Art Works! with Spencer Thomas

When Lawson King drives a car, he almost sees everything as art. The bends in the trees. The spirals created by the wind. Somehow these shapes are already speaking to us, and he finds fulfillment in taking what the world gives and creating further meaning out of it through sculpture. His work with Reed Smith (Rod Smoth) provided a collaborative experience to bring out Letting Go, a piece as playful as it is powerful. A hand reaching up towards a balloon with the string in a spiral around the forearm. It’s in reach and out of reach. In control and out of control. The Broken Arrow piece featured in downtown Cleveland, Mississippi is representative of a Native American symbol of peace honoring professor Ethan Schmidt, a beloved colleague who was the victim of a shooting on the Delta State Campus in 2015.

Lawson and I talked mid-November 2020 about the kid-like process you need to start your art before you edit, the little known scenes in small town Mississippi, the act of simplicity to create the biggest impact and much more. Prepare to be extremely calm while listening.

Kenny Pahina is Jackson, Mississippi’s pop sensation. We can all imagine wanting something so bad but not being able to do it to our greatest extent. Kenny served in the Air Force a few summers back in Abu Dhabi sweating through the night with a midi keyboard and a laptop trying to perfect his songs one minute detail at a time. When his time was up in the military, he was ready to start his blossoming music career at full force. Kenny has since released four singles with compelling music videos following. He’s shown the world that he can create a song with air tight production and pop hooks without the help of high budget studios and big named producers. All he needed was a community of talented friends he’s so gifted at creating.

I spoke with Kenny back in November 2020 about his first 3 singles, his service in the military, landing his first deal with Samsung for a commercial and how gratitude for the most basic elements of our lives can push us forward. It’s not like you can forget the name Kenny Pahina in the first place, but I promise you’ll be hearing it a lot more soon enough.

Annalee Richards did that scary thing that every one talks about but few take the leap. She decided if she was going to be an actor, she was going to move to Los Angeles with the few connections she had and some savings to make it happen. Through a series of odd-jobs while finding the time to drive across town for audition after audition, she's started to see the fruits of her labors take shape.

After four years in LA, she's managed to get film and theatrical representation as well as gathered a strong reel of performances she can proudly show to future casting directors. Not only has she achieved career growth, but we talked extensively about her personal growth. She explained her breakthroughs in therapy and how meditation has made her a stronger and more present actor, digging deeper into her authentic self and pouring those qualities into her roles.

We talked in late October 2020. She's now wrapping up the Netflix sponsored Stranger Things immersive theater experience, and I got the chance to talk with her after her opening night.

WAYS TO KEEP UP WITH ANNALEE:

instagram.com/annabreebree

instagram.com/annaleeselftapemay

Charles Warren is too talented and too kind not to succeed. He's a videographer for flyfishing companies like Flylords and Fly Cvlture. He's the guitar player of Noonday Sons. He's photographed bands like Marcus King Band and Kendall Street Company. He's started his own travel company called Wood Valley Travel & Media. He's also one of the biggest Futurebirds fans you'll ever meet.

We met while he was creating his first ever music documentary for Futurebirds out in Steamboat Springs, CO. I was on my first tour with the band, and needless to say we both felt like for some reason we weren't good enough to belong there. Our talks there carried onto this episode.

Ashley Locke is the managing editor at Good Grit Magazine. Starting as a staff writer, her work for the publication has deepened her love for cooking and uncovering the stories behind restauranteurs who've fought their way from nothing to being world-renowned in their field. Learning the series of challenges behind the dishes has made her more in tune with what it actually takes to make a living as a chef, recipe maker, cookbook writer, etc.

I talked with her mid-October of 2020, starting the conversation initially about the process of recipe making, but we also delved into tips on how to keep your home kitchen more prepared for cooking on a whim. We talked about food waste and food scarcity in places surrounded by farms. We also talked about the long road to completing her passion project: Cooking Every Country.

WAYS TO KEEP UP WITH ASHLEY:

https://www.instagram.com/ashealo/

https://www.aslocke.com/

https://goodgritmag.com/

Patrick Ferguson is one of the most highly-praised drummers in the Athens, GA area (and quite possibly the southeastern United States) playing with the likes of Five Eight, R.E.M.'s Mike Mills, The Psychedelic Furs, Bill Mallonee of Vigilantes of Love, Vic Chesnutt and at least 100 bands more. Beyond music, he's created a community out of his musician-friendly podcast with a strong emphasis on mental health known as Crash & Ride.

He's a hell of a friend with a lifetime of wisdom and experiences he shares in my very first episode. I was lucky he did most of the talking, so I didn't have to ask the majority of my dumb questions.

WAYS TO KEEP UP WITH PATRICK:

http://www.patrickferguson.net/bio

https://www.crashandridepodcast.com/