We were lucky to catch up with Tom Griggs recently and have shared our conversation below.

Tom, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. What did your parents do right and how has that impacted you in your life and career?

Simply, my parents never said a word about my choices or questioned my path. They allowed me to make the path myself and showed faith in my capacity to make decisions, even while I always knew they would be there in the event that the wheels completely fell off.

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

I am a photographer and writer. I have projects that face outwards and involve photographing observationally in the world: on the street, while with friends, or traveling. I have other projects that face inwards and in them I use family or personal stories to present universal ideas that I hope all will be able to see through the lens of their own experiences. In these inward looking projects, I sometimes combine text and image to draw out possibilities that just employing one of those media might not afford me.

I began in painting and drawing before moving into photography. I deeply enjoyed the meditative physical practice of painting, and how I could become completely absorbed in the activity. Eventually, however, I began to feel more and more isolated in the painting studio, and photography allowed me to be out in the world creating.

What can society do to ensure an environment that’s helpful to artists and creatives?

I think the best thing society can do is to make themselves an active audience of the arts on all levels, from attending concerts and plays at established institutions, to taking a chance on an open mic poetry night at your local bookstore.

Becoming an audience member that’s not just present but that actively tries to engage with a work of art by thinking about it and responding to it actively completes the work of art by allowing it to be expressed in the world. Ultimately this is what artists need from society: an engaged reception.

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 someone that’s not actively an artist will struggle to understand the way that time functions differently for the person engaged in creative pursuits. If you’re dating an artist, have a family member that’s an artist, have a friend that’s an artist, be patient with the periods of their lives during which they will need what might seem like an extraordinary amount of time alone.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.tomgriggs.net/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/griggstom/

Image Credits
© Tom Griggs