Today we’d like to introduce you to Jory Neff

Hi Jory, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?

I grew up in a working class household in south Arkansas. I graduated in 2003 and pursued “The Milennial Dream” of going to college and landing a big paying job.

By 2009, I obtained a masters degree in History and began exploring employment opportunities. The Great Recession of 2008 made it difficult for me to find work. Furthermore, nothing felt as fulfilling to me as teaching, so I returned to college to pursue teaching certifications in Spanish and social studies. I began teaching in 2013, acquired a PhD. in Education in 2021, and I am still working as an educator.

In late 2019, however, my mother passed away. In coping with that loss, I began learning art as a discipline. I became a certified art teacher by the 2020-21 school year. My pursuits in the visual arts inspired me to begin writing. As my novel became reality, I established Unbound Creative Studios to capture a broader picture of artistic pursuits that captivate my mind. My wife Janell is a cofounder of our business, and her knowledge of business operations has allowed me to focus on the creative side of our mission.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?

My struggles have stemmed primarily from internal traits, some of which I did not understand until recently.

Near the end of my PhD studies, I continued to see newer research on autism. As I explored that literature, I contacted a psychologist. I received an official diagnosis of autism and ADHD in 2022, and I gained a deeper understanding of my strengths and character flaws in the process of exploring my neuordivergence. I believe I have autism to thank for my creative strengths and social challenges–Two categories full of interesting and embarrassing stories!

I’ve dealt with homelessness, poverty, a broken home, and major professional setbacks. None of those compare to the isolation of not understanding why you struggle to communicate your feelings. They’re overshadowed by unrecognized sources of overstimulation. Understanding myself has been the most challenging part of my journey, and those efforts have paid dividends for my mental health.

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?

I have come a very long way on my artistic journey. I am most proud of the progress I made through dedicated practice and self-study. I started with worse than stick figures to creating work I’m proud to publish.
I saved the first picture I drew when I became interested in learning art. As you can see, I’ve made significant improvement since 2019 even though I still have much to learn. I spent hours on watching tutorials, reading theory, and applied practice. I would say that overall, it paid off!

I am probably known for my writing, however. I have a proven track record for academic writing, and my fictional style is emerging. The majority of my writing has been dedicated to world building the setting for my novels, The Unbinding Chronicles.
To stand out in a positive way, I am trying to find like-minded creatives to be a part of the process of bringing this world to life. We have a new illustrator coming on board for Book 2 of the series, and I hope we can include more media and art to share our vision with the world.

What’s next?

The Unbinding Chronicles (published by Eiriene Bros. Publishing in Lubbock, TX!) is the heart of our work right now. The first in the series, Unbound Chaos, is currently available. The second novel, Unbound Order, is slated for release in early 2025. The manuscript for the third is approaching the 25% mark. There are seven novels planned in total. Most of my creative work is dedicated to writing, editing, and illustrating the core novels.
I can’t help but dream big, however, and have high hopes for the future. Alongside the novels, I hope to create additional media to supplement the world building efforts including graphic novels, short stories, illustrations, and table-top roleplaying game resources. While those are future plans, the only barrier right now is finding the time to do it!

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/j_neff_artexperiments/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100083222647383