Interdisciplinary Artist & Independent Researcher in Consciousness Studies, Austin Alexander is an award-winning creative mental health advisor and poet. He is known for representing Hawaii at the 2010 Individual World Poetry Slam and receiving the 2025 Silver Anthem Award for collaborative humanitarian action and creative social impact with The Ben Free Project.  

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Presently, he resides in Los Angeles. Besides working full-time in psychology and behavioral science (specializing in clinical addiction intervention, expressive therapy, and cognitive theory), Austin also works as a screenwriter & developmental producer with Esplanade Productions, Inc. in partnership with best-selling poet/filmmaker Saul Williams, and screenwriter/producer Gary Goldman (Minority Report, Total Recall, Big Trouble in Little China, Basic Instinct, etc).

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As a recording and performance artist, he is currently producing a scored work of poetry with composer Pedro Osuna (No Time to Die, Argentina 1985, etc.) and world-renowned solo cellist of the Hans Zimmer orchestra, SUVVI. The following title is a link to one of their most compelling collaborative demos: "God's Reflection"

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As a former rapper, Austin has shared the stage with notable hip-hop artists such as Grouch, Eligh, Scarub, Luckyiam (of Living Legends), Zion I, Abstract Rude, Myka 9, Aceyalone, Haiku d'Etat, Jennifer Johns, and punk rock icon Angelo Moore (of Fishbone), among many others.

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As an academic, he has lectured at UCLA at the invitation of Anthology of Rap author Professor Adam Bradley, presenting his neurobiologically grounded theory of consciousness evolution, Pre-Sapio-Abstraction, alongside the anthropological and therapeutic value of narrative, poetry, and hip-hop. Additionally, after ranking among the world’s top competing slam poets, Austin was invited to lecture and perform at the University of Hawaii, and to serve as a guest educator of poetry and creative writing at Montessori, Roots Private School, and King Kekaulike High School on the island of Maui. He currently serves as Board Advisor for Poetry and Creative Writing Curriculum Development at The Ben Free Project. ​​​​

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As a creative innovator in expressive therapy, Austin is the founder of Hope & Mic™, an institutional outreach program that combines creative writing and expressive therapy with performance platforms to promote self-discovery, wellness, and recovery. It is currently implemented at NoHo Recovery, Soul 2 Soul Recovery, Alter The Course Retreats, and The Ben Free Project. As of 2026, a hybridized version of Austin's Hope & Mic curriculum — integrated with one of The Ben Free Project's prison outreach programs — Barz Behind Bars is estimated to be reaching nearly 1 million justice-impacted individuals and people in recovery nationwide.

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Additionally, through collaboration with The Ben Free Project, Hope & Mic™ received a 2025 Silver Anthem Award. Previous honorees have included Jane Goodall and the Elton John AIDS Foundation. Selected from approximately 2,000 international candidates by a panel of judges representing Amnesty International, the World Health Organization, and the U.S. Department of State, the award is presented annually by the same organization responsible for the Webby Awards. In collaboration with The Ben Free Project, Austin's creative outreach work was also recognized in the 2025 UCLA Alumni Bruin Business 100 list and is supported by multiple Pulitzer Prize and NAACP Image Award winners, as well as major hip-hop recording artists. In 2025, through The Ben Free Project, Austin also had the honor of speaking and performing at Valley State Prison on a panel featuring Mumia Abu-Jamal and Dr. Elizabeth Hinton, Professor at Yale and author of America on Fire.

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As an inspirational speaker and creative mental health advisor, Austin is a RADT-certified narrative and expressive therapy facilitator currently pursuing his CADC-1 and a degree in psychology. He was also trained by acclaimed actress/expressive therapy specialist Diane Sherry Case (MA, MFA), who was mentored by Julia Cameron, author of The Artist's Way, studied under Dr. Ira Progoff, a protégé of Carl Jung, and endorsed by expressive writing therapy pioneer, Dr. James W. Pennebaker, professor of psychology at the University of Texas at Austin, and creator of The Pennebaker Protocol, the foremost clinically validated method of expressive writing therapy. Case is best known for her iconic role in Superman and as the author of Write for Recovery. The book's second edition is currently being co-authored by Alexander & Case.​

 

As a charity event host and director, Austin co-founded Poetik LA, a Los Angeles-based production company dedicated to supporting non-profits and providing poetic platforms for the community. In 2022, he also hosted and produced SLAM RIGHT! as part of Street Art Alive at The Lume, featuring 200 of the world's top street artists and some of Los Angeles' leading slam poets. All proceeds were donated to Initiate Justice in support of prison reform & abolition. 

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As a sculptor, Austin studied the art of glass blowing in Venice, Italy. With over twenty-five years of experience, he is a master of the craft. His glass-blowing studio is currently located in downtown Los Angeles, and his work has been displayed and sold in prestigious galleries, such as Sargent's Fine Art in Lahaina, Maui.

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As a fabricator and inventor, Austin developed a patented preservation packaging system for the cigar industry that is currently drawing interest from leading global brands.  

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While not a primary focus, Austin also works occasionally as a model and actor. Recent credits include fitness modeling for Higher Frequency, subject modeling for photographer and professional athlete Diana Redman, and a supporting lead role in Red Room by Lupe Montiel at the Frida Kahlo Theater in Los Angeles.

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Ultimately, Austin serves to entertain, inspire, and positively transform the world around him by challenging his audience to find strength in vulnerability and connect reward with self-awareness.

 

"I found life with selfish innocence; I’ll leave it with selfless conviction”. ~Austin Alexander