"My name is Joseph Anthony Mykut, born in Jasper, Alabama, and I live and create as a two-spirited LGBTQ+ artist who identifies as all pronouns. I am an author, illustrator, editor, photographer, and creative collaborator. I am an associate editor with I Ain’t Your Marionette Publishing House.  

My quill has danced across pages in many forms, children’s stories, poetry, and visual art. Some of my own works include Beautiful Boy, There’s a Me Under My Bed (with its accompanying activity book), and Cosmic Poetry: From Darkness Comes Light. I have also helped bring other voices into the world, formatting and editing works such as Christmas in Pandemonium by John Willems. Alongside these, I’ve helped develop and design cover art for themed coloring books such as Pumpkin Halloween and Mandala Designs by Vincent Cven.  

All told, between authored, illustrated, edited, and other contributions to works, I’ve had a hand in bringing over  

two dozen books into being with more in motion. My work carries the spirit of transformation, turning the seemingly mundane into the cosmic, weaving dualities of light and shadow into stories and art that speak to both the childlike and the haunted places within us all." 

Pluck your strings like a harpist in trance and reveal unto us the title of your latest opus—the very quill-scribed creation that skirts the precipice of imagination and madness!  And whence came the  electrician that wired your literary bulb? What whispers of chaos birthed such prose?

(What are you currently working on? What’s your latest story or book, and what inspired it?) 

"The strings hum and the marionette smiles. My newest creation is There’s a Me Under My Bed, a children’s story that tiptoes into the world of shadows where imagination and curiosity meet. It is a tale filled with wonder, a gentle mirror for every child who has ever whispered in the dark, What if something is under there? 

The spark that lit this story came from childhood itself, where bedtime brings both comfort and questions. The creak of the floor, the hush of night, the flutter of dreams, all came together and wove the idea of a hidden friend waiting beneath the bedframe. 

At its heart, this story is about facing the things that make us feel afraid, only to discover they are really parts of ourselves we have not yet met. The “monster” in the dark is not there to harm us, but to show us that even the scary parts can turn out to be friendly, playful, and even wonderful. 

This tale was born from the dance of imagination and courage. Through it, children learn that what feels frightening can become a companion, and that sometimes the bravest thing we can do is peek under the bed and say hello. "

Do your wooden sinews harbor peculiar rituals, as your quill--inked in inspiration--dances upon the parchment of your future masterpiece?

(Do you have any creative rituals or habits when you write? What helps you get into the right mindset?) 

“My wooden sinews do not follow rigid rituals so much as they sway with the rhythm of life itself. When my quill moves, it is not only me who writes. I cocreate with the universe, with reality, with the Creator Source of all. I bring my conscious intention to the page, but I also open myself as a channel where all that is may speak through me. 

In this way, the act of creation becomes a partnership. The project itself has a voice and a will. It shows me what it wishes to become, and I perceive it, shape it, and give it form. The dance of ink and parchment is both mine and not mine. It is the art of creation itself: something that exists, that is witnessed, and that by being witnessed, exists even more fully. 

So yes, my peculiar ritual is to step aside while also stepping in. To surrender and contribute. To listen and to shape. To allow imagination and chaos, silence and song, the universe and myself, to meet in the middle and give birth to what longs to be seen. ” 

 String freshly snipped, hinges screeching and wood creaking I ponder:  What ink-stained tales' puppeteer the strings of your imagination?  Whose words influence your quill?  Speak, fellow marionette of mind-molding tales--what authors inspire you?

(Which authors or stories have influenced your writing the most? What shaped your imagination?) 

“The strings of my mind are pulled by many voices, each leaving their mark upon my quill. I am drawn to the whimsical mischief of Shel Silverstein, whose verses remind me that even the simplest rhyme can hold worlds of wonder. I am haunted by the dark beauty of Edgar Allan Poe, whose shadows teach me that fear and sorrow can be transformed into art that lingers like a whisper in the night. 

