In this episode, Mishu sits down with filmmaker and public artist Jack C. Newell to talk about creative longevity, balancing fiction and documentary work, and the myth of having a master plan. Jack shares how “scarcity in Chicago” taught him to say yes to opportunities outside a niche, why rest is as essential as work, and how curiosity—not certainty—has shaped his body of work across genres.

🎬 Jack C. Newell is a writer, director, producer, actor, and public artist whose films include Monuments (Nashville Audience Award ’20), How (not) to Build a School in Haiti, and Bettendorf Talks (SXSW ’24). He’s the co-creator of Destroy Your Art, the public installation The Wabash Lights, and the founder of The Second City Film School. His work has screened in theaters, festivals, and on major platforms like Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon.

We talk about:
→ Why the “best advice I never took” was to go niche early and hard
→ How scarcity builds creative range (and humility)
→ Finding rest and rhythm in an unpredictable career
→ What fiction and documentary work teach each other
→ Why creative curiosity matters more than any five-year plan

Learn more about jack at jackcnewell.com and follow on Instagram: @jackcnewell/ @zaxiefilm

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Produced by @ohhmaybemedia