LDSPMA

Empowering Latter-day Saints to spread light and truth by connecting them at the intersection of faith, creativity, and professional skill

Member Spotlight

LDSPMA Member Spotlight: Steve Simmons

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Steve Simmons currently lives near Providence and Millville in Cache County, Utah.

What are some names of the books or other media you have created?

I did all of the writing and artwork for 90+ titles for Planet Archipelago, a TTRPG. I also have educational material I have written on the website Teachers Pay Teachers.

What inspired you to become a creator of media?

I has been drawing since my youth. I was president of my high school art club. Over time I have gone from oils, pastels, and watercolors to digital art and from creating western Americana and ghost towns or wildlife art to science fiction fantasy/medieval art for the game.

What has been the highlight of your career so far?

I have taught almost everything from a one-room school with eight grades and sixteen to seventeen students in the backwoods of western Montana to university classes in the humanities at Utah Valley University.

What was the best advice you’ve ever been given in your creative journey?

My uncle, Grant Simmons, was an early cartoonist for Walt Disney. He advised me to never become an artist. So I became a teacher instead and continued to do my artwork with some confidence I could support my family.

What advice do you have for someone just starting out in your field?

Have a day job. Learn to network and do not ever give up.

What keeps you inspired in your daily creative work?

I have an entire alien planet to create, populate, map and explore.

What would you like others to know about you or your creative process?

I often create a picture first then write the story around the image. I am open to collaboration with other writers/artists who would like to explore the planet Archipelago.

In what ways do you feel you have been able to be a voice for good in your creative pursuits?

Back in the 1970s I played D&D. I liked the sense of adventure, the social interaction, the problem solving, and the reading and math development but found the game dark, introducing young people to dangerous amounts of the occult, soft porn, and things that are in the realm of the adversary. Things which are not harmless. So I developed a game that kept the adventure and positive traits but cut out the dark content. Instead of magic there is lost alien ancient technology that can look like magic, and instead of magical creatures, hungry and curious alien animals.

If you want your spotlight to link to your website or any of your social media platforms, include the URLs here.

http://www.planet-archipelago.com

LDSPMA Member Spotlight: Mary Beesley

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Mary Beesley lives in St. George, Utah.

What are some names of the books or other media you have created?

Dragon Blood and Wolf Pack are books 1 and 2 in the Draco Sang Trilogy, a YA fantasy series.
To Unite a Realm is my adult fantasy.
Betting on Love, is my romantic comedy.
My next project is a women’s fiction piece.

What inspired you to become a creator of media?

When I found out I was going to have a fourth child, I got discouraged and overwhelmed. God inspired me to start writing stories. At first it was a place for me to be creative and decompress, then I fell in love with it. I took classes and worked hard to practice and improve. I write because I want to, and I’m good at it.

What has been the highlight of your career so far?

The first moment when I was reading my manuscript and I realized it was good, really good. It hit me that I’d finally found what I want to do with my talents and time. That sense of rightness and belonging has filled me up and fueled me through hard writing sessions and painful rejections.

What was the best advice you’ve ever been given in your creative journey?

Don’t give up. Take a rest, but don’t quit.

What advice do you have for someone just starting out in your field?

Be patient! With yourself and your work and your editors. Read a lot. Becoming a great writer takes time. Enjoy the journey because there is no finish line. Give yourself grace and trust your gut. Art is subjective, don’t let someone else’s negative option of your creation become your own. Your voice is unique and important. It will take time and effort and learning to be a good writer. Put in the work.

What keeps you inspired in your daily creative work?

Nature. Being out among the beauties and intricacies makes me want to create. Observing humanity. Reading books, essays, and poetry. And of course, writing. Writing begets writing.

What would you like others to know about you or your creative process?

My creativity is incredibly important to me, and I try to honor it. I respect my writing time by making sure to schedule it when my mind is most active and fresh. I own my art. I write from my heart and don’t force stories that don’t feel genuine or important. It’s hard work to write well, and I expect round and rounds of edits. The time at the keyboard is only a fraction of all that goes into a story. Thinking time is vital, and I don’t skimp on listening to the silence and going on walks.

In what ways do you feel you have been able to be a voice for good in your creative pursuits?

In all my books, I aim to show the light and hope amidst the darkness. There is pain and grief in every life. I try to be real about that place but show the rays of goodness and courage that are there to be found.

If you want your spotlight to link to your website or any of your social media platforms, include the URLs here.

https://www.marybeesley.com/

https://www.instagram.com/marybeesleywriter/

https://www.facebook.com/MaryBeesleyAuthor

LDSPMA Member Spotlight: Debbi Rollo

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Debbi Rollo currently lives in Orem, Utah.

What are some names of the books or other media you have created?

