Meet Emily Grey

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

Hi Emily, thank you for being such a positive, uplifting person. We’ve noticed that so many of the successful folks we’ve had the good fortune of connecting with have high levels of optimism and so we’d love to hear about your optimism and where you think it comes from.

My optimism stems from my deep connection with art. Growing up I always had this creative outlook on life, from drawing on napkins at the restaurant, spending every waking second doing some craft, or simply admiring the faces you can see in the clouds. I came from a town where art was not a common career path. It wasn’t until 2020, during that pandemic, that my wheels started to turn. I began to look into art school to further my passion. I switched from becoming an engineer to studying 3D character animation at SCAD. I wanted to do something different compared to my friends growing up. Sure enough, what I am doing now is drastically different! It wasn’t until my sophomore year of college, that I fully started to embrace the inner art kid in me. I used to play on a college sports team, until the moment I realized it was holding me back. That was the turning point in my story. Yes, I have always been so passionate about art, but in this moment a fire was lit under me. I needed to soar and set myself apart yet again. My mom let me bring her camera back to school, and that is when I started to dabble around in film. I have always loved being constantly on the go and found a way to translate that into my work. Leading me to switch my major to motion media design. My newfound optimism comes from my desire to create and challenge myself. There are always days when the glass is half empty, but I try to look at life like it’s always half full with room to keep growing. Art has been my one escape, and now getting to be an artist every single day for the rest of my life has led me to be the happiest version of myself.

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

I am a third-year student at the Savannah College of Art and Design in Savannah, Georgia! I studied 3D character animation and now I am studying motion media design with an interest in videography. I am known at school for my fashion films, photography, video, editing, motion media, jewelry design, and creative direction. I am the jack of all trades. I started doing videography one year ago this October, which led me to meet so many amazing creatives. I started to attend SCAD Manor meetings. (Manor is a student-run digital fashion publication platform for students at SCAD). Soon enough I went from doing a couple of shoots in the fall to being fully booked out with Senior Fashion Collections in the spring. Even though I am always busy, I still find editing and shooting videos to be my escape. We always hear those sayings “Find a job that you love and you will never have to work a day in your life”, this saying has become my reality. I love what I do so much and I have such a deep-rooted passion for creating art. I hope to inspire people with this passion, and with my drive and dedication towards my craft. Even though I am new to this industry, I hope this is the inspiration for creatives that it is never too late to start anything.

My brand is emilyannportolio! Super simple, but gets the job done. You can find me on Instagram with that handle and my portfolio linked in my bio. My page is my escape. I love being able to share my work because it allows me to connect with others. I hope that my page brings you joy and inspiration for your future projects.

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?

1. Drive

My drive stems from the need to have an escape. Art is truly that one place where I can go when I need some space to just mindlessly create. Having this in the back of my head when I go on set, allows me to feel at peace because I know that this is part of my self-expression and chances are that everyone around you is feeling the same way. Art is an extension of who we are. There are always those days when I feel so unmotivated, but I always find a little thing to do creatively such as color in a piece of paper with one color or just aimlessly doodle. I have always had this need to keep creating. I just know that if I keep making art, I am capturing all of my memories in my work and it gives me something to reflect on almost like a diary.

2. Self-awareness!

Being self-aware is so important. This is the biggest piece of advice that I have learned through my journey. Knowing your limits has helped me to get to where I am at. This includes not being afraid to say no, and knowing when to stop. Being a new creative, it is so easy for to people please. I struggled with that, and I still struggle with it. When first trying to get your name out there, it is easy to find yourself in this endless pit of constantly saying yes even when you know you do not have the time or energy to fulfill it. Then you find yourself editing, or doing whatever you are doing with zero interest at all and that means you will not be giving your all to it, and that is ok. The key is to find a balance and a middle ground. Call upon people around you to help you. Sometimes it is ok to lean on someone to give you a helping hand! And who knows, they might be looking for a jumpstart in the field and you can help them get there!

3. Find Joy

My motto is “with joy”. Do everything with it. It is such a blessing to be able to do what I love. I thank my parents for believing in me even when I did not believe in myself. Without them and their support, I would not be where I am right now. I am so thankful for them and for my friends here at school. It is such a joy to be able to wake up knowing that I am doing what I love and I am surrounded by such amazing people. Even on tough days, finding even just a sliver of joy can make the day so much better. For me, the first thing I see when I wake up is the walls of my apartment which is just covered in my art. My art is something I take pride in and it makes me so happy. So starting my day on a positive note just sets the rest of my day up for success.

Okay, so before we go we always love to ask if you are looking for folks to partner or collaborate with?

I am always looking for people to work with! It would be such a dream to collaborate with someone in the music industry.
In the question drop-down, there was a question that stated “What do you do when you feel overwhelmed?” I listen to music! Music has always been a second interest for me. I just love the storytelling and the way it can teleport you to another world. I feel like my art connects to it in a way. I try to capture the story in my work and listening to music that fits that vibe always enhances it. So long story short, it would be a goal of mine to work on a music video or some sort of promotional piece. Who knows, one day I might end up in LA or NYC!

But as of right now, if anyone at my school (SCAD) ever wants to collaborate or just chat, my DMS are always open!

Contact Info:

Image Credits

-Makenna Gries
-West Sky Nelson

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