Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Halim Flowers. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Alright, Halim thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. We’d love to hear about a project that you’ve worked on that’s meant a lot to you.

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“The live painting I did at the royal wedding in Norway for Princess Märtha Louise was an unforgettable experience. To be invited to another country to create art in real time during such an intimate and historic moment was truly humbling. It reminded me how universal the language of art is — how it can bridge cultures, traditions, and royalty with raw human expression. Being able to contribute creatively to that celebration, surrounded by love and legacy, was not only a career milestone but also a deeply spiritual and inspiring moment in my journey as an artist.”

Halim, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

Biography

In 1997, Halim A. Flowers was arrested at the age of 16 and given two life sentences. His experiences were filmed in the Emmy award-winning documentary Thug Life In DC. In 2005, he started his own publishing company, through which he published 11 books.

In 2019, Halim was released from prison after serving 22 years. Upon his release, Halim was awarded the Halcyon Arts Lab and Echoing Green fellowship awards. In 2020, he signed to be represented by DTR Modern Galleries as a visual artist. His visual art has been commissioned for the Queen of England Platinum Jubilee, Warner Brothers centennial celebration, live painting at the Royal Wedding of Norway for Princess Martha and exhibited at the Venice Biennale with the European Cultural Center. He has done panel discussions with Milken Institute, Silicon Valley Bank, and Blackstone.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

At 16 years old, I was sentenced to two life sentences in prison. In that moment, most would have seen the end — but I chose to see the beginning of a new chapter. While incarcerated, I made a decision to transform my cell into a creative studio and my pain into purpose. I founded my own publishing company behind bars, writing and releasing 11 books that explored the intersection of identity, justice, and human potential.

Resilience, for me, meant not just surviving the system — but building within it. I studied, I wrote, and I envisioned a life beyond the walls. After serving 22 years, I was released and stepped into the world with clarity, focus, and a mission: to turn my story into a platform for global impact.

Today, I’ve evolved that publishing foundation into a global brand spanning visual art, fashion, film, music, and education. My work has been featured at the Venice Biennale, commissioned by major institutions, and now powers the Artonomics movement — teaching artists how to build sustainable futures from their creative gifts.

Resilience isn’t just about bouncing back. It’s about building forward. And I’m still building.

Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

Absolutely. My creative journey is driven by a deep commitment to Artonomics — an initiative I founded to empower artists and creatives with the knowledge and tools to monetize, protect, and strategically estate-plan their intellectual property.

For too long, creatives — especially those from underserved communities — have been left out of critical conversations around ownership and generational wealth. Through my art, books, music, and public speaking, I use storytelling not just as expression, but as education — showing how creativity can become capital without compromising authenticity.

My goal is to help artists see themselves as CEOs of their own ideas — and to build frameworks where their work doesn’t just inspire the world, but sustains their lives and legacies.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.halim-flowers.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/halimflowers/?hl=en
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/halim.flowers.1?mibextid=wwXIfr&mibextid=wwXIfr
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/halim-flowers-99a25abb?utm_source=share&utm_campaign=share_via&utm_content=profile&utm_medium=ios_app
• Youtube: https://youtube.com/@artonomics101?si=QM4OfGOOtzKf6OpI

Image Credits

Halim A. Flowers