Creatives you should know and follow.
Meet:
Mixed-media artist transforming discarded books into one-of-a-kind explorations of creativity and connection.
When everything shifted – in your work, confidence, and how you understood yourself as a creative.
After a long period of aimlessness with my artwork, I experienced a season of growth in 2023 while working on my series “The Great Siege.” It was the first time in many years that I pushed myself to create with true intent. The series directly confronted frustrations in both my personal and creative life while allowing me to explore a growing interest in repurposing discarded materials. I also challenged myself to write short poems to accompany each piece.
Working through the series helped me find my voice and uncover the idea that became Resurrected Pages: giving discarded books new life as art. That concept has since become a through line in my work, shaping much of what I’ve created since.
Tell us about the unexpected detours, surprises, challenges, or the career you almost followed instead.
If you had told me as a kid that I would one day work a 9-5 corporate gig, I would’ve laughed. I've been an artist as long as I can remember. I have these distant memories of drawing sharks for my friends in kindergarten, rebranding football teams with dinosaurs, or tracing ninja turtle comics. Thankfully my parents encouraged that creative spark and gave me plenty of opportunity to explore it. As high school was coming to a close someone explained Graphic Design to me as "art, but you can make money" so i went that route. Everything else is still being written.
The setback that shaped who you’ve become.
As I’ve grown as an artist, I’ve realized that many of my struggles are universal within the creative field. Imposter syndrome, comparison, burnout, fear of failure, and decision paralysis seem to come in waves. Sharing those challenges with others hasn’t rid me of them, but it has made me feel less alone and taught me to recognize them sooner so I can address them.
One of my favorite tactics is giving myself permission to get lost in the creative process. Setting aside time to work with no client, no rules, and no goal beyond the process itself helps me reconnect with my love for creating.
Tell us what’s distinctly yours.
When I hold a damaged or discarded book, I can't help but see beyond its functional purpose. I think about the lives it has touched and the creativity embedded within its pages, from writer to designer to printing and bindery. My work aims to honor that history by building on it.
I see my mixed media and collage practice as a collaboration with the past, transforming forgotten books into one-of-a-kind artworks that continue those stories and transform them into something new and unexpected.
The challenges you faced and the rules you refused to accept.
I've often felt frustrated by the idea that an artists has to choose a discipline and develop a recognizable style to be successful. The measure of success is not the same for everyone, and there is more than one way to get there. I've had a variety of creative interest over the years and I believe being open to all of those opportunities hasn't hindered me, it has informed the unique perspective I have to offer. I'm looking forward to seeing where this approach takes me in the next 5-10 years!
Tell us what’s distinctly yours.
Stop waiting for the "right time" to start. Stop telling yourself "I'm not ready." I wasted so much time telling myself "once I have this" or "once I have the time" or any other number of excuses. Life is doesn't always work out exactly the way you planned, so just remain flexible.
If you are excited to pursue something stop dreaming and START NOW. Progress > Perfection.
People, places, eras, subcultures, books, music, you name it.
My parents, Saturday morning cartoons, becoming a father, starting Lunchbox Doodles, joining the board for AAF, metal/hardcore music and packaging, learning about graphic design, The Guides community, "The Creative Act" by Rick Rubin, CROP Creative Conference, late night art hangs with my friends, my faith in God and my wife Kate.
Jonathan Palmisano is a Louisiana-based mixed media artist and designer with a passion for transforming discarded books and paper ephemera into unexpected visual narratives. Rooted in his idea of Resurrected Pages, his work centers on repurposing books and other found materials, transforming them into vibrant pieces that explore universal themes of the shared human experience, the search for purpose, and the connections we create through what we leave behind.
Tell us how you’re becoming the powerhouse creative you were born to be.
Tell us who!
