraid of Virginia Woolf. It was my first time at the theater and today it symbolizes how much my mother sacrificed in an effort to expose me to a different life.
Pricing:
- Coloring Book is on sale at B&N for $19.99
- My public Wellness For Creatives events are free, but I sell wellness boxes for $50 via my Instagram shop at @wllnssfrcrtvs
Contact Info:
- Website: www.byronledwards.com
- Instagram: @byron.linnell
- Twitter: @byronledwards
- Youtube: www.youtube.com/wellnessforcreatives
- Other: www.WellnessForCreatives.com
Image Credits
Maleah Land Kai Byrd Purple Media Agency
