The Artist’s Interview: Edward Holmes, Poet, Podcaster, and Publisher
Interview with Steve Veasey
The Way Back to Ourselves is proud to present:
T H E A R T I S T ’ S I N T E R V I E W
with Edward Holmes, poet, podcaster, and publisher
Steve: Edward, since I first had the opportunity to connect with you over the past few months, your work and the passion that you exude have intrigued me. I’m excited to get to know you better and learn from you!
As many of our readers have come to see, the six-word memoir is becoming somewhat of a tradition at TWBTO! If you were to summarize your ethos or journey in a phrase using only six words, what would that be?
Edward: It’s good to be here.
“Please endeavor. ‘Now’ is never forever.”
This is kind of my go-to self-encouragement for when my current circumstances look grim. It’s a way of reminding myself to endure because nothing is permanent.
Steve: I love the earnest nature of the words that you have chosen. And there’s such profound hope in that message.
We’re always trying to find innovative ways to connect with our artists and use different mediums to get to learn about them. Music is a language that is universal and can say so much about our personalities. I thought that it would be a fun challenge to have you create your very own soundtrack. If you were to create a playlist for your life using a variety of songs, which five would you choose that would best embody you and your story?
Edward: I love this question as music is a huge part of my life. I feel like my life story would sound a little like this:
EDWARD’S LIFE PLAYLIST
1. “Underdog” by Audio Adrenaline
2. “Roll with the Punches” by B. Reith
3. “Through All of It” by Colton Dixon
4. “You Can't Stop Me” by Andy Mineo
5. “The Goodness” by TobyMac
*You can listen to Edward’s playlist on Spotify HERE.
(Reader, here’s a fun tip for you: Listen to Edward’s playlist on Spotify while you enjoy this interview.)
I feel like these songs flow from getting knocked down, to ultimately letting God fight for me instead. It's a story of surrender. There's a contrast of between “Underdog” and “The Goodness” that I hope best portrays this.
Steve: That’s a great collection of songs. There’s a very cohesive vibe to them all and I can hear this theme of truly experiencing life through the highs and the lows. You’ve given me some new songs to add to my repertoire, and I was happy to see some familiar favorites with Audio Adrenaline and TobyMac. On a first listen, I think that you’ve selected some songs that give me a better sense of who you are—and this may be an exercise that our readers may want to try out for themselves!
(Reader: If you make a “life playlist” like Edward, share it on Instagram and tag @thewayback2ourselves, @edwardlee_on_ig, and @steve.can.draw so we can connect and listen!)
Keeping with that theme of desiring to live and embrace life to the full, let’s talk further about your story. Anyone who spends just a few minutes in conversation with you will see that you are a man with great purpose and passion. Would you share with us a bit about the story of your creative journey and what led you to be the author/educator/motivator/poet that you are today?
Edward: Absolutely! I’ve always felt that anyone who is able to express deep emotion artistically has experienced some level of hurt. Writing, specifically poetry, has been my center since I was old enough to use a metaphor. It was a means of unraveling complex emotions I felt in my youth.
I grew up in a family who attended a church, but we were anything but a “Christian” family, and unfortunately, my parents separated early on. Without the help of counseling, I believe many children are simply unable to fully process complex events, such as losing a parent or harboring the belief that their existence is a burden. I wrestled with both.
So, I wrote.
I told stories.
I learned to feel.
I learned to cry after being told not to for so long.
…and I found security in the ability to express wounds with words.
As I began to explore the fundamentals of Christianity in my adult years, I felt that writing was part of my “calling” as something that would endure beyond my life.
Writing, publishing, and broadcasting are simply the vehicles by which this conviction is executed, and that’s to remind those who have been forsaken and pushed aside that hope exists.
Steve: Thank you for sharing that journey with me. Even though this journey stems from a place of brokenness, it is evident how you were able to take hurt, process it, and find that calling that was unique to you. As someone who has appreciated your poetry and mediums in which you share your writing, this gives me a better understanding of the road that you’ve traveled and adds even more depth to your words as I read them. Even though you grew up in a home that attended church, you were able to find that faith, make it your own, and use it to fuel the passion of Good News to share with others.
