"I was a young man in a concrete cage, dreaming about another life," author Chris Wilson writes in his memoir, "The Master Plan: My Journey from Life in Prison to a Life of Purpose.".

Wilson's redemption story is remarkable. The successful artist, entrepreneur and author joined Salon's D. Watkins to talk about how he turned emerged from his rock bottom moment in prison by compiling a list of dreams for a bucket list.

When Wilson started acting on those goals and finding small success, the list turned into a large master plan that eventually fueled his release and is his life's guide today.

After being sentenced to a life in prison as a teenager, Wilson accepted the fact that he would likely die while serving time. Spending time in solitary confinement, Wilson writes about how he only had his memories to dwell on. "I never thought about the future. Why bother?"

But Wilson's attitudes began to change as he studied for his GED. "Every path starts with a step," he writes. For Wilson, the first step was taking control of his life through education. He went on to earn multiple college degrees, master several languages and lead a book swap among fellow inmates.

Wilson's perseverance around his master plan impressed a judge to reduce his sentence. Now on the outside, Wilson is sharing the entrepreneurial spirit that inspired him to create the list. Watch the video above to hear more about the early stages of Wilson's plan and how he's now helping others with reentry.

And check out the full episode to learn more about how Wilson's career as an artist is helping to break stigmas of the formerly incarcerated.