Meet Alisia Gruendel

We were lucky to catch up with Alisia Gruendel recently and have shared our conversation below.

Alisia, so great to have you with us and we want to jump right into a really important question. In recent years, it’s become so clear that we’re living through a time where so many folks are lacking self-confidence and self-esteem. So, we’d love to hear about your journey and how you developed your self-confidence and self-esteem.

I like that this question uses the word “develop”. It’s open ended, like confidence and self-esteem. They ebb and flow like most things in life. And to be honest, I think the best way I’ve developed them is to let myself actually live my life. For a really long time, I kept myself sheltered. I knew what I could and couldn’t do and things seemed fine like that for a while, until they weren’t. That’s when things became more difficult. I stopped doing what we as humans are sort of designed to do: change. My confidence grew the more I let myself venture beyond the boundaries of what I had know. That meant traveling across the Atlantic ocean for a week-long vacation where I knew absolutely no one. It meant traveling 800 miles to attend graduate school. I made friends, I laughed and learned; most importantly, I lived. I did stupid things that I can laugh about, in hindsight. I learned from mistakes that I try to improve on instead of beat myself up for. I made friends and connections that mean more than any monetary gain. I just let myself be, and before too long, I realized I wasn’t the same person I was a few years ago. I realized I was bolder, braver, and more outgoing than ever before all because I let myself life.

Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?

I am an illustrator, but that also means I’m a storyteller. I love stories. I always have. Visual narratives have sparked joy and passion in me since I was a child. I aim to push visual narratives with everything I do, whether its a visual development project where I’m designing characters and story concepts; or creating an art print; even illustrating editorial pieces, there’s a story behind everything. We don’t always see it, but our lives run on stories, and I love tapping into that energy with my work. It’s an old human tradition, storytelling, and expanding on those narratives using modern visual techniques makes me as excited as I was when I was a child with a crayon and a blank piece of paper.

I’m excited for the future. I aim to create a small business presence for myself where people can not only engage with me to create commissioned pieces, but to also purchase future art and merchandise. I’m developing this business into both in an e-commerce setting, as well as in-person at markets and fairs wherever I find myself.

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

Perseverance. Honesty, A healthy ego. These are some of the qualities that have been the most impactful for me by a long shot.

As a young creative, getting started was not, and continues to be a learning curve. There is nuance hiding around every milestone that can cause you to stall out sometimes. The biggest thing is to just keep going, move forward. Continue creating. One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned from perseverance is that not everything you create will be mind-blowing, but that doesn’t make it any less valuable. This is where honesty comes into play.

Once we reach a level of proficiency, it can be easy to ride your own coat tails. But you have to be honest with yourself and take a good hard look every once in a while and force yourself to find the areas where you can improve. I still find myself doing things certain ways because I know I can do them well. Only when I’m honest with myself do I seek out techniques or pursue constructive criticism to help me achieve and even better out come. This is where things can become a bit tricky, and where I have the greatest difficulty with a healthy ego, emphasis on the healthy.

Constructive critique is necessary, but when I let myself get too deep I begin to nitpick everything. I find flaws that may not even be there. I trick myself into thinking one thing about my work when outside perspectives see it in an entirely different way. I am constantly having to remind myself I would not be where I am today, both skill or career-wise, if I didn’t have the talent to do so. I have to rely on my ego to give me a boost every now and then. Well, more than I may care to admit, but that’s where it’s healthy. It’s good to make yourself feel good about where you are in your life. It’s no cake walk, and you’ve earned a pat on the back. We try our best and that’s all we can ever ask of ourselves. At least, that’s what I tell myself.

What was the most impactful thing your parents did for you?

They let me find myself.

It can be difficult to watch the people we love struggle. It’s hard to think about how the world might not treat them right, or might not be what they deserve. It wasn’t easy to hear stereotypes about “struggling artists” and “making art is no way to make a living”. But they never stopped encouraging me to pursue my interests. That let me branch out into so many avenues which turned into genuine hobbies and lifelong pursuits.

I competitively sailed which equipped me to study abroad on a sailboat for 20 days. I participated in model congress which helped me do presentations in front of clients and school officials. I illustrated and designed commissioned pieces of art starting in high school. I learned to love history which turned into a love of traveling.

All the while, they were in my corner, quietly supporting and encouraging me in whatever it was I was passionate about. Sure they had to take the wheel a few times and help me figure out my way, but it was always my choice at the end of the day. They let me be me, in every way.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.alisiagruendel.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/art.gruendel
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alisia-gruendel/