The playful cadence of Dr. Seuss wires my bulb with rhythm and color, showing me that imagination has no ceiling and that nonsense often holds the deepest truths. From Susanna Kaysen, I gather the raw honesty of fractured thought and lived experience, the courage to write reality as it is felt rather than as it is dressed. And in Maurice Sendak, I find the wild, untamed child, proof that the monsters of our minds are often mirrors, friends, and guides. 

These authors are the unseen puppeteers of my creative strings. They each hand me a different mask to wear, a different voice to echo, a different path to wander. Through them, my own art is both playful and haunted, whimsical and raw, a theater where light and dark dance together upon the stage of the page.” 

 What are you currently spinning with your golden thread?

(What projects are you currently developing or planning to release soon?) 

"At present, my loom is alive with two very different tapestries. One shimmers with whimsy and wonder: a children’s tale where two fae beings slip into this realm disguised as humble rats. Through their tiny paws and twinkling eyes they teach that love can arrive from the most unlikely of places and creatures, reminding us that magic often hides in what the world overlooks. 

The other thread is darker, spun from shadow and dread. It is a horror story that will make Halloween night a thing to remember for generations to come. At its heart lurks a nightmarish villain, a figure terrifying enough to stand alongside Freddy, Jason, and Michael, yet twisted with new layers that will carve their own mark into the haunted halls of slasher lore. 

These are the threads I pull, light and shadow entwined, stories that teach the child within and chill the spine without, both spun from the same golden cord of creation." 

Do you have any advice for future Marionette's wishing to put quill to parchment?

(What advice would you give to new writers who are just starting out?) 

“I am still working that out for myself. The path of creation and publication is not simple, and it often falls on the author, their agent, and their publisher to navigate. What I have discovered so far is that one of the best avenues is to maximize the use of your own personal social media platforms. Begin by sharing with your inner circle, then extend outward, because just as much support, if not more, can be found among strangers, fellow artists, and unexpected allies. 

Reach out to podcasts, magazines, and other creators who are also looking to promote their work. I have found that one of the most successful approaches is in networking and cross promoting. When I offer a platform for another’s voice to be heard, they are often glad to offer the same exposure in return. 

But above all, just do it. The time will never be perfect or right, and the steps will never take themselves. Do not be afraid to fail, because life and creation both rely on movement. Take action, loosen your expectations, and allow what wants to be to simply be. Offer yourself as half genius and half channel, knowing that your conscious hand works in harmony with the universe, reality, and the Creator Source of all. 

No single piece of advice is one size fits all. The suggestions of others can guide you, but the strings of your journey must be tied to your own experience.” 

Embrace your tangled threads and spill the milk on the best advice you have ever heard.

(What what is the best advice you have ever heard?)

“The best advice I have ever heard is not a single phrase but a weaving of many strands, passed on through guidance received, wisdom overheard, and lessons learned the hard way. It mirrors the very advice I now share: take action, do not wait for the perfect moment, do not fear failure, and allow yourself to be both creator and channel. Life and art alike are born through movement. 

Yet the richest advice often comes quietly, through watching others. Their examples, both triumphs and mistakes, become a living library. These observations are not blueprints to copy, but resources to learn from. The point is not to replicate another’s design, but to originate your own. Inspiration is the spark, and from that spark you kindle a flame unique to you. 

So, spill the milk and let the strings knot themselves as they may. The best advice is to listen, observe, and then step boldly onto your own stage. ”

Now,  dear masterless marionette, what does the future hold for your quill?

(What do you hope to create in the future? What direction do you see your work taking next?) 

“Endless possibilities. By way of healing myself, I seek to heal the world, and from that create art, literature, photography, and philosophy that can ring through generations to come. Each work is a seed planted, and I may never see the shade of the trees they grow into, but their roots will stretch beyond me. 

The quill is not only a tool for expression but a companion in the soul’s journey. Through it I seek to master the lessons of this physical world, what it gives and what it takes, and in that mastery to leave behind echoes of beauty, courage, and truth. 

The future holds no single destination, only a horizon that widens with each step, each page, each image. My role is to keep walking, keep creating, and keep offering my work as both gift and mirror.” 

Dear Masterless Marionette, where can readers find you and your work?