Book of Mormon Rhymes
Book of Mormon Rhymes: Isaiah Chapters
Isaiah Joke Book (soon to be released)

What inspired you to become a creator of media?

I love finding creative ways to make the scriptures engaging, fun, and more understandable. I created Book of Mormon Rhymes after being inspired by a classic nursery rhyme book that was handed down to me by my grandmother. I read regularly to my grandchildren, whom we adopted after their parents’ death (our daughter and her husband). It lifted our spirits and helped heal our hearts. That’s how Book of Mormon Rhymes began, then other books followed.

What has been the highlight of your career so far?

The highlight is hearing how my book has impacted readers to improve their scripture study of the Book of Mormon. I love inspiring others to read the scriptures and creating ways for people to enjoy reading them in a unique, fun way.

What was the best advice you’ve ever been given in your creative journey?

I try to keep in mind 2 Chronicles 15:7 “Be ye strong therefore, and let not your hands be weak: for your work shall be rewarded.”

What advice do you have for someone just starting out in your field?

Keep going, keep learning, find mentors, and don’t give up.

What keeps you inspired in your daily creative work?

The light and joy I feel each day when I create content. I believe our Spirit is designed to create—and I’ve discovered that writing lights up my spirit, which is addicting the more I do it.

What would you like others to know about you or your creative process?

I pray before I write. I try to balance working IN my business and working ON my business (as a writer). Taking breaks is vital.

In what ways do you feel you have been able to be a voice for good in your creative pursuits?

I hope that my books inspire readers to enjoy the scriptures and to learn and love their teachings.

If you want your spotlight to link to your website or any of your social media platforms, include the URLs here.

https://www.bookofmormonrhymes.com/

LDSPMA Member Spotlight: Cris Conerty

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Cris Conerty currently lives in Colbert, Washington.

What are some names of the books or other media you have created?

I created Mary’s Easter Morning (a children’s picture book based upon my original children’s folk song), many hymns, choral compositions, and children’s songs for the Christian church/Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints setting (see http://www.whitepoppycreative.com).

What inspired you to become a creator of media?

It all started at age five with the Christmas gift of the Linus-like toy piano. Many years of piano playing, a variety of college courses, voice lessons, arranging classes and self-study, and a good amount of performance experience has gotten me to where I am today. I have always found a way to make music and let my heart sing. Composing and arranging music for the Christian church setting is one of my favorite things to do, and much of my work is a collaboration with my daughter, Alaina Larsen. I have been inspired by the work of Janice Kapp Perry.

What has been the highlight of your career so far?

The highlights of my career thus far have been collaborating with my daughter, Alaina Larsen, since 2018 to compose music and producing creative works for children and adults that help to generate, build, and repair individual testimonies of Jesus Christ. We are a mother-daughter team who love the Lord, His gospel, and the power music has to share His message. We recently celebrated being offered a publishing contract for our first children’s book, which is based on an original song.

What was the best advice you’ve ever been given in your creative journey?

Find your own authentic voice and say what only you can say.

What advice do you have for someone just starting out in your field?

In the area of songwriting, my best advice is to be open to suggestions and input from others—remain teachable—then review and revise your lyrics and creative works many times, so that you can bring your very best product to your audience, publishers, and to all with whom you share your work.

What keeps you inspired in your daily creative work?

My age inspires me—as an empty-nester and grandparent I realize life is short. It is never too late to begin the journey of creating and sharing your original, inspired material. I am also inspired by my personal awareness of the gifts God has given me and my responsibility to be a voice of light.

In what ways do you feel you have been able to be a voice for good in your creative pursuits?

Through our joint venture, White Poppy Creative, my daughter and I have composed music that highlights time-tested virtues, illuminates the role of women in the scriptures, deepens faith in Jesus Christ, and brings comfort and joy to Latter-day Saint and Christian congregations. Through the power of inspiring music, meaningful word, and impactful visuals, we will continue to bring hope-filled inspirational works to light.

If you want your spotlight to link to your website or any of your social media platforms, include the URLs here.

https://whitepoppycreative.com/

LDSPMA Member Spotlight: Maleah Day Warner

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Maleah Day Warner currently lives in American Fork, Utah.

What are some names of the books or other media you have created?

Lies of the Magpie is my debut memoir and the 2020 AML award winner for Creative Nonfiction. I also host the Power Principles Podcast.

What inspired you to become a creator of media?

My fourth grade teacher told me I would be a writer, and I believed her.

What has been the highlight of your career so far?

Meeting Alex Boyé at LDSPMA conference 2021, of course!

Winning the 2020 AML (Association for Mormon Letters) award for Creative Nonfiction was thrilling and an absolute surprise. Many thanks to AML for boosting my confidence as an author. 🙂

What was the best advice you’ve ever been given in your creative journey?

