Art helps us understand the beauty and complexity of life and reminds us about our deep-rooted interconnectivity.
I specialize in creating original visual art, music, and written works, blending creativity across multiple mediums.
Written Works
Michael's writing spans screenwriting, fiction, poetry, and comics, exploring the intersections of myth, consciousness, and emotional truth. His early recognition began with the Quill & Scroll Journalism Award in high school and the Gerald Black Theatre Scholarship in college, honors that affirmed his passion for storytelling. His screenwriting achievements include reaching the semi-finals of Scriptapalooza and placing within the top 15% of the Nicholl Fellowships. He is currently editing a forthcoming collection of original poems that expand on his signature blend of lyrical imagery and existential reflection. Most recently, Lightsey published his debut novel, Hecate's Labyrinth, which earned critical praise from Kirkus Reviews for its vivid imagination and philosophical depth.
Music
Michael's lifelong relationship with music began in his youth, when he received the Louis Armstrong Jazz Award in high school for excellence in musicianship — an early recognition of his expressive, improvisational sensibility. His music today blends introspection and storytelling, weaving elements of Americana, folk, and ambient sound design into songs that reflect both the personal and the transcendent. He composes and produces original tracks that explore themes of identity, empathy, and transformation, blending heartfelt lyricism with atmospheric soundscapes. Songs like "Two Wolves," "Ripple in My Soul," and "Invisible Prison" reveal his signature fusion of lyrical depth, emotional honesty, and cinematic mood. Each composition serves as an extension of his larger artistic vision — a bridge between sound, image, and spirit.
Visual Art
Michael's visual art blends abstraction, realism, and expressionism to explore the hidden geometry of emotion and consciousness. His creative path began early, earning the Westerville Art League Scholarship and a scholarship to the Columbus College of Art & Design — honors that set the foundation for his lifelong devotion to the visual arts. His abstract work has been recognized as a finalist in The Artist's Magazine, while his portraiture resides in the private collections of Sting, Phylicia Rashad, and Lea Salonga. Working in both digital and traditional media, Lightsey creates pieces that invite contemplation — vivid, dreamlike compositions where movement, color, and intuition converge. Each piece, whether figurative or abstract, serves as a visual echo of his writing and music — part of a unified creative language spanning multiple dimensions of art.