Episode 2: Elyssa Leininger: Connection, Creativity, and Compassion

In this episode, I sit down with Elyssa Leininger, a Billings native and leading voice in the public art movement. Elyssa is an accomplished artist whose work spans the state and beyond, but she is best known for her public murals, artworks that have transformed spaces across Billings, from the iconic 6th Street Underpass to the Mental Health and Crisis Centers, bringing light and beauty to some of our most vulnerable neighbors.We begin with the 6th Street Underpass, where Elyssa painted her very first mural in 2020. Contracted through the city for less than a thousand dollars, she poured over a thousand hours into her concrete canvas. The result is a tapestry of sunrise and wildlife, featuring buffalo, elk, and eagles. If you haven’t walked through or driven by, it’s worth a stop and a honk of appreciation.It was an honor to share this conversation. I hope her story inspires you as deeply as it has inspired me. The world needs better stories, and Pay Love Forward exists to tell them.