Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Paul Gronner. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Paul, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. We’d love to hear about the things you feel your parents did right and how those things have impacted your career and life.

I was raised by a single mother from pretty much the beginning. My father died at 9 months old which left her doing whatever she could to raise us. As an artist she worked so many angles creatively to give us a good life. She was a seamstress primarily but also made arts and crafts that she sold to supplement her income. She was so talented at so many things which I believe gave me the freedom to explore many mediums and try to excel at them without feeling like I had to have a singular focus.

She always encouraged me to make art and music and always had positive things to say about my creations and still does to this day.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I have been a multi-media artist for over 30 years. My focus shifts, but I always seem to return to things and continue on. I have had many multi media painting, photography, music shows in my life and will continue to do so until the end.

My photography has been a primary source of income, shooting models, bands and my own fine art photography for prints. I particularly enjoy shooting models with landscapes, making surreal beautiful images.

My paintings most recently have resembled stained glass work but using acrylic and resin to create it.

I am currently working on 6 albums with my band The Weight of Everything. The newest album, The Holocene, released this February 9 and available on all streaming platforms.

I film a lot and make content for youtube, particularly of the hikes that my partner and I take. I edit them and use our music to soundtrack them. In addition, I make music videos for our band.

It seems I have eras or seasons where I focus a lot on one particular creative outlet. I am in a very lengthy and strong music season right now. I can’t seem to stop coming up with songs! Aaaaah!

In your view, what can society to do to best support artists, creatives and a thriving creative ecosystem?

I think the best thing people can do to support artists and creatives is to engage with them, be it through sharing their content or even just engaging with it so the algorithm puts their work in front of more eyes. Purchasing artwork is also always great and a much more original gift than some store bought mass produced nonsense.

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

I have to say, at this point in my life, just the creating of work is rewarding. I just enjoy the process and I think that is the way to be the most authentic with your work. When you try to create art that fits a certain mold you are losing what makes it unique, which is you.

Contact Info:

• Website: paulgronner.com
• Instagram: paulgronnerphotography, theweightofeverything, pegpaintings
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theweightofeverything, https://www.facebook.com/PaulEricGronner
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@paulgronner

Image Credits
All Photography by Paul Gronner, The Holocene graphic design by Timb Krueller