Ally Condie said she gave herself permission to take her time in her writing journey. This advice has helped me to be patient in the LONG process of becoming a writer and the even LONGER journey to publication.

What advice do you have for someone just starting out in your field?

Be willing to be really bad at your craft. You have to be bad BEFORE you can be good. But no one wants to be bad, so we procrastinate creating. Go ahead and be bad. Produce that cringe-worthy first draft. Clunk through the gag-inducing second draft. Imagine that you’re required to produce 200,00 really awful sentences before your brilliance can shine. Then you can sit down and start writing junk. Jeff Savage says you have to dump a whole lot of manure on your page before the flowers will grow.

What keeps you inspired in your daily creative work?

Most of the day I wrestle with enormous amounts of self-doubt. When I’m on top of my creative game, it’s remembering my WHY that keeps me going. And reading. When I lack motivation, reading gets me back on track.

What would you like others to know about you or your creative process?

I love mothering and writing and try to combine the two whenever I can. I want to see more stories with mother protagonists.

My mission is to educate, validate, and elevate the work of mothering.

In what ways do you feel you have been able to be a voice for good in your creative pursuits?

I believe that a healthy world starts with healthy mothers. Postpartum depression, anxiety and mental health issues are a huge battle for mothers right now. I also believe in the healing power of story. Maybe a mom who feels alone and is struggling can find hope, healing, and an enormous hug and boost of encouragement from reading my story.

If you want your spotlight to link to your website or any of your social media platforms, include the URLs here.

[email protected]

Instagram: @maleahdaywarnerwrites

https://www.facebook.com/maleah.warner

LDSPMA Member Spotlight: Thomas Laughlin

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Thomas Laughlin lives in Clinton, Utah.

What are some names of the books or other media you have created?

In my over twenty-year career, I’ve been privileged to have worked with and mentored by several LDS filmmakers such as TC Christensen ASC (producer/cinematographer for Love Kennedy and 17 Miracles), Peter Czerny (film editor of the original Johnny Lingo and LDS film classics of the 1960s-1990s), Dennis Lisonbee (film director and composer), and so many who have worked for the BYU and LDS Motion Picture Studio. I’ve done several award-winning documentaries, including A Reel Legacy: The History of Judge Whitaker and the LDS Motion Picture Studio, Stripling, and more recently I was director and producer of Remembering Heaven.

What inspired you to become a creator of media?

I have always loved cinema. I was always enamored with the process from writing to editing. My parents encouraged me to follow my dream, so after a mission to Sao Paulo Brazil, I left my hometown of Wichita, Kansas, and headed to Provo, Utah, went to UVU, got married, and have been married for the past twenty years.

What has been the highlight of your career so far?

Before I came to live in Utah after my mission, I came out here to visit some mission friends and attended the first LDS Film Festival. It was a tiny festival back then, but I was amazed by all the filmmakers—I had found my people! This festival is what brought me to Utah. Twenty years later, we entered our documentary Remembering Heaven and won the Twentieth Annual LDS Film Festival, with my wife and kids looking on, as we took the stage and got the “Best Documentary” award. It felt amazing!

What was the best advice you’ve ever been given in your creative journey?

The best advice I ever got was to study storytelling. Every filmmaking process is tied to story. It’s the same whether it is a novel, book, short film, or whatever the medium. You have to have a strong beginning, middle, and ending. At the recommendation of a college film friend, I read Screenplay by Syd Field, and it changed everything for me. I wrote around fifteen feature film scripts in college—so do a lot of writing, shooting, and editing.

What advice do you have for someone just starting out in your field?

Whatever background or experience you have, learn as much as you can about the “film business.” If you have a great idea, manuscript, or a book (that you want to make into a film or a documentary), take the time to research and learn about filmmaking, scriptwriting, marketing, and distribution. Have a specific goal and run to that goal and don’t stop until that goal is achieved. Intern on a film set or work on a short film. This will add to your experiences and skills. Be tenacious and passionate!

What keeps you inspired in your daily creative work?

What inspires me is my inner drive to always tell a story with the most emotional or uplifting impact. Oftentimes, we don’t always get to work on big projects. Maybe they are small car commercials or corporate videos. But even still, you can always try and make the content inspiring or uplift your viewers. There are so many film pioneers before us, who had to work with more primitive filmmaking tools. We have digital tools like the iPhone, that can film anything. We have laptops that can edit. Tell those stories!

What would you like others to know about you or your creative process?

The creative process is like a muscle. The more you do it, the stronger and better you get. Like bodybuilding, you can target certain muscle groups or areas of focus. The creative process is a journey. Just keep going.

In what ways do you feel you have been able to be a voice for good in your creative pursuits?

