The great scholar of mythology Joseph Campbell once said, “The way of the mystic and the way of the artist are related, except that the mystic doesn’t have a craft.” In The Power of Myth, Campbell and Bill Moyers explore the often-overlooked role artists play in society.

Bill Moyers: “Who interprets the divinity inherent in nature for us today? Who are our shamans?”

Joseph Campbell: “It is the function of the artist to do this. The artist is the one who communicates myth for today…”

Moyers: “So shamans functioned in earlier societies as artists do now. They play a much more important role than simply being…”

Campbell: “They played the role that the priesthood traditionally plays in our society.”

Inspired by that idea, I wander the mystical backroads of the human condition and return with a suitcase full of curious snapshots to share. Some are whimsical; others come from the shadow lands, where the path gets a little stranger and the souvenirs bite back. And yes, sometimes the artist-mystic must put their craft to work in the commercial worlds of art and entertainment, conjuring the dreams, nightmares, and wild imaginings of others. In the end, that only adds to the spell. This is where the magic happens—and what a wonderfully strange playground it is.