Today we’d like to introduce you to Gandhi Joseph.
Gandhi, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
Being an introvert was a gift. Back home in Haiti, I was a very curious child who asked a lot of questions, had ideas and opinions about society and the world around me that were going unanswered. So, I started drawing; drawing these ideas I had about certain things, beliefs and how I viewed the world. Also, I would get in trouble a lot in math class. So, to distract my teacher to avoid punishment, I would draw her sitting on her desk. When it was my turn to be disciplined, I would give her the drawing and she would be excited and impressed. She, of course, would forget about punishing me at that point 😉 .
Drawing and painting became my contribution to the world and I started creating content and sharing it with those around me. As a self-taught artist at age 6, my favorite part about my creations were people’s initial reaction upon seeing one of my finished products. It was exhilarating for me and encouraged me to want to do it more.
Prior to me diving into my craft, I was making tons of excuses. I was distracted and unsure for a long time, which made creating hard for me. After losing my mentor, who was also an artist, it fueled something in me and I felt like it was time. So, I worked harder, set a goal and here we are.
Art is my passion. I am very sensitive about my sh*t.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
It was far from easy. My uncle would throw away my art, tell me I wasn’t good enough and tell me to stop wasting my time. My friends and other adults would steal my art. I was surrounded by conservative individuals, so everything I did made it hard to be confident in my artistic abilities. There were times that I thought I was really wasting my time and it discouraged me from creating. After a period of time, I started believing that I should quit or that my uncle was right. But, I decided to persevere through it all. My struggles ultimately became my inspiration and I became my most creative self.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the GJ Art story. Tell us more about the business.
GJ Art was created to serve as a gateway into my artistic world. GJ Art specializes in creating unique pieces using acrylic and oil paint. GJ Art is not limited to canvas; I also paint on shoes, hats, bag, anything leather, clothing, and murals.
I am most proud of making it this far. I’m now comfortable with sharing my art with the world. Being able to overcome my fears and feeling positive about what’s to come after feeling a lot of doubt makes me swell with pride and I cannot wait to display my art to the city of Dallas and beyond.
What sets me apart from others is my unique style. I am not limited to one style of painting. I am diverse in what I paint and how I paint it. My creation process consists of lots of research as this allows me to be as unique and different as possible. My art is not up for interpretation which leaves much to the imagination.
Has luck played a meaningful role in your life and business?
I was getting ready to attend art school when the earthquake in Haiti happened. After that, I was offered a few art scholarships when I came to the US, but, because of my immigration status, I was unable to attend. I had a portfolio that I worked months on to complete but was destroyed when I got rained on while walking. So, I’d say my luck has definitely played a part in the creating of GJ Art.
Contact Info:
- Phone: 813-384-0198
- Email: gjart2019@gmail.com
- Instagram: gjart2019
- Other: https://www.etsy.com/search?q=gjart19
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