An expo dedicated to showing off Christian creatives, authors, and game designers? In my home state of Michigan? And only three hours away, to boot? You can imagine my excitement when I saw how friendly the prices were to attend. So, like any good father during summer break, I loaded up the family (and a friend) and we made our way out to the Realm Makers Expo in Grand Rapids, MI.
The Realm Makers Writers Conference and the Christian Game Developers Conference combined forces to bring their respective audiences together under one roof. This was happening concurrently with their conferences, while also being its own thing. The expo started on a Friday night for VIP attendees. My friend and I arrived on Saturday morning. We checked in, received our wristbands, and headed into the expo hall. I was curious how the check-in process would go after several email communications regarding hiccups with their system: I guess even registration systems get the first-year jitters. Thankfully, we encountered none of those snags.
Booths lined one of the DeVos Center expo halls, colorful and varied. Many vendors were smiling and interacting with attendees. Simultaneous workshops were happening in the back. As we were making our way to one of those workshops, I heard a light clinking noise. Not thinking much of it, I walked about halfway to Ink and Imagination: Christian Voices in Comics workshop when I finally stopped to find where the noise was coming from. The noise stopped. My friend looked at me quizzically when I lifted my right leg, only to find a metal piece lodged into the sole of my shoe. It was a metal micro D4 die (the pyramid-shaped die). A smile crossed my face: all of a sudden, I had a great feeling about the expo. It’s the little things, you know?
The four speakers for Ink and Imagination shared a wealth of valuable career advice for Christians entering a secular creative workspace. During the Q&A, they also shared how to gently encourage Christian creatives to improve and iterate on their craft. One comment stuck out, “Just because God gave you a vision for a project doesn’t mean that your vision is above critique. Be open to others’ opinions and advice while holding to the vision God gave you.” For those who exist and interact largely with “Christian only” projects or media, you know many are given a positive review simply because they are Christian in nature and not for quality. Of course, that statement paints with a broad brush, but I have no doubt we can all envision something like that.
The panel speakers encouraged creatives to better their craft, and with that, for Christians who are farther along in their career to be available for those who are new. That was a differentiator which stuck out: the Christian Creative is willing to take newer individuals along and work with them to heighten their skill, while not many secular creatives do the same, especially in the “industry.” Gatekeeping is alive and well in many places, but I was comforted to hear that God’s Spirit was welcoming among those who seek out the wisdom of Christian Creatives.
I digress, and truthfully, this isn’t a review of the Christian Creative space, which is a fairly new landscape for me. I appreciate the concept that iron sharpens iron (Proverbs 27:17) and that, as Christian Creatives, we should hold each other to a posture of continued improvement for His name’s sake. The weight of the advice was palpable and convicting.
After the workshop, I slowly made my way through several rows of vendors. Some authors I knew as well as some IPs, but there were SO MANY new authors and business owners that I met. If Realm Makers Expo had one major “shine” to it, that was it: learning about so many peers in that particular space. As an aspiring novelist, it is refreshing to not only see others who are professional authors, but those who also proclaim Christ as Savior and Lord, as I do. They also spoke about their novels with the same amount of fervor that they talked about their faith: it was refreshing!
This being my first year at the Realm Makers Expo, I am overly emphatic looking forward to returning next year, perhaps even as a vendor myself or as a representative for someone. I have read reviews from a few authors regarding the event, and it seems like the consensus is overwhelmingly positive with a few hiccups here and there (booth cost, some logistical issues, etc.).
If you are a Christian Creative, by all means, start saving up for Realm Makers Expo 2026. Make a point to pray about it, and be there if you can. Let us encourage one another in arenas where faith and profession intersect. Even more so in areas of creativity, as we have the Creator of it all indwelling within us. I pray we can be intentional reflections of His creativity through the power of His Holy Spirit.
See you next year at Realm Makers Expo 2026!
Colossians 3:23-24 (ISV)
23 Whatever you do, work at it wholeheartedly as though you were doing it for the Lord and not merely for people. 24 You know that it is from the Lord that you will receive the inheritance as a reward. It is the Lord Messiah whom you are serving!