On Making: Exploring the Creative Process

What turns on the switch? Where do creative ideas come from? How does an artist or author follow a path from concept to creation? Join us for a fascinating conversation between two acclaimed, prolific creatives as they explore making, the art of craft, and how the spark of inspiration evolves over time.

Trained as an art director, Cozbi A. Cabrera left a successful 15-year career designing album covers for Atlantic Records and Sony Music to “discover, create, and share pockets of grace and beauty” as a multimedia artist. Her work spans a range of media, from handmade cloth dolls (muñecas) created in honor of her Honduran heritage, to writing and illustrating children’s books, to launching a clothing line.

Ms. Cabrera’s stunningly intricate dolls are collector’s items, and have been featured on the Oprah Winfrey Show, in Martha Stewart Living, the Land of Nod catalogue, and many US networks. She has had solo exhibitions at the Jewish Fund Gallery, Ernest Rubenstein Galleries, and the Lincoln Center Education Art Gallery. Her dolls, quilts, and paintings exhibited concurrently with the Gees Bend Quilts at the Myrtle Beach Art Museum in 2017. Ms. Cabrera has authored and illustrated two books, including the brand-new Me & Mama, and has illustrated five others.

Born in Washington, DC and raised in neighboring Oxon Hill, Maryland, Jason Reynolds found inspiration in rap to begin writing poetry at nine years old. He focused on poetry for approximately the next two decades, only reading a novel cover to cover for the first time at age 17 and publishing several poetry collections before he published his own first novel, When I Was the Greatest, in 2014.

Mr. Reynolds is an award-winning and #1 New York Times bestselling author. His many books include Miles Morales: Spider Man, the Track series (Ghost, Patina, Sunny, and Lu), Long Way Down, which received a Newbery Honor, a Printz Honor, and a Coretta Scott King Honor, and Look Both Ways, which was a National Book Award Finalist. His latest book, Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You, is a collaboration with Ibram X. Kendi, Ph.D. His forthcoming book, a graphic novel update of his 2017 book Long Way Down, will be released in October of 2020.

Recently named the National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature, Mr. Reynolds has appeared on The Daily Show with Trevor Noah, Late Night with Seth Meyers, and CBS This Morning. He is on faculty at Lesley University for the Writing for Young People MFA Program, and lives in Washington, DC.

This event suitable for youth 12+

REGISTRATION REQUIRED for all FAN webinar events. This event will be recorded and available later on our website and YouTube channel.

BONUS AFTER-HOURS EVENT: Attendees who purchase a copy of Ms. Cabrera’s Me & Mama OR Mr. Reynolds’ forthcoming graphic novel Long Way Down from FAN’s partner bookseller The Book Stall are invited to attend an AFTER-HOURS event hosted by Ms. Cabrera and Mr. Reynolds that will start immediately after the webinar.

NOTE: The link to register for the AFTER-HOURS will appear in red font at the top of your email receipt from The Book Stall. Please look for it!