There are a lot of elements to your story that I can relate to in my own life: growing up in a Christian home, having my parents divorce at a young age, and then leaning into creativity to process what some of that displacement can feel like. I think that you highlighted a very important point about the impact that therapy can have for all of us—especially at a young age. I find it inspirational that you could weave metaphors together to process the hurt.
When it comes to writing and your poetry, how has your faith impacted the topics that you write about and the message that you are hoping to portray?
Edward: My faith is 100% the driving force of my writing and more specifically, hope for living in the comfort of salvation. I want to share stories and poems that are palatable to a wide range of audiences with strong theological undertones.
So, I have to pray. For me, it's the physical act of slowing down, separating, and setting myself aside that keeps me centered on why I'm even writing in the first place.
Prayer changes my mindset from “God fix me!” to “How can I be attuned to the needs of others?”
Steve: This is so evident in your writing. I think that when one encounters your poetry—even if it’s tackling a difficult topic—there’s a tone of peace that accompanies it, which certainly is rooted in your faith.
So, as a creative yourself, are there any specific artists or writers that have influenced your own writing and have had lasting impact?
Edward: Different artists live rent-free in my mind from season to season depending on what I need. I suppose the artists who haven’t been evicted yet are Langston Hughes, Pierre Jeanty, Tanner Olson, and Mary Oliver.
Hughes once wrote :
“Hold fast to dreams,
for if dreams die,
life is a broken-winged bird
that cannot fly.”
This poem has resonated with me for nearly 25 years as a reminder to dream and dream big.
Outside of poets, I find a lot of inspiration in music.
Steve: That’s quite the list! Our community is familiar with Tanner as he’s been previously interviewed on The Artist’s Interview, as well as the podcast.
(Reader: You can read our interview with Tanner Olson here and attend his Poetry Hour with us in April here. You can also listen to his podcast episode here.)
Pierre Jeanty is a writer who I personally appreciate as well. Reading his work feels like mic drop after mic drop! I appreciate the range of influences that you have and how they span across diverse genres. This reminds me of your playlist as well; there isn’t a standalone music genre that defines you, and yet the pieces all fit to show the cohesion in the midst of diversity.
One of the incredible gifts that you have is to share spoken word poetry. Listening to your readings is an experience in itself! Can you remember the first time that you shared your poetry live? Would you be able to take us back to the scene of the event and share what that experience was like?
Edward: This is definitely a core memory, Steve.
So there was an open mic at a little coffee shop in Missouri on a summer evening in 2016. I remember hearing poets reciting their lines on the shop's loudspeaker a block away and couldn’t shake the urge to check it out. These were my people.
I stepped in and signed up, nervously scanning the crowd while I waited for my turn to choke on a mic. These poets were prepared, published and poised, and by the subject matter, it was pretty evident that this wasn’t your church’s Wednesday night open mic.
But I wanted to speak. I needed to speak.
My name was eventually called, and I recited two poems: one on bullying and the other on overcoming self-destructive tendencies. I would soon find out after the event that these pieces impacted a few guests on a much deeper level.
If poetry can draw complete strangers into a moment of vulnerability where hope can hijack the atmosphere, then I wanted to keep doing it.
Steve: That story just gave me chills! This shouts “purpose” and “calling” to me. That you felt that deep pulling from within really speaks to how you are crafting the work that you were created to create. I’m sure that we all would love to have been in the audience on that day!
This feels like the right time to ask this: Would you be willing to share with us a favorite poem that you have written?
Edward: “Brave” is the poem I wrote the same summer of that open mic. It speaks of what I believe some of the bravest people are. You can check it out here:
Steve: Let’s talk about your podcast, Life Lines. What prompted you to create bite-sized poetry podcasts with most episodes averaging around 6 minutes?
