We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Jess Cantrell. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Jess below.
Jess, appreciate you joining us today. What’s been the most meaningful project you’ve worked on?
I’m currently working on my YA contemporary trilogy, Gray Matter. I’ve finished the first book, and am currently adapting it into a graphic novel format. The story follows Stephen, a college student on his journey to becoming a neurosurgeon, and how change, conviction, and carrying on are such vital and universal human experiences.
The story is important to me because these characters have grown up alongside me. They’ve helped me learn from my own experiences and confront my own biases. A little piece of me lives in every one, and the writing process has taught me to celebrate everyday life—finding magic in the mundane.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
I’m a freelance illustrator and adjunct art instructor, so art has always been my thing! I’ve been drawing since I could hold a pencil, and I studied studio art during my college years. I’d known from day one that I wanted to be an art professor, but since that would take some time, I decided to dip my toes into digital illustration.
During grad school, I became a freelance illustrator, and I began to dabble in writing and illustrating comics, with the intent of finding a position as an art professor at my alma mater. But that wasn’t in the cards for me at graduation, so upon graduating with my Master of Fine Arts in narrative art, I embarked on my most ambitious project yet—my debut YA contemporary novel, Gray Matter.
After publishing it in 2024, I began the long process of adapting it into a graphic novel. It’s still in production, and will be for the foreseeable future (I’m a one-man show!). But with each page and subsequent Webtoon upload, I learned more and more—how to streamline my creative process, how to tell an efficient yet meaningful story, how to make color and line and dialogue grab the reader’s attention. And with all that learning, I was itching to share it with someone…
In 2024, I began my academic career as an adjunct professor at High Point University, teaching drawing, design, and art appreciation courses. I love to share my passion for the arts with young, bright minds, and there’s nothing more rewarding than watching them grow their skills and fall in love with it. (And if I’m honest, my students teach me just as much as I teach them!)
Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?
While I love my job as a professor, my ultimate creative dream is to adapt my entire series into graphic novel format. In a world so prone to escapism, I want to create something that celebrates the beauty of life as we live it. And if I’ve been able to do that for anyone, including myself, I’d consider that a success.
For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?
The most rewarding part is hearing from people who reach out to tell me how my art, stories, and passion have touched them and made them feel less alone. I struggled with loneliness as a teen, and I turned to fiction and art as a means to salve that heartache. Being able to bring people comfort and a sense of belonging, whether through my writing, my illustration, or my time in the classroom, is the best reward I can imagine.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://rainybearstudio.com
- Instagram: @rainybearstudio, @graymatterseries
- Other: https://linktr.ee/graymatterseries
This linktree will take you to all my relevant social links, including links to my paperback/ebook listings and the Webtoon where I post my comics.
TikTok user: @graymatterseries
Image Credits
Photo taken by Caleb Cantrell, additional illustrations added by Jess Cantrell