jackson michigan

Artists In Jackson: Jake Perry

Jake Perry

“Art is the communication of feelings. If what you’re doing isn’t evoking a feeling, then what you did is arguably not art.”

Jake Perry says it was God’s plan all along that he’d end up where he is now: a videographer for Radiant Church, on Spring Arbor Rd.

He gets to live a creative life, both at work and on personal projects. His work at Radiant fulfills his need to accomplish something for a greater purpose. And his personal projects fulfill him creatively.

“I have this mix of purely creative stuff that may or may not see the light of day, but at least I can be creative for creativity’s sake. And then for this job, I get to be creative and have it make a difference,” Jake says. “So having those two together is pretty sweet.”

Jake’s work at Radiant started because a friend of his got a job at Radiant Church in Kalamazoo and suggested he apply for the videographer position. Jake didn’t get the job, but he did meet the future pastor of the Radiant Church, Mike Popenhagen, who was headed to Jackson. Now, he’s Mike’s assistant, helping promote the church, shooting video announcements, and taking photos of events.

“I get to see the smallest things I do matter to people,” Jake says.

For side projects, Jake helps as a director of photography for Cinema Grove, working on short films and documentaries. 

The way Jake sees it, artists are merely a prism through which they interpret God’s will.

“Creative people are more sensitive to communicating with what’s already there and unlocking it,” he says. “Art is the communication of feelings. If what you’re doing isn’t evoking a feeling, then what you did is arguably not art.”

To communicate those feelings, Jake likes working with the basics of image-making.

“I love light, period,” he says. “Being a cinematographer, it’s important for your whole life to be light and shadow.”

Taking inspiration from music, architecture, and photography, Jake pictures himself as a storyteller and uses the stories around him to express himself creatively. It starts with people.

And people, he says, are what make Jackson’s creative community so special. They’re not competitive, and they’re willing to learn and grow together.

“It’s a community that’s not a bunch of sharks with blood in the water,” Jake says. 

But Jackson tends to view creative work in a skewed way.

“Jackson is a place that doesn’t value creativity as much as it should, even though it’s ripe with it. And that’s sad,” he says. 

Jake stays in Jackson because he feels like God has a plan for him here, and that Jackson may not be done with him just yet. He learned that when he tried to get a job out of the community. 

Jackson, as it does so often with others, pulled him back. That’s when he learned to trust God’s plan for him.

“As soon as I did, things made sense and started to fall into place.”

Buy the Artists In Jackson book | Jake Perry on YouTube

Some Advice (Not From Me)

Artists In Jackson

In sharing my Artists In Jackson project, I reached out to some artists for feedback. What did they think? What can I do differently next time?

One artist in particular – raised in Jackson, went on to great success – gave me some really great advice. For one, he was worried about me producing a book. “Nobody buys books,” he wrote, “not even if you price them at $10 a piece.”

He, however, knew how to sell books. Case in point: a $500 book, limited to 50 editions, and he sold out of his print run in just a few weeks. This artist offered an experience, not just a book. It became a pride point to own one of his books.

“The book was only a bonus and personal brag piece to tell their friends the damn book cost $500,” he said. “It’s the experience, not the money.”

His experience was, he only printed 50 of them, and he included a personal sketch inside each one.

You can’t rely on friends and family to support your art, he told me. And people in the community who say they support the arts? They’re mostly fibbing. Few back up their support with actual dollars.

Some of this I wished I had heard before I started the project, though I doubt that would’ve dissuaded me. I wanted to make a quality book for people to buy, and I felt like I had enough of an audience to sell a decent amount.

Aside from the book, my main motivation was to brag about the artistic talent in Jackson, and to get to know some local artists. Take economics out of it, and I feel like my project was very successful.

Put economics back in, and I think the advice I received was pretty spot-on. My “experience” was a limited run of books signed by me, with a free eBook download and dibs on info like extra editions and events. I could do a lot more to up the “experience” level.

I don’t think that a high price tag would go over well in the community, however. Jackson is a pretty cheapskate kind of town.

Granted, this artist has a huge following, and sells work for thousands of dollars. He works on a totally different level than this local photographer with a super local project.

But for future projects, his advice is worthwhile.

Thanks Dominic!


Artists In Jackson, the Magazine

Artists In Jackson, the Magazine

Today, on Small Business Saturday, I’m launching part three of Artists In Jackson – the Magazine edition: 96 big, full-color pages, soft-bound and larger than the hardcover edition, and at an affordable price of only $35.

And here’s a deal: use the code CREATIVE40 until Dec. 1 at checkout for 40% off the price. Get yours at artistsinjackson.com/book.

Hardcovers are also still available! Use the code art517 for $9 off the price.


Artists In Jackson: Justine Melville

Justine Melville

“Putting the energy into my work – dying fabric, taking the color out, ice dying – there’s a lot to it. The process is a good focus for me. It helps calm me. And I really enjoy the product I get.”

Read Justine’s profile at Artists In Jackson.