Edward: I wanted to create a space where I could connect to listeners and share my craft on a more intimate level outside of books and social content.
Life Lines is very self-aware as a poetry podcast in the Christian niche. We’re not trying to be the best. Six-minute episodes are easy to digest, allowing me to get back to the main objective: audience engagement.
Honestly, it may just be me, but I feel like most people “check-out” on a poetry podcast episode longer than 15 minutes.
Is it me? I think it’s just me.
Steve: Trust me; it’s not just you! I feel the same way about many of the podcasts that I do (or formerly did) listen to. Life Lines is a breath of fresh air in your day. As a host and speaker, you welcome the listener in so effortlessly, and make them feel like a friend. I love the format that you’ve chosen, as it gives that few minutes to slow down, take an intentional break, and sit in the peace of that atmosphere.
We started off this interview mentioning that you are wearing many different hats in the creative space. Let’s dive into your publishing company. With Acclivity Publishing, you are offering Christian authors the services to have their writing brought to life, edited, and ready for distribution. If you were to come alongside a writer who was looking to write and publish a book for the first time, what one piece of advice would you give them to help guide their steps?
Edward: Beyond anything else, write and design a book that you will be proud of.
When I published my first book Fingerprints of Love & War, I just wanted it to get done. Get it over with, you know? I didn’t know what I was doing, but I wanted to show others that “I did the thing. Look, I made a book!”
Well, unfortunately, it didn’t turn out the way I wanted, and even though it was my book, I cringed when I saw the cover.
I had to eventually re-release it later down the line, but this time, I was proud.
This is actually how Acclivity Publishing was born as my DBA (“doing business as”). “Acclivity” means “an elevation,” and it was a means of launching or “elevating” first-time authors into their initial publishing journey.
Steve: So true. You can never go wrong when you create from that place. I’m wondering if there is anything lingering on your creative bucket list that you would love to achieve someday?
Edward: On my creative bucket list? I’d like to write more children’s books. I wrote one in 2022, and I have a few still in my heart that I’ve yet to release to the world.
Steve: That in itself is such a major accomplishment and speaks to your ability to create writing that truly speaks to a wide age span and audience. I’m excited to see what’s to come with the other books that are still in your heart (and if you ever need an illustrator, I know a guy…).
Edward, is there anything that you are working on currently, or are there any upcoming projects that you are looking forward to?
Edward: Oh, for sure! So, I publish an annual anthology called Our Hope Remains. It’s about the Christian’s perspective on the topic of “hope” through writers around the world. I’m also in the process of recording my first Spoken Word EP, and I hope it’ll interrupt your bad days with a little light. So, “Stay tuned,” friends.
Steve: That sounds like the type of interruption that we can all get on board with. Where can we find you online, and where is the best place to connect with you?
Edward: Thanks for this question. Feel free to find me and chat!
I’m active on Instagram @edwardlee_on_ig where I post my poems and podcast updates. You can also check out my website to snag a copy of one of my collections, which you can see below.
And I’d really appreciate it if you give a few episodes of Life Lines a listen. Let me know what you think; it’ll help me craft a better show for you and our community!
Steve: Edward, thank you so much for taking the time to chat with me about your story and the many things that drive the purpose behind your poetry and creative ventures. And I echo that statement for our readers to give Life Lines a listen and invite some peace and light into their days!
Edward Holmes
Edward Holmes is a writer on a mission to spread hope into hearts through the written (and often spoken) word. He has written children's books, devotionals, and poetry collections. He shares new poems weekly through his podcast Life Lines. His writing is hopeful, humorous, and honest—all fueled by black coffee and dark chocolate.
Edward has an affinity with practical theology and biblical apologetics, previously serving as an evangelist and youth minister for seven years in Missouri. He currently resides in Illinois with his wife and kids, living every day with three reasons to keep hope alive.
If you find him online, say "Hi!" He'd love to strike up a conversation with you. You can find him on Instagram @edwardlee_on_ig.