An Inspired Chat with Indya “Icy” Wright of Uptown

We’re looking forward to introducing you to Indya “Icy” Wright. Check out our conversation below.

Indya “Icy”, it’s always a pleasure to learn from you and your journey. Let’s start with a bit of a warmup: What is something outside of work that is bringing you joy lately?
Creative projects! I’ve been leaning back into art again and it’s helping me focus on what I enjoy most.

Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I’m Indya “Icy” Wright, an award-winning artist, storyteller, communications strategist, public servant, and founder of Artiste House, a creative PR firm. At my core, I see myself as a storyteller across multiple mediums—whether that’s building public relations campaigns, producing content, designing visuals, or amplifying underrepresented voices through cultural strategy.

That means managing everything from crisis comms and media outreach to storytelling that centers equity, culture, and connection.

What makes my work unique is how I bring together three lanes that people often keep separate:
• Art (as an award-winning artist, I understand the power of visuals and creativity),
• Storytelling (crafting narratives that move people and shift perception), and
• Cultural Competency (ensuring every campaign respects the lineage, language, and lived experiences of the people it represents).

That intersection is where I exist as an ARTivist—a term meaning that I am both artist and activist. Something I embraced while working on projects with Gina Belafonte and Sankofa.org. It aligns with my personal belief that creativity can fuel social change and communications can be both strategic and soulful.

Right now, I’m working on initiatives that highlight community voices in DC, while also developing thought leadership content and creative projects that expand how we think about PR, branding, and advocacy.

At the end of the day, what makes my story unique is that I’ve built a career on the idea that authenticity is power—and my mission is to make sure the right authentic stories, especially the overlooked ones, are seen and heard.

Thanks for sharing that. Would love to go back in time and hear about how your past might have impacted who you are today. What relationship most shaped how you see yourself?
The relationship that most shaped how I see myself is the one I have with my niece.

I see so much of myself in her — her curiosity, her independence, her willingness to teach herself things, and her ability to create her own joy. But what’s been most transformative is how we affirm each other. She is such a words-of-affirmation person, and in constantly affirming her, I’ve realized how deeply and genuinely she affirms others in return. Including me.

The way she sees me as a person has done wonders for my confidence and the way I move through the world. Her presence in my life reminds me that I always have someone important watching — someone that I want to model resilience, kindness, and courage for. That relationship has not only helped me heal my inner child, but it’s also given me a stronger sense of purpose in how I show up as a leader, a storyteller, and a human being.

When did you stop hiding your pain and start using it as power?
As a child, I didn’t always have the words to describe what I was feeling or experiencing. But I found catharsis through art. Storytelling, music, and creating across different mediums became my way of self-soothing — a form of escapism that helped me process emotions before I even knew how to name them.

Over time, I realized that art and storytelling weren’t just hobbies, they were lifelines — tools I could use not only to heal myself, but to help others see themselves, feel affirmed, and know they aren’t alone.

That’s when my pain stopped being something to bury and started being something I could build from. It shaped me into the storyteller I am today, one who knows the weight and the gift of narrative.

So a lot of these questions go deep, but if you are open to it, we’ve got a few more questions that we’d love to get your take on. What are the biggest lies your industry tells itself?
One of the biggest lies my industry tells itself is that visibility alone equals success. Just because something trends or gets coverage doesn’t mean it’s building trust, shifting perception, or creating lasting impact. Good PR isn’t about chasing every headline — it’s about knowing which ones matter.

Another lie is that PR is just about media hits. In reality, we wear multiple hats: strategist, risk manager, cultural translator, storyteller, and sometimes even therapist. When PR is reduced to press placement, it minimizes the strategy and emotional intelligence required to do this work well.

And maybe the biggest lie of all? That PR people should stay invisible. We’re often expected to be background characters in the very stories we’re writing. But the truth is: when you have a comms professional who’s culturally competent, strategic, and creative — they don’t just protect reputations, they shape narratives that move culture. That deserves recognition.

Okay, we’ve made it essentially to the end. One last question before you go. What do you think people will most misunderstand about your legacy?
That I’m only great at comms. Yes, I’ve built a strong reputation in crisis communications and strategic messaging — but that’s just one facet of who I am. What people often miss is that I’m also an artist. A storyteller. A cultural worker. A multi-passionate creative with an eye for systems and a heart for impact.

Everything I touch — whether it’s a campaign, a poem, a brand, or a community — is informed by my lived experience, my cultural fluency, and my deep understanding of how narrative shapes power. I don’t want to be confined to one industry or one definition of success.

My legacy isn’t just that I communicated well. It’s that I used communication — alongside my artistry, my imagination, and my strategy — to challenge harmful rhetoric, shift dominant narratives, and reimagine what equity and visibility look like.

I’m not just here to do good comms. I’m here to change the world — creatively, holistically, and on my own terms.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.artistehouse.com
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/indyawright