We were lucky to catch up with Garrett Jackson recently and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Garrett thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Do you wish you had waited to pursue your creative career or do you wish you had started sooner?

I started my journey as an art educator in the public education system teaching K-6 art. I was 21 years old and I enjoyed being the teacher, however I also had a passion to create and share my works publicly, so the passion to be a producing artist was there also but very much on the “back burner”.

In a way to engage my kids and share my passion, while simultaneously learning a new skill, I would create during my classes and share my works on facebook and instagram just as a hobby. I started to find that by sharing my passion publicly, people responded positively and I started to gain some recognition for my works and even started to get some commission works. This was definitely a boost to my confidence that I was doing what I was put here to do.

This all is great but I never got the satisfaction of success from teaching that I got from dropping of that latest commission or standing in front that latest mural. Education always seemed to take and take and always ask for more. The art world always seemed to give back and that is what I crave now. If I could go back and talk to that younger version of myself I would definetly try to convince younger Garrett to quit worrying about conforming to the goal and make the goal conform to you. Find a life within being an Artist and make it work for you!

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

My name is Garrett Jackson and I am an Artist from southwest Missouri. I began my artistic journey as an art educator in the public education system and have been progressively working to establish myself as one of the best painters/ muralists in the great state of Missouri. I create one of a kind artworks using acrylic paints and love to work as large as possible! I am a juried member of the Missouri Artisan’s associations “Best of Missouri Hands” and continue to push towards my goal daily.

Additionally, I also operate my own art gallery, Gallery: Gesso, located in Osage Beach, Missouri at the great Lake of the Ozarks. I use the space to showcase works, host events and classes, as well as providing a studio space for creation. I love to share my passion with people and this addition has become greatly beneficial for this purpose.

Gallery: Gesso
3570 Osage Beach Parkway ste. 202
Osage Beach, Missouri 65065

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

i believe one of the most rewarding aspects is being able to experience the emotions when the client or viewer looks at the piece for the first time. That genuine smile, laugh, gasp, or even tearful joys that come in that moment make all the time and effort worthwhile, especially on those pieces that really challenge us as artists. I love hearing about the stories that come after the work gets to its forever home. The stories of other people seeing it or even hearing first hand from someone else about a piece they saw.

However, if I were to boil it down to the most rewarding thing… it would be being able to take an idea from someone else and transform that into a visual artifact that meets or exceeds that person’s expectations. I am completely infatuated with the entire process.

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative?

I believe some people look at creatives and artists as people who lack motivation and just want to live a life that is free of work and sit all day painting or whatever, just sipping fancy cocktails and smoking cigarettes while we french inhale. (LOL) They see the life of an artist as some “Candy ASS” lifestyle and from what I have experienced, its definitely one of the hardest things that I have ever done and at the same time the most rewarding. It’s positively not easy to motivate yourself to pursue something that a lot of people told you was a “waste of time” or was a great pass time but just not a career. Its difficult to explain to non creative people what that fire in your gut feels like when you just have to create. I think they need to understand that this is work and its hard, but we all enjoy it so much.

I also want people to know that there are plenty of people working relentlessly at their crafts with the only intention of making themselves happy. If you come across these people, make sure to take the time to appreciate what they are doing despite whatever the end product looks like. Take the time to see the work they put it, ask about the story that brought them here, and if you possibly can… support them on their journey in whatever way you can.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.gallerygesso.com
• Instagram: @sixonearts
• Facebook: Garrett Sixone Jackson