We were lucky to catch up with Mandy Grotie recently and have shared our conversation below.

Mandy, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. It’s always helpful to hear about times when someone’s had to take a risk – how did they think through the decision, why did they take the risk, and what ended up happening. We’d love to hear about a risk you’ve taken.

It was 2014, I was done with college and on the lookout for an adventure. I had always been making art, and sold my first piece in college for a mere $20 dollars. I didn’t study art, but always had a need to create. Smaller gigs started coming up as I learned the way to digitally create work on my pink, 10 inch mini laptop.

I get a call from my friend to go work out in California, so we packed my 2000 Chevy Blazer and hit the road west from Minneapolis. On our way, we stopped in Portland, OR. Our plan was to cruise through, but we ended up staying for 6 days. We both fell in love.

After a few months on the road, I moved back home and decided I need to go out to Portland. I painted houses with my dad and saved money to make the move. During this time, I applied to a Pabst Blue Ribbon contest happening in Portland. A week before I left for my epic journey, I got an email I was a finalist!

I drove out in two days, car full of art and my belongings. I didn’t have a place to stay, but a will to figure it out. Three weeks after living there, I received 1st in the contest and my design was on a billboard downtown.

This risk of the unknown but utter desire to live the creative artist life has been the most refreshing experience. I had no idea that that move would lead me to building my roots in Portland. It has been 8 years in the Northwest, I have created work for Pabst Blue Ribbon and the Portland Trailblazers. I later was the Portland Pabst Artist in 2016, doing live art pieces around the metro area. In 2019, I was a Gameday Poster Artist for the Trailblazers. My design was an exclusive print sold at the Moda Center. It was also presented in a gallery during Design Week Portland and featured in the New York Times. I am shook. Taking the risk was a beyond cosmic chance that has lead me to making so many cool things for such cool people.

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

Hi! My name is Mandy Grotie and I am a visual artist living in Portland, OR. I’ve been doodling for fun since I was a toddler. I have always loved to draw, make my family’s holiday gifts, and engineer cool projects in my head.

I studied at the University of Minnesota and received my bachelor’s degree in physiology. The bigger goal was medical school. This path never fully pulled me in, and after living in Portland for a few years, I found a job in education. I decided to go back to school and get my master’s to be a special education teacher. Being a creative has influenced this position and helped students learn in unique ways!

I have two jobs, teaching kiddos and painting or drawing weird things. As a visual artist, I have created album artwork, event flyers, branding/logos, merchandise designs, and much more! I also paint murals and recently got into working with wood. I create funky wood cutouts of my work. I also enjoy painting canvas. I also recently bought a tattoo machine and am intrigued in that avenue!

I am most proud of finding my style and being recognized for its uniqueness. Bright colors and happiness, positivity and wittiness. I’m always open for any creative idea to see if my style flows with the project. Moving forward, I am just grateful that my work has inspired others and am eager to keep creating!

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

For me, the most rewarding aspect of being a creative is the ability to visualize ideas or concepts in my head. I am constantly visualizing, and being able to draw what I see in my head seems like my purpose. I am here to draw cute things and brighten people’s days. It feels so good when my art makes others smile!

Alright – so here’s a fun one. What do you think about NFTs?

No. Lol.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.mandygrotie.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/mandygrotie_art

Image Credits
All photos taken on my personal device.