Especially with my last two documentaries, Stripling and Remembering Heaven, I have tried to inform and truly inspire the members of our LDS youth and members to remember the gospel of Jesus Christ. In everything I try and do, I look at it as if the Lord is looking at the film and ask, would he accept this offering? As many artists know, we do our best and hope that what we do turns people’s hearts to (or back to) the Savior. (And, I hope to work on future projects with others in the LDSPMA!)

If you want your spotlight to link to your website or any of your social media platforms, include the URLs here.

https://www.facebook.com/tomyboy342000

LDSPMA Member Spotlight: Alyssa Calder Hulme

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Alyssa Calder Hulme lives in Heber City, Utah.

What are some names of the books or other media you have created?

  • Women of Ambition Podcast
  • BBC News: “My Money: ‘Our alternative quarantine holiday'”
  • Local Passport Family Guest Post: “Living and Working from an RV”
  • Babywise Mom: “Homeschooling with a Newborn: 6 Tips for Success”
  • Intermountain Healthcare: “School at home while you’re social distancing: 6 tips for a positive experience”

What inspired you to become a creator of media?

I have a lot to say on many topics; writing and podcasting helps me move conversations out of my head and into the world where I can make a difference. My current project, Women of Ambition Podcast, gives me a fantastic excuse to befriend incredible women, learn from them, and rip into my deepest questions while taking my audience along for the ride.

What has been the highlight of your career so far?

Getting published by the BBC! It’s my first international publication.

What was the best advice you’ve ever been given in your creative journey?

It doesn’t have to be perfect. Just start where you are and learn along the way.

What advice do you have for someone just starting out in your field?

Choose a deep topic you’ll never get sick of exploring. Dig into that in whatever format works for your energy and interest level. Begin with the lowest start up cost and see where things go.

What keeps you inspired in your daily creative work?

Making sure I’m living the way I want my children to live—that is, in alignment with my values and passions. Also remembering that creation is a holy act and as I practice it I can become closer to my Heavenly Mother and Father.

What would you like others to know about you or your creative process?

It’s is all over the map; I always have about five projects going on beyond what I’ve told anyone. From the outside (and frequently the inside) those pursuits look disconnected but always makes sense in the end. My deep dive into oil paints ends up informing the way I brand my content. My veer into reiki healing connects me deeper to my Heavenly Parents whose love fuels my bigger purpose as a teacher and disruptor. My book binge is teaching me (again) how to naturally craft dialogue between characters in my book. It all feeds my creativity.

In what ways do you feel you have been able to be a voice for good in your creative pursuits?

I use my voice to speak up for women and encourage other women to do the same. We don’t have to agree on anything to make more space for women’s voices; simply using mine makes more room for another woman to use hers. I’ve witnessed silenced women speak up. I’ve watched as they realize their words are of value. When women step up to the mic, we transform the world.

I am also an advocate for neurodiverse humans. In simply sharing information on neurodiversity with my community, I have seen increased love for self and empathy for others.

If you want your spotlight to link to your website or any of your social media platforms, include the URLs here.

http://www.WomenofAmbitionPodcast.com @WomenofAmbitionPodcast @BigRoundSchoolhouse @WhoIsHeavenlyMother

LDSPMA Member Spotlight: Spanky Ward

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Spanky Ward currently lives in Holladay, Utah.

What are some names of the books or other media you have created?

I’ve written the feature films Riot (Dolph Lundgren), Ruling of the Heart, and Christmas Break-In (Danny Glover, Denise Richards). I’ve also written, produced, and directed the feature films Hello, I Love You and The Santa Box, as well as over seventy short films and commercials.

I also recently self-published my first children’s book called Charlie’s Long Journey, available on Amazon.com.

I have other films, novels, and children’s books in the works.

What inspired you to become a creator of media?

I’ve always loved TV, movies—anything that sparks my imagination, but writing didn’t hit me until college. I started out with commercials, then movies and now novels and children’s books. I’m excited to explore more forms of writing in the future.

What has been the highlight of your career so far?

Definitely writing, producing and directing my movie The Santa Box. It was my first bigger budget film, and it has already won five awards and just sold to the UK, Japan, Australia, and South Africa, with more territories on the way.

What was the best advice you’ve ever been given in your creative journey?

If you feel that God’s given you a talent, then develop it and use it to its fullest potential, no matter how difficult things get or the size or number of roadblocks in your way.

What advice do you have for someone just starting out in your field?

If you have the talent needed to succeed, then never give up.

What keeps you inspired in your daily creative work?

The anticipation of seeing an audience react to my work.

What would you like others to know about you or your creative process?

That my goal in life is to tell great stories that are entertaining for everyone.

In what ways do you feel you have been able to be a voice for good in your creative pursuits?

I’ve had a chance to make some heartfelt family friendly movies over the years.

If you want your spotlight to link to your website or any of your social media platforms, include the URLs here.

http://www.facebook.com/spankyward