We recently connected with Grace Leonard and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Grace , really happy you were able to join us today and we’re looking forward to sharing your story and insights with our readers. Let’s start with the heart of it all – purpose. How did you find your purpose?
My purpose in life snuck its way to my life through a simple conversation while making wheel pottery with an old friend. It was around November of 2023, and in that current moment I was feeling utterly stuck and lost in my life. A recent graduate with a bachelors degree and 6 months in a new job in a field I had been working towards, I felt distraught, confused, and disappointed; I went to school for 3 years to end up feeling completely turned upside down… where did it all go wrong?
Let me preface with a backstory….. I was enrolled at Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan from 2020-2023 and since I was in high school, all that felt right with me was the Peace Corps or regardless, global sustainable nonprofit work. I eventually wanted to achieve a permanent role at a nonprofit I interned at in the Dominican Republic for 1.5 months during my gap year in 2019. When I began university, I majored in global studies; a degree that would improve my knowledge of DEI frameworks, dive into more culturally significant histories, cultures, and realities people faced. As I was involved in these studies, some ugly truths rose to the surface about my hopes and dreams of becoming a peace corps volunteer. It started to feel more white savior complex and government enforced work, service that was forced onto communities rather than being offered as work with the communities. Those things did not attract me, in fact it pushed me away. So, unfortunately that idea was scratched off the board of hopes and dreams. I still had the option of traveling abroad, working towards working for a global non profit… until COVID-19 pandemic; a pandemic that changed millions of peoples lives forever. It certainly changed mine. I could not travel abroad through school, working globally was not an option that existed in the near future. I scratched off my other items on my hopes and dreams board in my mind. After dealing with mental health and physical health issues, living at home, lots of online school, heartbreaks, loss of friendship… I began to settle for my future, although I did not know at the time.
While coping through the pandemic, hints of my purpose pushed its way into my life through coloring books, puzzles, journal sketches, and socially distanced vacations where I immersed myself in beautiful art. These creative sources became the places where I felt so much joy in my life…Fast forward to the beginning of 2023… I was settled on the idea of local nonprofit work, I had the skills from my degree, work, and internship experience while still keeping those creative outlets in hand. My self identity was being discovered at this time and I decided to take some art classes to close out my final semester of school with a relaxing, fun, and explorative time. While immersed in these art classes I felt so at peace, like I found my home… I kept wishing I had more time to take more art classes because I could tell I was good at it, there was something there. I was impressed with myself, and so were others around me. I did creative projects like jewelry making, ceramice, and painting, in every free moment I could. I finished university and graduated with a job already waiting for me when I was done. It financially and logistically was smart, I felt happy and content temporarily.
Things completely changed only a few months into my job, I felt out of place in my work environment. I knew I was good at my job and could excel in the field with my strong work ethic and professionalism, but certain factors held me back, made me feel frustrated, and I did not feel like I could be the creative version of myself that I was outside of work. I stuck it through hoping to find a conclusion somewhere else, but nothing different persisted.
So one day, an old friend of mine calls me and we decide to reunite and get together by taking an art class together. In the midst of millions of words being said, the one part of the conversation that changed it all for me was this “if you wanted to do anything for the rest of your life.. What would you do?” My face lit up and said ARTIST, but I explained that how would I even make that work? My friend explained to me, “if you know what you want, go after it.. Life is too short to have regrets on something we never tried. Let’s make this happen, if you truly want this you will succeed.” After that conversation, I truly never looked back. I applied to a rigorous art school; I got in with a scholarship. I quit my full time job, went back into the service industry and I am currently doing everything in my power to create projects, and save money towards paying for school. My journey already is showing results 4 months through connecting with artists, showing my work at 2 gallery events, and a future vendor table event on May 11th 2024. This is only the beginning of my journey as a successful artist.
Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?
My artist name Is GGOI, that stands for Graces Gallery of Inspiration. I am a multidisciplinary artist who creates through mediums of abstract painting and collage, fashion/accessories, jewelry/metalsmithing, and ceramic pieces. My main message I portray through work is simply to make art for those who want to feel dope and inspired. Why’s that? Because through life, every human being experiences inspiration. Whether that means, inspiration through a healing journey you may be going through, a person or type of music that pushes you to get up every day and go to school/work/live life. Someone might be inspired by their mom who battled a tough sickness, or inspired by a culture which thrives on connecting with their community through things like ancestry. Inspiration can also be negative; inspired by a heartbreak to go cut your hair or scream your heart out. Taking painful trauma from your life and using to inspire a positive moment of growth or to simply recognize your emotions. I want to take all of those experiences in my life and turn that into functional or wearable art pieces. I want to take other peoples experiences of inspiration and make something unique and special for them. Inspiration is powerful and I felt connected to the word dope because it is a creative word. Its cool, unique, fun to say, positive, funny. Inspiration can be negative or positive, but regardless it turns out into something dope in the end whether its a life lesson, a moment of growth, or anything in-between. These things make me so utterly happy and I want to show that to the world and express myself with everyone and show people why there is so much beauty in these words and in art. As a new artist I have a long way to go, things are going to change for me the longer I experience, inspire, and create dope pieces through personal practice and education. I am so excited for my future, I hope that many people will come with me. I want people to buy my art, I want to showcase my art in galleries/exhibits, curate other peoples art in galleries/exhibits, become creatively involved in the fashion world. I want to live every waking moment in art. I am ready to continue putting in the hard work to get there.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
The most impactful moments so far have been positive manifestation, research, and acknowledgment/action. It is important to acknowledge your feelings of confusion while searching for your purpose in life. It means that you are moving towards the next part of your journey, its important to mentally allow this feeling of being lost and let the world reach to you with new opportunities. Acknowledge the things you do not want to do in life, write them down and then explore the possibilities that exist within your passions. If you could wake up everyday and do whatever you wanted what would it be? What do you love to do? Do you see other people doing that? What research or actions can you take to make that happen? These are important questions that will help you discover your purpose. It is important not to rush it, life works in crazy ways… patience and positive manifestation is key. Saying positive affirmations like “I feel lost, but I am ready to look for my purpose” or ” I know what I want to do and I will take action to figure out how I will get there.” All of these things require self action, taking that initiative to research the what ifs, or take that risk to find out what happens. You will never know the possibility if you do not try, life is too short to not explore the possibilities of what you love and to do them everyday. Greatness comes to those who are persistent in their goals, taking that action, and manifesting a great future for themselves.
Alright so to wrap up, who deserves credit for helping you overcome challenges or build some of the essential skills you’ve needed?
My close relationships with friends, some family, colleagues, and other artists or creative people, who offer up advice, help, will sit down and strategize with me. All of these people have given me nothing but support in so many different ways. They provide me with people I can connect to explore opportunities, hype me up when I finish projects, give me tips on growing my skills, assisting me in planning for future opportunities like events, and my financial planning for school. Giving me love when I am feeling stressed, providing me spaces where I can do my projects and be as messy as I want. It would be so challenging to go after this goal without their love and willingness to help because they simply want to. I am so thankful and appreciative
Contact Info:
- Website: https://tuatara-alligator-yahz.squarespace.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/g_goi_/
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@g_goi_?_t=8hWcOftuApO&_r=1
Image Credits
Profile Pic is of me wearing jewelry pieces I made, photographer who took that shot is Armon Babridge (IG: @shotsbyarmon)
