We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful J Leonard Costner. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with J Leonard below.

Hi J Leonard, thanks for joining us today. Did you always know you wanted to pursue a creative or artistic career? When did you first know?

I was young, just a child. I can recall the first time I was cognizant of my creative ability. I was learning about Dr. Seuss and had to create a character mimicking his style as a homework assignment. “The Mellow Yellow Fellow,” I called him, not thinking anything of it but having completed my assignment. Until my parents were contacted because my teacher had accused them of having helped more than a level of guidance with the piece. She was in disbelief that I had come up with this character all on my own because not only did it seem to come from Dr. Seuss himself, but she was convinced that he must’ve somehow drawn the character because it was too good to have been done by someone so young. I should’ve been flattered, seeing as Dr. Seuss had passed away several years before I was assigned this project. Still, looking at the picture I had drawn, I understood I had done what I was meant to do. But, it wasn’t until middle school that the notion of being a professional creative crossed my mind for the first time. My class was tasked with individually creating meaningful art pieces, and I drew a mixed medium piece entitled Freedom March. A Black History Month project designed to have us express our understanding of what our forefathers fought for. The piece I created was a depiction of a civil rights march. I can still see the texture of the pencil and charcoal on the canvas. The weaving lines of people traversing edge to edge as they held signs and stood for equality and acceptance. It was meaningful because I had the privilege of knowing my great-grandparents and grandparents, who showed me by example the meaning of excellence and decorum. The very people who had experienced what I was being taught it was a dedication to them. When I turned in my project, I expected that to be my last interaction with it. That is until my Principal called my parents because he was adamant about having it framed and placed in his office. It wasn’t lost upon me that I had this strange ability to affect people in a way that conjured such strong emotions. That was the moment when I started to explore the idea of being a creative.

J Leonard, 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?

I am a Creative. The author of a novel series entitled Legacy and an Artist. I was raised in the culturally rich city of Athens, Greece. In a world where the remnants of myths and legends stood as symbols of the greatness, people are capable of. At that time, I was too young to appreciate all that I was exposed to, but when I close my eyes, I can still see the art and feel the history. The smell of pine trees, marble, and dirt that bore witness to the first Olympics and the people who erected impossible temples in honor of the gods.

I always thought that my life’s journey was tied to athletics. I am the son of a former professional athlete, and I followed the same trajectory. But athletics wasn’t my true calling. That ability I discovered as a child to elicit strong emotions from people is what I was meant to do. As a young man, I primarily would create commissioned works. My foundation in Studio Art allowed me the opportunity to dabble in many different mediums and produce anything that anyone could ask for. In college, majoring in art allowed me to learn, grow, and build off the foundation. While I was now earning extra money regularly designing tattoos, in class, I was learning how to transfer my ability into a digital form. Something that I excelled at and eventually earned a degree in.

I started writing as a means of expelling difficult emotions I had no outlet for. I was lying in bed, post-surgery, trapped in a body that had failed me, and was having a recurring dream every night for a month straight. In an effort to understand what I was experiencing, I began to write down what I was seeing in this lucid, repetitive vision. The further I got with my words, the more I started to apply structure to what I was doing. Eventually, I decided to continue writing as a new medium that I had rarely worked with before. When I finished writing and looked at my completed work, to my surprise, I was looking at what had become my first novel, Legacy.

Legacy is the epic coming-of-age tale of Luke Hart, a young man who discovers he is the reincarnation of a storied warrior caught in the middle of an ancient blood feud as his ancestor’s history repeats itself.

The story is remarkable because, like the moment that started my creative path, readers began telling me how much the tale affected them. I was thanked for writing the story because it touched people in a way they didn’t think they could feel. I am told that reading the book is extraordinary because I have a unique style unto my own, it’s the closest thing people have experienced to watching a film. The imagery and scene setting are so vivid that readers feel they are experiencing the action with the characters.

I appreciate the kind words but never set out to be a favorite author or develop a loyal fan base. If you look at me, first impressions wouldn’t suggest an art major. My size and presence can be intimidating to some, and even when I am around other artists or creatives, I don’t feel like I have anything in common with them. This journey has forced me to reflect inward and face someone I had difficulty recognizing. Being someone’s favorite author is challenging because, in my rugged, alpha upbringing, pain and emotion were not allowed to be felt. I didn’t have a voice until I was broken, and now my voice touches others in the collection of my thoughts. The irony of my life will be that for the majority of it, I didn’t speak, and when I’m gone and there’s no one left to remember me, all that will remain will be the instances when I spoke volumes.

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can provide some insight – you never know who might benefit from the enlightenment.

I was born in the generation that was told we could be anything. That idea was reinforced growing up in a multi-generational household where what was understood didn’t need to be explained. That the excellence and decorum I spoke of told me the stories of what they had to overcome and never said look where we are at now. I call them the “DIY Generation” because those people went to war and came home and built with their hands the lives they wanted. Then, their children, my parents, were taught love by people who had to endure so that they could be given futures. These people told me I could be anything I wanted and never to stop dreaming. As a creative, and unlike others, my journey is to continue to build the life I see. Something non-creatives may not understand because I can’t share my visions. I can only create what my mind and two hands allow, and when I finish, present the projects to the world.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

Having the great responsibility of touching lives with my catharsis.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.legacyuniverse.com
• Instagram: @thelegacyxii
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jcostner
• Youtube: Legacy Universe