Last month, I had the enriching experience and honor of visiting the home / studio of Franz Spohn, an accomplished artist, educator, and truly beautiful human being.
Franz has been a guiding light in my journey, not just for his immense talent, but for the way he speaks so honestly about the real path of being an artist. He reminds me that dedication and hard work matter, but even more than that, following your curiosity and making the work you want to make is always the right answer.
Franz openly shares about the many years he spent doing jobs he didn’t necessarily love on his way to the good stuff, and how much value, skill, and perspective came from those seasons of life. It’s such a powerful reminder that the journey is rarely perfect… and that’s the point.
Every step teaches us something if we let it.
With an MFA in printmaking and drawing from The Ohio State University, decades of teaching at the collegiate level, on television, and even within prison systems, Franz has built an extraordinary creative life. His work has spanned national exhibitions, book illustration and cover design for publishers like Bantam, Doubleday, and Dell, collaborations with brands including Target, Speedball Art Products, and Faber-Castell, and co-producing and co-hosting multiple PBS series. He’s been featured everywhere from Ripley’s Believe It or Not to The Secret Life of Gum, and is also known for orchestrating large-scale community murals made of thousands of gumballs across the world. Franz’s journey is living proof that a creative path can unfold in wildly unexpected and beautiful ways.
Mostly, Franz is someone who lives creatively, and generously, and I’m endlessly grateful for his mentorship, wisdom, and encouragement to keep going, keep believing, and keep making. Thank you,
@spohnfranz đź’š
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