Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Gray Vautrin. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Gray, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. I’m sure there have been days where the challenges of being an artist or creative force you to think about what it would be like to just have a regular job. When’s the last time you felt that way? Did you have any insights from the experience?
Going into any creative industry comes with it’s challenges, but as someone who currently works part-time to put myself through college, I don’t think I would be able to have a more “regular job” long term. Even now I’ve almost exclusively worked in bakeries, so I still get to create things people will enjoy! Yet my real goal as a artist is to tell stories that help people feel a little bit less alone and working a more cooperate job would probably be a bit too constricting for me. I’ve always stuck out for better or for worse and I realize now that I like to use my illustrative and writing skills to put my ideas to the page. However I will always be a little envious of the benefits and consistency of most regular jobs.
Gray, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
Hey!! My name’s Gray! I am a comic creator, or cartoonist, from NYC! I’ve always been an artsy kid, my grandma still has some of my earliest drawings. But everything changed in middle school when I got into the TV shows “Attack on Titan,” and “Steven Universe.” Although they’re very different pieces of media, these shows inspired me to treat my writing and art as more than hobbies. So I then attended the High School of Art & Design where I studied cartooning and by then I was really enjoying comics such as the “Attack on Titan” manga series and “The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys.” I continued my studies as a Sequential Arts major at the Savannah College of art and Design, where I am currently a senior about to finish my bachelors. Despite being mainly inspired by animated shows I knew becoming an animator wasn’t for me, I saw the versatility in my major and that’s why I pursued it. I love telling my stories through comics as it has a great balance of artistic skill and writing abilities, its the best of both worlds! Professionally my goal is to make creator-owned comics where I both write and illustrate it but I also specialize in inking and would be happy do do that in bigger projects with other artists.
How can we best help foster a strong, supportive environment for artists and creatives?
I believe what society can do to best support artists is condemn AI “Art.” I know that its a hot topic where many are conflicted but the future of all artists rests in our audience’s hands. Sure it can become a tool for already experienced creators but the dangers weigh out any good that can come from it. So many jobs have been taken from artists in all creative industries and the power of these machines only continue to grow. So please, don’t support these programs.
Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative?
Something I’ve gotten from non-creatives are suggestions on ways to cut corners or sell out. Whether it be quickly designing a product that’s borderline a get rich quick scheme, or questioning why I put so much effort into my illustrations, some people don’t understand one’s creative motivations. I create art to share and connect with others and although I do want to make a living off of my work, I don’t want to resort to making things that my heart isn’t in. Other professionals in my field have told me to make sure you really love what you’re doing and to have passion for the project you ‘re working on. I want to stay true to that and work on what my heart & mind want to say.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://lelittleshrimp.wixsite.com/my-site/portfolio
- Instagram: @LeLittleShrimp
Image Credits
All images are fully owned by Gray Vautrin