Inspiring Conversations with Geoffrey Edwards of Grain & Pestle

Today we’d like to introduce you to Geoffrey Edwards. 

Hi Geoffrey, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
My story and much of the foundation of what is Grain & Pestle starts in Milwaukee WI where I was born and raised. Over the past 18 years, I’ve moved around quite a bit, from Milwaukee to Jackson Mississippi to Detroit to Silver Spring Maryland, and back Detroit again with each of these places having sown something unique in me. Exposed to the arts and sciences early on, I can remember using beakers from a science kit to mix concoctions with items from the refrigerator and bathroom cabinets to observe the chemical reactions. Equally, I remember how much I enjoyed art class, especially ceramics where I was enamored by the malleability of the clay. Both of these early experiences laid the groundwork for my work in the apothecary, clinic, and studio where the same curiosities work as motivating forces today. Before I fully took the nosedive into holistic medicine, I studied and worked as an art therapist in juvenile detention centers and adult inpatient acute psychiatric units in Wisconsin, Virginia, and DC. My creative work and practice have always been an exploration of art and art processes in the service of health, well-being, and transformation. Nature-as-healing has also always been a strong undercurrent in my work. It was through Nu Healing Arts Garden, a teaching garden and incubator for my studio & healing arts based in Maryland, that the herbal pillar of my practice took root as a collection of perennial plants. This plant collection has been instrumental as study and teaching aids in many of my workshops here in Michigan. Hindsight affords me the wisdom to now see that my sojourn in herbalism and East Asian medicine was equally about informing my creative and medical practices. Every consultation, every encounter on the treatment table has led to a deeper understanding of the human condition, birth, death, love, emotional pain, suffering, and the resilience of the human spirit. As a husband to a full-time studio artist wife and father of 3 sons, I am humbled daily by the opportunities we have as parents to encourage and nurture their curiosities and creativity to be free thinkers able to solve the problems of the future. 

I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
We have definitely faced our share of struggles along the way. Experiences as a parent with young children having complications from severe food and environmental allergies and asthma are what eventually led me to holistic medicine in an effort to fill in the gaps from inadequate pediatric care we were receiving at the time. It was rough having multiple children with frequent ER visits, PICU admissions, and many complications from medications. There was once a time that even the slightest common cold could lead to an admission, intubation, and a long course of steroids. At that time the experience of our second oldest was so severe that we had to withdraw him from 1st grade and begin homeschooling, which we still do to this day. This required much adjustment from us as parents with our schedules, work, school, travel plans, and most importantly diets. 

As you know, we’re big fans of Grain & Pestle LLC. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
Grain & Pestle is my healing arts practice based in Detroit MI which integrates acupuncture, herbalism, and art making. As an acupuncturist, I offer a hybrid-style clinic that allows for both one-on-one individual sessions and group or community-style acupuncture. The community-style offerings allow this medicine to be accessible and affordable due to it being on a sliding scale. As an herbalist, I offer herb and nutritional consultations in our wonderful plant-filled apothecary. Customers have the benefit of truly individualized care, having their herbal supplements customized and formulated on-site, usually same day with the highest quality herbs. What sets my apothecary offerings apart from most is my combined experience as an herb grower and connections to a wide network of herbalists and farmers to provide the best quality products. Having worked as a therapist for over 10 years even while studying acupuncture and herbs, clients can expect to work with a practitioner with much experience treating mental health issues and their sometimes-related somatic manifestations such as pain and discomfort. I also have much experience in treating digestive, respiratory, circulatory, and rheumatoid conditions. As an artist-ceramicist, customers are able to buy handmade ware in the apothecary, from mugs, bowls, and pots to therapeutic ceramic tools to assist with self-massage and acupressure at home. 

What matters most to you?
Education and learning are very important to me. I grew up in a home that prioritized education for my siblings and myself. But not just formal education. The idea and act of sitting and learning from an elder or anyone with more knowledge and experience than yourself was encouraged in our home. Although my grandparents all had grade school level formal educations, they raised my parents the same way and made many sacrifices so that their many children could further their education. This idea of sacrificing to further the next generation definitely influenced how my wife and I decided to stick with homeschooling with all of our sons. We saw how they were thriving, and how we were able to curate learning experiences that catered to their talents and learning styles. This allowed them to thrive emotionally, academically, and creatively and these were all the signs we needed to know that we were on the right path for their success. 

Contact Info:

• Website: www.grainandpestle.com
• Instagram: @grainandpestle
• Youtube: Grain and Pestle

Image Credits
Tony Alvarez