🎙️ "Parking Lot Prayers with Charlie Brown"

In this heartfelt episode of Creatures of Creativity, we sit down with teacher, musician, and visionary Charlie Brown, whose latest music video Parking Lot Prayers blends raw emotion, community spirit, and creative collaboration.

Charlie shares how his journey took him from the music scene in Nashville, TN to the classrooms of Bethalto, IL, where he's now a passionate culinary arts teacher. Hear how his role as an educator inspired the message behind Parking Lot Prayers — a song filled with hope, resilience, and the dreams he holds for his students as they navigate life’s challenges.

We also dive into Charlie’s creative process, including his collaboration with Whole Street Productions to bring the music video to life, and his work with local powerhouse Aaron Kellim and other artists shaping the regional music landscape.

From the kitchen to the stage, Charlie Brown is teaching, singing, and inspiring — don’t miss this powerful conversation about purpose, passion, and parking lot prayers.

🎧 Available now wherever you get your podcasts.

This show is presented by Whole Street Productions.

Ryan and Dave take the show on the road to the Foundry Art Centre in St. Charles, MO. Their guest is Jessica Mannisi, Director of Exhibition.

Mannisi explains her personal journey going from a high school student in Edwardsville in "Mr. DeToye's art class," to a student of art history at SIUE, to her current "dream job" as a director at the FAC, whose mission is to connect "people with the arts through exhibitions, studio artists, performances, & education."

Ryan talks about shooting a wedding reception there recently, and the interaction he noticed between the guests and the exhibited art.

Mannisi explains the incredible structure of the building, the details of the conversion from a "box car factory" to center of St. Louis' creative scene, and she describes a few of her favorite efforts as an exhibit director.

This show is presented by Whole Street Productions.

In this episode Ryan, Dave, and Michael talk with Renee Childs, founder of Youth Be Heard.

Childs speaks candidly about her journey to empowering "young people" to "believe in their own stories and to empower them." She includes details regarding upcoming projects in two southern Illinois school districts, and she shares some of the success stories YBH has since being founded in 2018.