We were lucky to catch up with Greg Nowachek recently and have shared our conversation below.

Greg , thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Has your work ever been misunderstood or mischaracterized?

Visionary Art is a peculiar genre of expression. It is oftentimes a niche that has been largely associated with the psychedelic creations of more contemporary artists. But while Visionary Art can represent heightened consciousness, usually pursued by those in the counterculture movement, it is a much broader style that is meant to capture the esoteric, unseen aspects of our reality. This genre is more of an umbrella, a blanket that encapsulates everything from Surrealism to Religious iconography. Anything that represents the divine, subconscious, ethereal, and supernatural falls under the title of being “visionary”.

So when many people experience my work, which mainly focuses on the darker, more macabre side of the subconscious, they sometimes see the art as being nothing more than an homage to the horror genre. But like those who have created religious works, oftentimes depicting both the angelic and demonic sides of religion, my work too represents a duality of both lighter and darker themes. Evidently, a painting of an angel does not make the artist holy, nor does a painting of the devil make him evil. Like all things in life, a duality exists that make up two parts of the same whole. So in the instance of my work, I am much more than a “dark” artist depicting creepy and unsettling images, and instead am shedding light on the darker sides of the Visionary Art.

Like Yin and Yang, positive and negative, light and dark, and up and down, all facets of reality have their opposites. So my work is not just spooky, but instead is a hybridization between the visionary and the macabre.

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

I first fell in love with the fantastic, imaginative style of Visionary Art when I was very young. Growing up watching an abundance of science fiction films, role-playing Medieval battles in the woods, and exploring the elaborate, detailed worlds of video games opened my eyes to the infinite possibilities of art. Especially the limitless characters and creatures that came along with them. Some of my very first drawings were of monsters and aliens and as I grew older, my passion for the “other-worldly” became more and more refined.

I had an extremely inquisitive nature as a child, which certainly led to my exploration of folklore and mythology. I always felt so fascinated by the alternate worlds that could exist alongside our own, and I absolutely loved coming up with my own characters that would live inside them. I suppose I was also drawn to the vastness of creativity within the horror genre as well, and as I continued to come up with new and exciting characters, they slowly became more and more grotesque as I got older.

I eventually stumbled upon Visionary Art, specifically the genres of Surrealism, Psychedelia, and Fantasy. This is truly where I think my style began to take shape, as I started fusing together these illustrative genres into a single, tangible chimera.

My path inevitably led me to work within the creative industry, albeit as a novice freelancer at first. Designing posters for bands, logos for websites, and the occasional design for a t-shirt, I began to steer head-first into the career of a Graphic Designer, which unfortunately was a path that left me unfulfilled as an artist. A humble start turned into a professional career as a corporate designer. A 9-to-5 of answering emails, attending meetings, and sitting in a cubicle, my creative spark, full of monsters and aliens and spirits and creatures, was quickly burning out. A lifelong obsession of fantasy and surrealism was foregone for a job grounded in the day-to-day. The literal opposite of who I was. So I pulled the plug.

After 7+ years in a dead-end office job, I called it quits, and it was the best decision I have ever made. I now focus solely on creating and my style and dedication to my craft has absolutely flourished. Allowing myself to explore fully the realms of the subconscious, the visionary, and the fantastic, has let me answer a calling that has been ringing since childhood. My love for the surreal and the paranormal provides me with a chance to interpret these themes through my own lens, and offer supernatural subjects to the world in a way that inspires curiosity, evokes emotion, and allows one to ponder what may truly lie beyond our reality.

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can provide some insight – you never know who might benefit from the enlightenment.

I think the truest thing in life is that people find purpose in usefulness. And everyone has a purpose. Some are born with the genetic propensity to become athletes, while others have the mental capacity to become lawyers. Others may work well with their hands or have the compassion to teach or become doctors. But the thing with creatives is that there is something more to this which is oftentimes hard to put into words. While many find contentment in a well-paying job or a job that vaguely fits within their industry, creatives are very particular with what provides them satisfaction. We seldom find peace in the mundane. We need to create as much as we need to breathe. It is in our blood, in our bones, our soul. Some people can live their whole lives going with the flow, but creative individuals truly march to the beat of their own drum, which is often met with criticism from the public. Going against the grain can be confusing to some, especially when creatives take a path least expected by society. As much as we need purpose, creatives need to make, to mold, to write, to paint. We are driven by a force that demands originality. So our desire for usefulness isn’t fulfilled by a job necessarily, but instead by the ability to create, to innovate, to do what we love, and to do it often!

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

Being up-to-date on the “here and now”, especially when it comes to pop-culture, is extremely rewarding on its own. Have you seen the latest episode of that hit tv show? Did you read the newest issue of that one comic? Did you play that game that was just released? It gives us a chance to connect, to relate to one another through a love of shared interests. We get to discuss art and music and film as a collective, bringing us closer together as a community. But consuming media is one thing. What about creating it? To be able to make the next best thing, the next blockbuster movie, or next hit song, creatives truly get to shape entire generations. I always think about how things like The Beatles or Star Wars have become staples of human existence, just as much as the Colosseum or the Mona Lisa are ingrained into our history. Someone came up with these things. They were imagined. Put forth into reality by creative minds whose ideas literally changed the world. Creating brings into existence brand new ideas that can inspire, that unite us, give us an escape, joy, and a shared experience. It’s so remarkable to me that creative minds give us everything from the music we listen to, to the clothes we wear, to the products we buy, to the bridges we drive on. Creation is everything. And to be able to do so is the most rewarding thing in the entire universe.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.gregnowachek.etsy.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gregnowachek/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@gregnowachek
• Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@gregnowachek