I remember how cold it was when I walked into the basement of the church, a broken, hungry, lonely young man hoping for a respite from the relentless challenges I faced. I was gripped by alcoholism, renting a room in a boarding house in which others faced their own struggles, and I felt hopeless. The …
I went out for fresh interviews this past weekend in downtown Toms River. I didn’t have a lot of time, as I had a family event on the schedule, so I had a little less than an hour to meet people and hear their stories. Some days it can take quite a while to get …
When I go out to any given shore town, I never know who I will meet, or what story will be shared. The “not knowing” is actually what drives my quest to find new people to meet. I fundamentally believe every person has a story, and that every story matters because every person matters. My …
The vast majority of people I interview are people I have never met before. I come across them in seemingly random encounters (though I do not believe anything in life is truly random). When they choose to open up to me, I believe deeply that each story shared is significant, unique…sacred. That each person who …
Standing in front of me was the man I had been so incredibly hurt by. The man from whom I ran from for 10 years. The man I swore I would never talk to again…When I said those words, it was like fresh, pure waters washed my soul clean, and I felt a peace that I had not felt perhaps my entire life.
It has been a long, hot, very humid summer at the shore this year. Not that my boys and I minded at all. We basically lived at Seaside Park, with trips to Avon-by-the Sea, Asbury Park and Island Beach State Park beaches mixed in. Summer is by far my favorite season BECAUSE of the allure …
For some, they felt I was glorifying a bad habit. What in reality I was doing was sharing a portrait of a young, struggling, anxious father who needed to feel loved, cared about, and embraced, regardless of his still-standing habits.
Fare-thee-well 2017, and welcome to 2018, Jersey Shore! Now, it most certainly can be debated if time is just man-made, or if it really even exists in the first place. I mean, did time exist before we created marks on the cavewalls to keep track, and now use calendars on our smartphones? One thing is certain: …
Endings, Musings, and Journeys to New Beginnings Read More »
My name is Gregory, and I paint with light. I am also a documentarian-story-sharer of the hope, beauty and grace that is at work in this world. I meet people, interview them, and share their stories. I launched this pursuit in August 2015, have interviewed over 600 people, and yet in many ways I am …
630 Interviews, 30 Months and 1 Prevailing Vision Read More »
