Meet Grey Grimm | Fine Artist & Freelance Digital Illustrator

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

Hi Grey, any advice for those thinking about whether to keep going or to give up?
Very recently I had a health scare, I have been suffering from prolonged episodes of vertigo for a little over a year now, and while that may sound like just a dizzy spell, how it affects me is entirely debilitating. I stayed in bed for over three days because if I left I ran the risk of blacking out or falling. I went to the ER after a long episode, as the symptoms would not let up. I was worried there could be a greater issue at play, a larger neurological risk like a blockage.

Thankfully that was not the case, but I had a moment lying in the hospital bed, where I couldn’t stop thinking about the cost of the care, what my co-pay would be and how I would manage the bills if they were astronomical. I have an incredibly supportive partner who thankfully just kept saying it will be okay, and I’d rather pay for this than not know and for something worse to happen later. But I couldn’t shake the feeling that if I just been able to stay the course, or find a job that was more corporate and had health benefits that I wouldn’t be as worried about the cost; that I should give up this dream I’ve been chasing and settle for something more safe. The truth is, it might be easier, and it’s not the first time I’ve thought about it, but in the hours and days following I couldn’t make a picture of what that life looked like. Truthfully, I have just started to scratch the surface of what is out there for my art goals. I worked in restaurants from 2007 up until 2021, and while I was always dabbling and I have a degree in Fine Art and Art History, I have truthfully never given myself permission to really try. I think what keeps me going even though most of my work is freelance, and I have to scrounge for opportunities sometimes, is that I’ve tried a lot of different outlets and I’ve imagined different circumstances or jobs, and the only clear picture I can make in my head, is one of me sitting at my desk working on my next art project.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
My art is honestly a little bit of a hodge-lodge of everything! If I were to truly narrow it down I would say I get my most inspiration from the figure and figurative forms. That being said, I’ve been known for chalkboards and hand-lettering for about a decade, and I’ve also been a food photographer and content creator for restaurants. I’ve worn and continue to wear a lot of hats, but my biggest passion comes from drawing people. What I am most excited about currently is the opportunity to showcase some of my work at First Friday in Denver on June 3rd of this year. I have never shown my art in that way before and the challenge is something I’m excited to see through. Getting where I am today was not easy, but I also don’t think of it as the end by any means. I didn’t graduate school until I was 26 and I didn’t really start pushing towards my goals until March of last year (2021) when I left the hospitality industry. I get hung up on the fact that I’ll be 32 in July and I’m still basically just starting out in this new direction, but I also try to think about how much I’ve learned about life in the time leading up to this, and how many people I’ve met along the way or experiences I’ve had that have helped me figure out what I do and do not want out of life; both of which are equally valuable. I think it’s important to understand that there isn’t one right path. That might seem basic, but it’s easy to get swept up in the onslaught of (seeming) perfection on platforms like Instagram, and forget that it’s entirely curated. Especially as an artist who almost HAS to use Instagram to be noticed, I see a lot of artists that are more successful than me, that are doing things I hope I can do some day, that have their dedicated studios, that get to work on art exclusively and not balance other jobs. I think remembering that there’s room at the table for everyone is important, how you get there or how long it takes you to get there, isn’t nearly as important as showing up and giving yourself permission to be there.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I’ve been getting more and more into hiking and birding! For someone who grew up in Boulder, my family was NOT an outdoorsy group. Not to say we didn’t have experiences in nature, as a kid we would go to cabins in Grand Lake and Meeker regularly, but we didn’t necessarily do the traditional Colorado things like ski or hike or rock climb—things that other people move here to do. We were the cocktails and dinner party household, which was equally exciting and set me up to fall in love with food and drink. Now, however, I am really excited to try out my new binoculars and Camelback. I would take a friend to Chautauqua and do a nice long walk/easy hike and then down to the Farmer’s Market, to get some awesome produce and anything from the pickle lady. It would be great to venture over to the newer spot called Gemini for some tapas, and if the bellies still need some fuel T/ACO is my next stop for chips and salsa and Classico and Buffalo Chicken taco plate. Later on Jungle would be at the top of the list for cocktails, and Jax for a quick oyster tour. Depending what’s playing the Dairy Center has some great shows as well as showcases some fantastic artists in their lobby and the Boulderado does live Jazz on Friday’s. Another option would be a picnic in the park, dipping your feet in the creek, relaxing and reading a good book.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
There are so many people that make my aspirations seem possible, but the biggest change in my thinking happened when I realized how many supportive women I suddenly had in my life thanks to a job at Two Hands Paperie in downtown Boulder. I have had support from my friends and family for years, and I could not thank them enough, but there is something very unique about the praise you get from new connections or even relative strangers. It doesn’t diminish the other support systems at work, but I started at that job on a whim wanting desperately to get out of the house again and feel like I was a part of something, contributing to the community again. What I found was a woman-fueled world full of talent and expertise in their individual areas of creativity. And not only that, but they would willingly share their ‘secrets’ to success, or how they price things, what I could do to look for gigs, how to go about starting this or that, and what websites or books might be useful. Not only that, but their genuine interest in my work was flooring. Hospitality can be incredibly competitive, whether it’s who’s getting the best section or scrapping it out for the highest tips. I also ran into a lot of competition in school; who’s work was better or worse, who was the teachers favorite etc. To come into an environment that not only wanted me to succeed but that didn’t act like it somehow took away from their success if I did succeed, or even further, if I succeeded based on a tip they gave me, was unlike anything I’d experienced. Truly an incredible environment to be attached to and to have gained so many new support systems from.

Website: www.GreyGrimm.com

Instagram: www.instagram.com/GreyGrimm

Linkedin: Www.LinkedIn.com/in/GreyGrimm/