“It’s not about waiting for inspiration to strike. It’s about showing up"

CC   Can you walk us through your journey as a creative? How did you get started, and what led you to where you are today?

CG   I studied Design and Business at UMass Amherst and landed my first “real” job at Burton Snowboards. That experience gave me an early look at how design can influence business decisions and brand culture. After that, I freelanced in graphic design, transitioned into digital, and eventually found my way into UX (User Experience Design). Creativity has been a constant in my life, I’ve always had some kind of personal project going be that drawing, music, collage or painting. When I moved to Cape Cod about 20 years ago, I started getting more serious about painting in my free time. I began taking workshops on weekends and night classes with some amazing instructors. I would use my vacation time to attend workshops in the summer. That personal practice has continued alongside my design career.

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CC   What are you working on these days?

CG   Lately, I’ve been trying to paint outside as much as possible now that the weather’s warming up. I do plein air painting after work or on weekends. This year I’ve committed to completing a small gouache landscape study every week. It’s a good way to stay consistent and keep my paint brushes moving. I usually post those on Instagram on Wednesdays.

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One of my mentors once said, “Life is short, and art is long,” which feels pretty accurate.

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CC   What does a typical day look like for you?

CG   During the day, I’m doing UX Design for a Fortune 500 company, working with cross functional teams to design and improve digital products. After work, I usually switch gears, set up my easel, and spend time painting or drawing. It’s a good balance of structured and open ended creative work.

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CC   What tools can’t you live without, and why?

CG   Beyond the obvious paints and brushes, my plein air setup is essential. It’s lightweight, always packed, and ready to go. Painting outside from life, sharpens my senses. The light shifts, clouds move, and you have to respond in real time. It keeps me present in a way studio work doesn’t and teaches you to truly see (which is half of the battle when learning how to paint). My sketchbook is another tool I can’t live without, it’s where I work things out, stay loose, and capture quick ideas. Even on the busiest days, I can usually find 10 or 20 minutes to get into my sketchbook.

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CC   What or who inspires you?

CG   Nature is my biggest influence. Especially those not so obvious hidden landscapes we have here on Cape Cod. I’m also drawn to artists who focused on the everyday, like Charles Sovek, Henry Hensche, Fairfield Porter, and William Wendt. Lately, I’ve been immersed in the Tonalist movement from around 1880–1915 in New England. Especially George Inness, J. Francis Murphy, and Birge Harrison. Their moody, meditative work and their writing about painting/nature has been really resonating with me. In the wake of the Civil War they turned to nature for meaning, and that’s a theme that feels kind of timely these days.

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CC   What would you like to learn more about in the future?

CG   Drawing. It’s the foundation of everything, and I feel like I’ll always be working to improve. One of my mentors once said, “Life is short, and art is long,” which feels pretty accurate. There’s always more to learn about drawing.

If you’re working full time or juggling multiple jobs, it’s tough to participate in a Tuesday morning class. I’d love to see more options for people who are working and want to stay involved creatively.

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CC   What do you find most challenging as a creative?

CG   I think in the fast paced world we live in with technology it is very hard to slow down and keep your creative endeavors going. Whether you work full time, part time, not at all, there will always be a voice inside you that just says to sit on the couch and do nothing. But if you want to keep growing creatively, you have to push through that. It’s not about waiting for inspiration to strike, it’s about showing up, even when it’s inconvenient. Making that space for my work and showing up is super important.

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CC   What do you think creatives on Cape Cod could improve on?

CG   I love that Cape Cod has a strong arts community and a lot of support for the visual arts. That said, most of the classes, workshops, events are geared toward retirees or vacationers. If you’re working full time or juggling multiple jobs, it’s tough to participate in a Tuesday morning class. I’d love to see more options for people who are working and want to stay involved creatively. Things like evening classes, weekend meetups, or more flexible programs. I think organizations like the Cape Cod Collective can be that step towards this in the future.

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CC   What do you do when you’re not working?

CG   Spend as much time outside in nature as I can, hiking, camping, kayaking with my wife and our dog. I really like to travel and experience other cultures. I’m a big football fan, I watch European leagues like La Liga and FC Barcelona is the team I follow. I also really enjoy reading historical fiction and non-fiction books.

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This interview was done over email.
Photography: Christine Johannessen

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