On our Friday Indie Q&A we spoke with Cass Ark Galleas an artist and a poet. His interview touched me beyond any other interview I’ve participated in over the years. His courage, strength, fortitude and never ending dreaming and doing is inspiring. Thank you, Cass for your honest, inspired, quotable interview. You are an incredible human!
Improve Your Skills by Teaching
Q: We love that you are promoting your art on Instagram by showing us your drawing process. Can you tell us about your experience with doing this and what brought you to the decision to share your art in this way? How has the response been around this kind of share?
A: For many years I was an illustrator who was afraid to pick up a brush and pencil. I drew digital paintings, but I thought that my hands would not be able to master the techniques of drawing with a pencil. But you know, that changed one day.
My wife Maya asked me to somehow help her understand how to draw a flower. It was a hibiscus and I liked it very much. We drew it together and so I realized that I could easily master the art of drawing. I watched Maya draw, watched other people, and boom. I realized I can show others and share my knowledge of drawing something beautiful easily and effortlessly.
So, I started to draw tutorials. It is very fun and rewarding as it will improve my skills the moment I start teaching others. It is a great feeling to understand and know that someone who does not yet know how to draw is a feather or a butterfly. I can tell you, don’t panic, add a line here and here, you see two steps and the form is done.
If I was asked what drawing tutorials mean to me? I would answer without hesitation. This is an opportunity to save a person from his fear cage. Fear in which I once was and found a way out.
Cass Ark Galleas, Poet & Artist
Escaping Death
Q: Your book of poetry Back2Amnesia is such an unusual and thought provoking title. How did you come up with the title for your poetry collection and what is your connection to your poetry and the title?
A: Oh, the title of the book came to me after I had written the entire collection. All poems, all words, all emotions, and thoughts are actually connected with the title. Each poem is an event in my life and the words that I want to tell everyone who will be happy to hear them.
This title has a poem of the same name ‘Back to Amnesia‘. This poem is still difficult to sound in my mind, forcing my mind to worry like a leaf that is being carried away by a hurricane of death. More than 10 years have passed, and I still shudder from that cold as death bed and words in my head. The poem describes the moments of how I escaped death and the turn that changed my life forever.
It was an unsuccessful surgery. I lost a few more months in pain and horror to return to the world of the living. Ha, I hope now I didn’t make you sad, as I definitely wouldn’t want to. Now, I like to see people smile and continue to create, enjoy life, and just live on.
So, Back to Amnesia means back to the moment when there was no surgery, fear, and pain. When I was risky, fun, supportive, and an illustrator with millions of ideas and huge plans for the future.
Your Path
Q: What kind of advice would you give to an Indie Artist and Author that you wish you had prior to starting on your journey?
A: [Read Quote]
Climbing to the top of a mountain is not the same as climbing on your own. You must walk this path yourself with all its intricate patterns and opening possibilities. This is your path, your voice, your adventure. It doesn’t matter if you are a writer or a sculptor, an artist or an architect, a musician or an actor. It is important to remember that our imagination and inner fire make us who we are. Remember, smooth roads and fast paths are the worst advisors, only mistakes make us stronger and teach us how to get success.
Cass Ark Galleas, Poet & Artist
A Designer’s Dream
Q: Insightful advice! I’m not sure you realize how quotable you are! Beautiful. You started a store not too long ago with your designs. Tell us about your decision to do this and how we can find your store!
A: This is a wonderful question. The story of the store opening goes back to the distant past. Over ten years ago, Maya and I dreamed of our own clothing brand. We dreamed of producing and selling things and shoes, making wonderful cases for mobiles and incredibly cute backpacks. Then we even had sketches and everything stopped at the manufacture. But hope continued to be in my heart, and the dream lived constantly with me.
Years passed, we found out that there are already manufacturing companies like Redbubble. So we made our studio and started creating incredibly beautiful designs and artworks, products, and just cute things. I apply all my skills as a designer and illustrator, as well as non-standard taste and unusual solutions. This is our brand with Maya in which we make creative and beautiful things.
You can enjoy them here at our Redbubble Galleas Studio Shop.
I recently set up my store at Pixels. I plan to have my custom designs, paintings, and illustrations there. This is my corner of creativity and years of experience as a graphic designer.
My shop and creative corner Cass Galleas Art.
A Thousand Thoughts in an Instant
Q: How do you find balance day-to-day in order to continue actively working on your art and writing? If you do other things, please share that with us too!
A: I really enjoy writing and drawing, but my hobby also takes time. I have also been interested in esoterics and tarot cards for many years. This is what led me to the fantasy genre which I love very much. I try to write books every day, draw simple and complex drawings, learn to draw new elements, deal in tarot, and read a lot of information. I’ve always been a person with thousands of thoughts in an instant. I had lots of ideas and a constant black hole in business. I found my balance when I started doing journaling. It was a good start for me. I love to write and paint. When I think I like to keep my hands busy with drawings. Productivity and planning are important keys to your business, of course, if you are trying to be in several places at the same time.
Magical Recovery
Q: What is one big win that you’d like to share with us?
A: My biggest win is magical recovery and finding my path in life. My end of the world came in the summer of 2013. I was lying on the bed with no way to get up on the pillow once again. Like a tsunami, I was overwhelmed by the attack of my chronic disease. One move is a terrible pain, inhalation is prolonged convulsions, thoughts are hot needles. Now I think a lot of dark colors can be drawn in the imagination to represent all this.
My win is not the only mine. My wife helped me. She knew about my love for drawing and made me start painting with my hands. These were brushes and acrylic. It helped me to leave all the pain and sadness somewhere on the canvas. At the same time, I started writing my First Book again. I wrote it before, but I had no motivation. Motivation to survive and finish writing, to tell my story to the end. Here are my true cures for the disease.
Dragon Wings at Your Back
Q: That’s truly beautiful, Cass. Thank you for sharing that part of you with us. You’ve moved me. There are so many people that assist us along our artist path. Who would you like to give a shoutout to?
A: Wow, this is one of my favorite questions. It’s always difficult to do something without support, without those dragon wings behind your back. I was lucky and I found them. I want to thank my wife Maya. She is my wings and my support. When I stopped and lost confidence, she was always there and gave me hope. Here is the person to whom I am truly grateful, my faithful reader and loving wife.
Follow Cass!
Q: Where can we find you on social media?
A: I will be happy for you to hear, read, and see you on my accounts:
Instagram @cassarkgalleas
Twitter @CassGalleas
Facebook @cass.galleas
