We had the good fortune of connecting with Ross Boone and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Ross, what role has risk played in your life or career?
We first ran into Ross when he was drawing on a canvas right next to the main stage of a big conference. We asked him if it’s intimidating and he said the biggest tool in his ‘risk’ tool box is to replace ‘fear’ with ‘adventure’ in his mind. And to remember “that if I fail, I’ll come out the other side with a funnier story.”

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
Well, we first saw Ross taking visual notes at the front of a stage and introduced ourselves. And about the same time we were recommended to look at a really beautiful phone App made by “Raw Spoon”. Turns out they’re the same person. Ross Boone = Raw Spoon (a homonym).

As if that wasn’t enough, we heard from an associate in LA of someone who had made an app that uses AI to automatically create visual sketch notes from audio recordings.

That was him too.

When we asked him about anything else, he pointed us to his website (RawSpoon.com) where we found he’s also written a novel (Absent Landlord), over a hundred short stories he calls modern parables, and several kids books. He produced a coloring book and “experience box” based on the Stations of the Cross (apparently an ancient Christian thing). He has animated music videos (one of which has 123,000 views). He made an app that is a supposed “rap battle between Snoop Dogg, Emily Dickinson and the ESV.” He has a podcast of his fictional stories. He also has a whole catalogue of interviews of Atlanta homeless people. He took a trip to Ethiopia and wrote and illustrated a book of local pastors describing miracles happening there. You even may have seen murals he has done in Fort Myers, Florida and in South Atlanta.

He does tons of hand drawn digital art, and is about half-way through making AI art for the entire Bible.

And if you think he’s just a basement experimenter, he’s actually done artwork for Chick-fil-A, Coca-Cola, Amazon, PwC, Accenture, Mercedes Benz, Porsche, and a dozen other names you’d know. Okay, I know this is getting tiring, but in his previous career he was a product designer of outdoor decor products that ended up in places like Home Depot, Ace Hardware, and Costco.

When asked how he is so prolific he said he lives a monk-like lifestyle so he can “mine the human experience for spiritual truths and draw people to God in beautifully compelling ways.”

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Ross said the most inspiring place is the “Forward Warrior” mural wall near Cabbage Town.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Ross says his biggest creative and spiritual influence was, hands down, the ideas and writings of C.S. Lewis. He’s also gotten a lot of art guidance from the coaches at The Sketch Effect, where he does graphic recording as one of their network artists. But he also appreciates how his parents encouraged him with whatever he did. Also, his wife is basically his “creative director.” Ross says, “I try to run everything past her because she’s got a good eye and she’ll catch all the mistakes I’m too close to see. She’s upped my game by 100%.”

Website: https://rawspoon.com

Instagram: @Rossboone

Twitter: @rossboone , @Creature.Habits.app, @sketchnotes.raw.spoon

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ross.boone.71

Youtube: @rossboone7591

Other: App: Creature Habits

Image Credits
Photographers:
Amber Wilburn (mural)
Ally B Carver (couple photography)

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