We recently connected with Gregory Schneider and have shared our conversation below.

Gregory, appreciate you joining us today. What’s been the most meaningful project you’ve worked on?

The Ghost Series This has been an on-going project where I have set out to create 666 unique pieces depicting “Ghosts” over the course of six “books”. Why six books? I had a feeling that creating Ghost piece after Ghost piece could become mundane or boring, so with each “book” the pieces get larger, and I try to spice it up with some new element. Book 5 is something I am very excited for, but first, a bit more about the backstory. Although I started this project on social media in October 2021, the real “first” Ghost was made back in January that same year. It was one of those things that acted as an accidental catalyst. You make something that was meant to be a throwaway, and then find it’s meaning later on. Initially, I did not think much of the drawing. It did not interest me, but for some reason I came back to it and really enjoyed it! I remember saying to myself, “hey, this kind of looks like a sheet ghost” like a Halloween costume, and that’s when it hit me. For people that don’t know me, I can be a rather sentimental type of person. I love symbolism and the significance we humans place unto objects, images, phrases, and so I got to thinking, “hey, a ghost literally represents someone that has past away. I could do these pieces until the day that I become a ghost and still barely scratch the surface!” And since these are representations of people that I have never met, your uncle, your grandmother, the barber you’ve been seeing for decades, the facial features remain rather simplistic, they could be anyone. It is a way to honor them.

Now why does book 5 excite me so much? It’s because I am reserving this book for 100 collaborative pieces with other artists. It is a way to expand what the Ghost Series means, to invite new or different styles and techniques, and with hope, a beautiful way to connect, share memories, and create new ones. If this interests you, or you know someone that should be involved with this, please send me an email with the subject line “GHOST SERIES”

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

Since I was little, I always loved art and creativity. Growing up, art classes were a sort of haven for me, but before diving deep into the world of the arts, I went to school to become a therapist. Shortly after receiving my degree, I landed my first job working overnights. Most of the work was to stay awake while taking notes occasionally, so there was a good amount of downtime. After watching the hundredth movie, I had a yearning to do something more productive, more creative. Around this time, I also had Gary Vaynerchuk in my ear. I did not know exactly what I wanted to do for my life, but listening to him, I knew I wanted to be successful and to have a good life. Something he said really stuck with me though. He said something to the effect of “whatever you choose to do, whatever your passion is, do THAT for the next 5-10 years and expect nothing good to come of it.”

While on shift, I began watching Peter Draws videos on youtube which had rekindled my love for making artworks, and one night on my way to work, I stopped by a 7-11 that had a crappy sketchbook. There was this urge to buy it, so I did, and from time to time, I would doodle. Hardly any of these were “good”, but I loved making artwork again, and in the back of my mind I would hear Peter say “just draw…just draw”. From there, I continued to work, mostly doing abstract illustration. I would make a few sales here or there, but fast forward 5 years almost to the day from that overnight job, and I landed my first big commission! The timing did not click at first, but that commission acts as a beacon of hope for me. That was the “something good” and pushed the needle a little farther to continue down this path. The commission itself is a 6 ft painting for a private collector, and although I am not at liberty to share many details about the painting, I am thankful every day. Every year presents new challenges, new setbacks, but all of them worth it. The good continues to outweigh the negatives.

As for my other works, I am most known for my abstract portraits. These tend to be in a scribbling gestural style, evoking strong emotion. My work is born out of necessity from depression and pain, but celebrates perseverance. For most of my works that are posted on social media, a short writing accompanies the image, sometimes it is poetry, sometimes it is thoughts or feelings of the week, and it may even be a dad joke. For my clients, I hope peace and solace find their way to their homes with these works of art.

Have any books or other resources had a big impact on you?

BOOKS: Profit First – Mike Michalowicz (A unique and great business/entrepreneurial strategy that aims to keep you in the green and keeps you accountable to yourself)
Keep Sharp – Sanjay Gupta (For a better and healthier mind so you can continue doing what you love to the best of your ability)
Ninth Street Women – Mary Gabriel (History, context, inspiration and posed a question to me: “What am I doing this for? Am I doing enough?)
Twelve and a Half – Gary Vaynerchuk (Vital business practices that bring the warm human element back into the equation in a big way. “PERSPECTIVE”)

VIDEO:
Rick Owens Interview by Sofia Tchkonia (inpiration and self invention/create your destiny)
David Choe Podcast with Rain Wilson (Philosophy on what “great art” is)

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

I had to unlearn that art is something physical. For me, the more and more that I dived into my work, the more I found joy in making. There were times I would be making up to 10 pieces in a row before “coming up to breathe”. Upon regarding the pieces from these states of mind, I realized that although some reflected the internal emotion visually, not all did. In those moments of regard, I grew attached to the physical form, but this is not what “art” is. Art is an experience, art is emotional, art is sentimental. It sparks memory and stories. And often times, it isn’t just the object statically hanging on the wall. We have great consideration for WHO made the art, and this context drives more meaning into the pieces. Art can never exist without us emotive beings. We are meaning making creatures. A stroke of blues or yellows can be something more than what it is. Art is never just the physical.      

Contact Info:

• Website: https://gregorypaulsart.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gregorypaulsart/?hl=en
• TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@gregorypaulsart
• Email: gregorypaulsart@gmail.com beacons.ai/gregorypaulsart

Image Credits
Gregory P. Schneider Suhayl Photography Ian Alexander