The More Jesse Santiago Muñoz Creates, The Bigger His World Gets

For Jesse Santiago Muñoz, creativity has never been limited to one medium. One day he might be sewing a hoodie. The next, he might be carving a print block, building a sculpture, or constructing a giant gorilla out of cardboard and tape. To him, the medium has never mattered nearly as much as the act of making something.

“I just love making stuff,” Jesse says.

Born in London and raised in Southern California since 2010, Jesse has had creative instincts since early childhood. As a child, he constantly filled sketchbooks with original characters and drawings, creating entire worlds from his imagination. Unlike many kids his age, he did not draw his influences from cartoons or video games. Homeschooled by his mother alongside his siblings, Jesse grew up immersed in classic literature, mythology, and stories that encouraged curiosity. That imagination never really left him.

Music became another major influence. Motown Records, soul music, and later artists like Tyler, The Creator helped shape how he viewed color, emotion, and storytelling. “When I listen to those records, I see color,” he explains. Even today, color remains central to how he approaches his work. His videos often feature heightened saturation because, as he puts it, “I want people to see life how I see it.”

His journey into wearable art began unexpectedly during high school.

Determined to raise money for a school trip to England, Jesse started printing designs onto tote bags and thrifted clothing using linocut printmaking, a process that involves carving designs into blocks and stamping them onto fabric. What started as a fundraiser quickly became something more. People were buying his work.

“That was the moment my eyes opened,” he says. “I realized I could actually make things and people would connect with them.”

Years later, that curiosity evolved into sewing. Jesse began creating upcycled hoodies, drafting his own patterns, and teaching himself new techniques through experimentation. The deeper he went, the more confident he became. “If you say you want to make something and then actually try, there’s really no stopping you.”

That mindset eventually led to the creation of Thank God For Manna, his art collective and creative platform inspired by a biblical story about faith, provision, and trusting the future one day at a time. The philosophy reflects how Jesse approaches life and art alike.

His creative process is surprisingly simple. He does not obsess over perfection or overthink every detail. Instead, he follows instinct. “I was just flowing,” he says, describing the process behind building his now-recognizable gorilla sculpture.

Whether he is sewing clothes, printmaking, sculpting, or dreaming up his next project, Jesse remains committed to creating first and figuring the rest out later.

For Jesse Santiago Muñoz, making things is not just what he does. It is who he is.