We had the good fortune of connecting with GB Gadd and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi GB, what led you to pursuing a creative path professionally?
I graduated as the Valedictorian of my class in high school. The only thing that scared me in terms of picking a career was picking one in the arts, but I knew it was what I had to do. I started writing when I was in third grade, but I had the spirit of a performer long before that. These were the gifts I was given…that felt closest to my soul’s calling and that continues to be true even when my main job is not necessarily a creative position.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
Growing up in the hyper-conservative church world, there was a constant push to leave my artist endeavors behind as acting and the entertainment business were not considered appropriate places for a young Baptist girl to be. However, acting and writing were the places that I felt the most safe and where I felt like a could communicate without consequences. It was never easy but it was ultimately always fulfilling. When I graduated from college with my theatre degree, I felt like I had to give up on my dreams and was soon sucked into working for my church. In 2019, my whole life fell apart when I did a play to deal with the grief of losing some family members as I needed that outlet to process large emotions. My pastor and boss felt that it was inappropriate and fired me from the church. I felt like I had lost my identity when in fact, I had given it up to “people-please” a manipulator. It was here that I started the process of finding my voice again. I have since written several scripts that have participated in competitions such as the Impact-Imagine campaign and SheATL. I also self-published my first short novel (Dedicated to the One I Love available in paperback and digital on Amazon Kindle). I also started a self-care podcast with my best friend called, We’re All Just Doing Our Best Here. We finished season 1 in 2020 and hope to have season 2 available sometime this year. As I continue to grow out of and through this experience, I’ve promised myself to keep writing and creating my way through it.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
For better or worse, my background has been my biggest inspiration for what I create. I grew up in the evangelical fundamentalist movement. I’ve since left that movement behind, but I started singing in church when I was 7. While I had a voice that was used to stir worship, I felt as if I didn’t have a voice for decisions and opinions on topics that actually mattered in that environment. I think that spurred me to write and I’ve been writing every since and will soon be finishing a book about my experience growing up Independent Baptist. These days, I would have to thank my friends and therapist for encouraging me to take my trauma and put it into art as well as resourcing me with their talents when I need them.

Website: doingoutbesthere.com

Instagram: @gbgadd

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gb-gadd-93348922b

Image Credits
Personal photo taken by Joy Joo Photography. Podcast photos was taken by Asyntia Creations.

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