We had the good fortune of connecting with Trista Edwards and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Trista, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
In addition to running this business, I am a poet. I write poems but I also create poetic, ritualistic objects…candles. Poetry transports the heart & mind. It takes the everyday, mundane language we use for basic communication and through thoughtful crafting & arrangement, line breaks, use of metaphors & symbols, and the unexpected pairings of words it makes language anew. I hold candles to a similar kind of power. Take for instance your home, with the simple ritualistic act of lighting a candle you can transform a space and curate a new environment. A candle can trigger a change in the space and, ultimately, in you-from work to relaxation, from chaotic to calm, from domestic to sensual, from mundane to luxurious.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
I believe what sets my business apart from others is my background in writing. I have a Ph.D. in creative writing. I am a poet. I am extremely passionate about & invested in the power of symbols & story. I put that knowledge & appreciation for poetry into my candles. To me, they are symbolic objects that exist as an extension of the written word. In the creation of each candle, I typically use a mythological or literary figure or season or emotion as the base of my inspiration & build from there. That core catalyst dictates the scents I choose to blend, the feelings I attempt to evoke, the memories it could potentially trigger, the very naming of the candle, & even the room of the house in which I envision the candle is used. The story is everything to me. The curation of the right elements that go into the candle is everything to me. When I write, I often think of the quote by Mark Twain, “The difference between the almost right word and the right word is really a large matter—it’s the difference between the lightning bug and the lightning.” When it comes to crafting a scent, I think about that line when creating candles too. The beauty is in the details…the right word and the almost right word. The right fragrance and the almost right fragrance.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I moved from Georiga to Texas in 2012. Life in Texas is good but I miss Georiga every day. The lush greenery & towering trees of Atlanta just can’t even compare to anything in Texas. I grew up in Douglasville & the moment I was old enough to take MARTA alone or drive, I would head straight for Little Five Points & go to Criminal Records & A Cappella Books. I also spent many a late night at The Masquerade, Majestic Diner, & The Local. When I was college, I had a summer internship at Creative Loafing & that experience opened me up to a lot of what Atlanta has to offer. Now, the first thing I always do when I visit the first thing I do when I get off the plane is head to The Porter in Little Five Points for a pint & some goat cheese fritters. A perfect week in the city, to me, would have to include breakfast at The Flying Biscuit, shopping for records in Little Five, hiking Doll’s Head trail (or hopping on over to Sweetwater Creek), nabbing a cone at Zesto or stumbling on King Pops in the park, visiting the High to catch the latest exhibit, grabbing a latte at Octane (I just to go there on my breaks when at Creative Loafing), catching a great show at the Tabernacle or The Earl, swinging by A Cappella or Charis for some more additions to my bookshelf, enjoying a flight of beer at Orpheus, spending a whole afternoon walking around Oakland Cemetry (headstone symbols another interest of mine), & then ending any one of these nights downing a few PBRs with friends at The Clermont Lounge. That’s pretty much a perfect trip to me.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
My husband, Aaron. 100% He supports my dreams but keeps me grounded. I tend to float away on all my extravagant ideas. I get swept up in my own creativity and I want to act on everything. It can be overwhelming sometimes and ambition begins to feel like a burden. He always encourages my creative enterprises and helps in any way he can to see me succeed. Often that help comes in the form of focus. He’ll say things like, “These are all great ideas but what’s the ultimate goal? What do we need to focus on to see this particular idea come to fruition? What things are not serving your goal and how can we weed them out or set them aside to come back to later?” I need that. A LOT.

Website: www.marvelandmoon.com
Instagram: @marvelandmoon
Twitter: @tristamedwards
Other: You can also find my poetry & prose & information about my forthcoming book at my website, www.tristaedwards.com

Image Credits
All photos are mine.