IDS pop quiz — What do the following things have in common? A stint in the U.S. Coast Guard patrolling the Bering Strait; nearly two years living in a monastery mastering the art of prolonged meditation; and unparalleled skill at telling stories through the art of illustration? Answer: They are all the experiences of Deloitte Digital illustrator extraordinaire Mark Morse, whose conversation with Nelson winds along a professional path to Deloitte that began when illustrating a collection of Zen koans for a friend’s social media project. More than a decade later, Markis elevating the stories we tell, of ourselves and of our clients, through mind-blowing illustrations. This is a conversation as unexpected as it is delightful.

Timestamps:

• Discussion on physical vs digital | 05:26.9
• Block printing | 05:43.7
• Novelty of the physical | 07:27.2
• Mark's Patreon (sends physical artwork) | 08:06.0
• Been in Seattle a long time, originally from Palm springs | 09:30.6
• Joining the Coast Guard | 09:44.5
• Being stationed after boot camp | 11:30.2
• Coast Guard story of hitting all the ice he could will steering the boat | 12:24.1
• Mark's Father | 13:38.1
• Why did you join the coast guard? | 15:27.1
• Creativity vs. structure | 17:42.2
• Leaving the Coast guard | 19:32.8
• Happening upon Zen Buddhism | 22:45.5
• Not being satisfied with Illustrating | 24:49.4
• Going to the Japanese Zen monastery | 26:31.3
• Why did Mark choose to go? | 27:18.7
• What was the big takeaway from the Japanese experience? | 29:13.9
• What's a typical day in the life at the Monastery? | 30:19.9
• What was the meditation periods like? | 31:57.9
• How was the American version? | 33:12.0
• Can you sense this experience bringing something to your art? | 34:51.8
• The benefit of 6 hours of meditation | 36:43.6
• Finding storytelling in illustrating | 41:29.4
• Nelson's two questions | 46:43.4