We recently connected with Alex Gilbeaux and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Alex, thanks for joining us today. What was one of the most important lessons you learned in school? Why did that lesson stick with you?

The hardest thing I’ve ever had to learn to do is truly create for myself. For no one else. Just me. For the sake of practice. I was born with the natural ability to draw and create. From an early age I learned this was how I could can praise or approval from elders, whether it was my mom, teachers, classmates, I knew this skill was impressive and I would seek approval constantly whether I knew it or not. When I got to high school and college and was taking more serious drawing courses I was pushing my technical skills for the sake of truly honing my craft. I got pretty good at it and again was proud of the approval from this. All the while, in my art high school I was encouraged to fill an entire sketchbook, this meant I was encouraged to explore this private space, and at the end of the year needed to present an entirely filled sketchbook. I would copy drawings of fashion models or actors I thought were beautiful. I was told even then as I grew with my practice this would change and I would use my own photos of muses etc. There became this split where I would make more cartoon-like drawings for my own truly personal work and then these highly rendered drawings from reference photos I found. In college I was very interested in life drawing and was pushed to draw what I see and to render it exactly as I see it and I got pretty good at this. I didn’t notice this gap between my ‘personal work’ and the ‘draw what you see work’.

This all changed when I arrived to an Experimental Drawing course…we would have life drawing sessions and my professor Thomas, would push me to not have anything even remotely recognizable on the page. This would frustrate me to no end, it was like no other guidance I’d ever had before, and it even drove me to tears at times. What do you mean not make anything recognizable? How will it be considered ‘good’ then? He pushed me to keep my eye on the model and to simply follow lines and allow my hand to subconsciously follow some imaginary structure from the inside out of the model. To not lift my hand. To just flow. To just breathe and let this connection somehow form from my eye and hand of this metaphysical structure between me and what was before me. I was pushed not to create for others’ approval. Not for the fridge, not to show anyone, but just for the sake of practice. This was mindblowing and liberating to me. He encouraged me to find some middle ground between this realism I was doing and the faceless cartoon-like style I had in my sketchbooks. To let myself explore that.

This opened my mind to the possibility of practice for the sake of practice. This is the space where you truly develop your own visual language. You can’t learn to be yourself if you’re constantly trying to be something for someone else.

At Sunday Sessions I try to encourage this method to my attendees. To just let go and be there for the sake of practice. To just be there to exercise this muscle.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

My name is Alex Gilbeaux. I am an illustrator, animator, designer, and community organizer. I am a visual communicator, I apply my visual language to the brand, story, and video that I have been hired to communicate. My goal is to communicate a visual language that is understood by a diverse audience from various backgrounds.

I’m proud to say that I get the opportunity to work on sensitive topics relating to marginalized communities often. I have an empathy that I feel allows me to translate the mood of a sensitive topic that is effective. I really try to feel who the product or message is for while I am creating it.

I have been drawing and animating since childhood. I’ve always enjoyed being surrounded by other creatives, I find that we can bounce ideas off each other while in that state of creating. Whether it was after school care, camps, clubs, etc. This is why I started Sunday Sessions, to bring my joy of community to others that are also interested in collaboration instead of competition. To be together. To feel safe. And feel included.

Sunday Sessions is an extension of my practice and empathetic approach to creating and creating safe space through art. It’s a space for the models, artists, and venue owners to feel like they’re just hanging out. I hope to keep it up as much as I can.

Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

If there’s one guiding principle that has shaped my creative journey since childhood, it’s the desire to feel seen—and to create spaces where others feel seen, too. I’ve always been drawn to the quiet power of inclusion, whether it was sitting with the new kid, inviting them to the lunch table, or giving them the confidence to find their own place. That same spirit of welcome and recognition is at the heart of both my artwork and Sunday Sessions.

Through my work, I strive to create pieces that resonate with people, allowing them to see themselves reflected or inspiring them to share their own stories. Whether through illustration, design, or community-driven projects, my goal is to foster connection and encourage self-expression.

How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?

Being myself! I’ve found that the strongest way to build a reputation is through genuine authenticity—showing up as you are, without trying to fit into a mold or chase trends. People are naturally drawn to sincerity, and when you embrace who you are wholeheartedly, that energy is felt and appreciated. Why waste time trying to be something else when your uniqueness is already your greatest strength?

For me, success has come from staying aligned with what I love and what feels true to me. I’ve found myself in spaces where I can show up as my authentic self, and from there, opportunities have naturally expanded. Whether it’s through my work, collaborations, or Sunday Sessions, I focus on creating connections that are built on real passion and intention—and I think that’s what resonates with people.

Contact Info:

• Website: [email protected]
• Instagram: @alex.gbeaux
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alex-gilbeaux-3a009210a
• Other: https://www.behance.net/gilba798b1d9?locale=zh_CN

Image Credits

(1) Alex Gilbeaux at Sunday Sessions, photo by Allegra Pagano
(2) Alex Gilbeaux for Artistory x The British Museum
(3) Still of artwork from Taboo Health Series, Depression episode
(4) Still of design layout from animated social series Dear Future Survivor with Good Morning America
(5) Sunday Sessions, photo by Allegra Pagano
(6) Sunday Sessions, photo by Ida Roj Baybekman