Inspiring Conversations with Sawyer Adams of The Brick House

Today we’d like to introduce you to Sawyer Adams.

Hi Sawyer, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I always knew I’d be a psychologist. I can remember as early as the age of 9 thinking about the best ways to understand people and how they shaped the world. This interest quickly evolved into passion when I attended the Telluride Association of Sophomore Seminars during high school. There, I was exposed to the ideas of Black Feminist Theory, Intersectionality, and research. I no longer had a simple interest in psychology, but in understanding marginalized identities as they navigate overlapping systems of oppression, and build resilience and joy.
So, naturally, when I began my undergraduate degree at Georgia State University (GSU), I pursued psychology and started in a research lab focused on supporting the academic achievement of Black youth. Thankfully, this work also exposed me to how we talk about research—the story-telling aspect—and how to make people unfamiliar with the work genuinely want to learn about it. I very quickly found myself immersed in creative ways to share knowledge and garner genuine interest from people unfamiliar with the research. These skills were really put to the test when I began my doctoral program in Clinical-Community Psychology, also with GSU, in The EMPOWER Lab with Dr. Isha Metzger.
With Dr. Metzger, I continue to develop so very many resources, including fliers, social media posts, videos, and presentations that all have enriched my interest in disseminating research—specifically about marginalized identities and resilience—that people find themselves listening to and caring about. Together, we work to promote the health and wellness of Black youth and their caregivers in coping from racism and discrimination. Thanks to the doctoral program and Dr. Metzger, I’ve also been supported in my own research about supporting LGBTQ+ youth from Black and Brown backgrounds, specifically in understanding the ways in which we talk about identity so that they feel loved and uplifted. It has been a truly beautiful experience navigating the research and in developing those resources. I am still in my doctoral program, having just completed my qualifying exam and advancing to candidacy. I am looking forward to completing my dissertation, where I plan to work very closely with LGBTQ+ youth from marginalized racial identities to examine resilience, community, and joy.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It has certainly been difficult. I originally entered my doctoral program focused on training to be a mental health clinician. I thoroughly enjoyed the experience, but I found myself drawn much more to hands-on advocacy, justice, and public health work. I transitioned from Clinical-Community to Community psychology, which gave me much more freedom to explore work revolving around public policy affecting Black and LGBTQ+ Georgians, and to focus my work on nonprofit initiatives. The decision to switch programs was taxing, but I am so very glad I made it. Now, my biggest obstacle is navigating our current social and political climate, which is very anti-LGBTQ+ and inherently harmful to many non-white communities. Given my focus is on resilience and joy, it has been a true test of remaining strong and finding pockets of joy while engaged with this work. Not only must I continue advocacy for these groups in the face of growing injustice, but I also realized how I must simultaneously feed my own happiness so that I do not burn out. It’s a lesson I am still learning, but I wouldn’t trade it for the world. I’d much rather continue this work than give it up.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
I am incredibly proud of The Brick House and the two ventures it encompasses, as they both focus on my one-true passion: Story-telling. Both in research and creatively, I love to formulate a story that captures people’s attention.
My consulting business is lovingly named “Brown Skeleton Consulting,” after an inside joke between friends and I. Brown Skeleton focuses on how we design and market research materials, both for social media for the regular (non-research) person, and for academic professionals who notoriously have boring conference slides. I also love to assist independent artists and creatives with their marketing, like movie posters for their short-films. Brown Skeleton is always seeking new clients, focused on translating research into attractive dissemination materials. These can be psychoeducational materials, slide decks, or truly whatever you need. Pricing is often by-project and needs-based.
My independent magazine and creative writing endeavour is “Limeade Magazine”, which hosts indie authors in their creative pursuits. Limeade Magazine is hosted on Substack under the same name, and is a hub for fellow creatives who want to share their story on an organized platform. I predominately host Queer and BIPOC authors, and they retain complete rights to their work. Limeade Magazine is always interested in guest-authors and building our little family, but we also would love additional support. By engaging with us on Substack, we can shift our focus into becoming a print-magazine and paying the team so they can pursue their passions more steadily.

Can you tell us more about what you were like growing up?
I can confidently say I was a very stubborn and headstrong child; two features I never grew out of. My family categorizes me as “someone who creates a plan and sticks to it,” because of my (stubborn) lifelong goal of becoming a psychologist. I’d argue they’re correct, because I am roughly a year away from receiving my doctorate. However, beyond being strangely determined in my career, I was also highly creative. There were books around me at all times, usually fantasy novels, which also remains true; I’ve got 256 physical books in my apartment! As a child, I never stopped reading, and found myself imagining a magical world that I created from thin air. This spurred an intense desire to become a fantasy author, which I still openly dream of doing. It also didn’t hurt that my love for writing and reading paired very nicely with a career in research.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://sawyerjadams.wixsite.com/the-brickhouse
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sj.brickhouse/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sawyeradams/