“We strive toward knowledge, always more knowledge, but must understand that we are, and will remain, surrounded by mystery,” says astrophysicist Marcelo Gleiser. As 161 CreativeMornings chapters explore the mysterious this month, we in Philadelphia will hear from Justin Duerr, an artist, musician, and writer.

Justin’s intense vision developed at a young age – a vast, sweeping storyline upon which a lifetime of artistic labor could be hung. This loosely-defined story serves as a way of illuminating and amplifying an invisible inner voice that seems to be able to modify the world for the better. Justin – and his fascination with and research into the mysterious “Toynbee Tiles” embedded into into the asphalt of streets across the country – was the subject of Resurrect Dead: The Mystery of the Toynbee Tiles, which has been seen by more than 1 million people and received the “best director” award at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival.

Most recently, Justin completed research for and compilation of a biography and art book of Herbert E. Crowley, an obscure cartoonish, set designer, sculptor, and musician. The book, “The Temple of Silence: Forgotten Works and Worlds of Herbert Crowley,” will be published by Philadelphia’s Beehive Books in November 2107. The publishing was financed via crowdfunding on Kickstarter and raised more than $96,000 (well over its $50,000 goal) from 740 backers in just one month.