We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Tony Griego a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Tony, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. I’m sure there have been days where the challenges of being an artist or creative force you to think about what it would be like to just have a regular job. When’s the last time you felt that way? Did you have any insights from the experience?

I’ve really only ever worked in food service jobs to survive. So I guess the opposite of this question has been the case for me: I’ve worked regular jobs and thought about what it would be like to get to be an artist. I have distinct memories of working in cafes in Utah, desperately wishing my time and energy could be my own to pursue creative explorations. There was this one cafe that I worked at in Salt Lake City that hardly anyone ever went to. I’m mean like twelve people a shift came into this place. So I was forced to sit there for hours and just exist, bound by this invisible chain of survival. I was miserable. I would sit there with my art books and read about all these people throughout time that followed their artistic callings and made the damn things. “This can’t be my life”, I’d think to myself. So flash forward to now: I live in New York and I’m finishing up my MFA. Am I happier as an artist? Absolutely, 100%, without a doubt, yes. Will I have to get another regular job at some point in order to survive? Probably. Do I feel like a more natural version of myself as a human being on this experience of being alive by listening to my creative calling? A million times yes. And to me, that’s the most important thing.

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

I was born and raised in Salt Lake City, Utah where I relished in the abundant and accessible nature and was challenged by the conservatism and isolation. I didn’t think it was really possible for me to be an artist as a career until I fled Utah and lived in Sydney, Australia for a year. Living in a major city for the first time showed me diversity and opportunities I had never encountered before in my life. After my visa expired, I returned to Utah dead set on putting all my energy towards creating the artist life I felt called to embody. I got my BFA at the University of Utah and then almost immediately moved to New York where I enrolled at Pratt Institute to earn my MFA. Academically, I’ve been categorized in painting programs, however, I consider myself a bit of a Jack of all trades at this point as I get a good thrill out of trying out different mediums. These range from ceramics, film, performance, sculpture, and installation. Learning as I go along is half the fun. I’m not a fan of unnecessary fluff, so what I aim offer is a thoughtful, direct, sincere approach to the sacred act of artmaking, To me, this includes allowing space for experimentation, humor, and approachability. The deeper I get into my art practice, the more I view it as a portal to true liberation, which is what I want for all of us.

We’d love to hear the story of how you built up your social media audience?

I am by no means a world-renowned influencer yet( Follow me @ummyeahtony), but the greatest moments of success I’ve had online have come by not overthinking an idea too much and by posting things despite fear of ridicule. It’s cliche to say to just be yourself, but it’s only cliche because it’s true. Sometimes I have a fear that a thought I have or something I find engaging is stupid, but I find that there is so much liberation in embracing stupidity. Sometimes I think when people say something is stupid, it actually just means that it’s genuinely sincere and real. So take it as a compliment. I would say stand in your own power and don’t be afraid to be stupid because as human beings we are bound to be stupid sometimes, it’s just part of the messy being alive experience. I would also argue that it’s indeed very possible to be both very smart/clever and “stupid” at the simultaneously. Once you try to bravely operate from a place of humble authenticity to your own voice, while at the same time considering feedback that resonates, and not focusing too much on what others think of you (this is something you really don’t have much control over anyway) the world is your oyster.

Have any books or other resources had a big impact on you?

I’m particularly interested in the psychology and spirituality of the human existence, especially the connection they have to art and artmaking. I think ultimately, your inner world dictates your outer world, so it’s best to try to cultivate self-awareness as much as possible. This is very hard to do! But it’s noble and worthwhile work. Books that have impacted me in this regard have been “The Heart of The Buddha’s Teaching” by Thich Nhat Hanh, “Keith Haring Journals”, and the classic “The Power of Now” by Eckhart Tolle, just to name a few. The film “It’s Such a Beautiful Day” by Don Hertzfeldt is a good one. But honestly, nothing beats good old fashioned experiences. Trying new things and surprising myself has altered my philosophy more than anything.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.tonygriego.art
• Instagram: @ummyeahtony

Image Credits

Federico Savini