Truth be told, it was hard to decide whether to share this portrait on the Vancouver or Maple Ridge blog. I don’t think either would have been realized in the way they were (and growing into what they will become) if not for this man. His influence began one night when I was working a bar shift at The ACT Arts Centre. I was excited to get booked the moment I saw the headlining speaker had musical guests featuring Ashleigh Ball of Hey Ocean!, East Coast legend, Joel Plaskett and local jazz singer extraordinaire, Jill Barber. All three of these artists had influenced me so greatly over the years. Ashleigh Ball had soundtracked at least a dozen incredible nights out, with one particular show at the Railway club celebrating the ten year anniversary of “Its Easier to Be Somebody Else” being a favourite memory. Jill Barber’s Metaphora was gifted to me by my mentor and helped me through the pandemic. Going back even further, I had been an avid fan of Joel Plaskett since I first picked up Through, and Through, and Through on a Starbucks/iTunes “pick of the week” card in 2009. Yeah, I go back with this music. This guy, Grant, must have some pretty cool taste.
After what I can only describe as an incredible night in which I got to experience the graciousness and kindness of all four of these influential creatives firsthand, I knew I had to get my hands on one of Grant Lawrences books. His Evening of Stories and Songs had touched both my heart and the creative fire deep inside me. The way he weaved stories together to express community through personal connection was something I only got a taste of that night. After the show, I saw Grant’s rich and abundant merch table and if my wallet had even a dollar in it at the time, I swear it would have burned right through the leather. There were books galore, and based on the subject matter of each of them, I knew I had some exciting Drawing Thanks “homework” ahead of me. Unfortunately, it was not the night to go home with a book, but I would soon be annoying the local librarian to bring in copies of Adventures in Solitude and Return to Solitude. I ate those books up within a weekend and in the next few weeks (once funds were replenished) I had a copy of each book on order for keeps KNOWING that highlighters and margin notes were inevitable in my future. If buying a book borrowed from a library isn’t an endorsement for a good read, I don’t know what is.
Adventures in Solitude and Return to Solitude were such cherishable experiences to read and make me truly desperate to experience both the beauty and ruggedness of Desolation Sound for myself. The way Grant writes about his father brings up so many feelings I have had for my dad growing up: that can-do Mr. Fix-it who breaks his back for the ones he loves and leaves incredible shoes to fill for a young son. We often went on fishing and camping trips growing up—in the company of immediate family, extended family, the fun-filled “fall classics” with the boys, and the precious one-on-one outings. It was a rich childhood with a deep connection to nature. As the adult me read these books, my nostalgia bone was tickled and a childhood version of me clung to each story. Icons from The Sound such as Handy Candy, Russell (The Hermit of Desolation Sound), Bernard the German, and Nancy Crowther (The Cougar Lady) were written with such admiration, respect, and friendship that as a reader, you cannot help but grow to admire Grant’s community as if you know them yourself personally.
I have always dreamed of sharing my portraits in a way that not only featured stories of those I have drawn, but the ways in which all of these creatives are interweaved in the larger tapestry of community. Grant’s work has not only shown me that it can be done, but that it can be done with a loving personal touch. I would never wish to copy or emulate what Grant has achieved, but it has been an immense creative catalyst in my life to be exposed to his work. I am so grateful for the way his gift has inspired mine and helped me realize that I can move forward with this big endeavour one story at a time. For the longest while, I felt that Drawing Thanks HAD to be a series of books. I was truly stuck on it. Funny enough, it took a published author for me to realize it didn’t necessarily have to roll out that way. Not only did I get to enjoy his stories through his books and his event, but also Grant’s podcast, Superfeed, where he has shared some audio adventures in Desolation Sound as well as adventures from his other books such as Dirty Windshields. It has been a rich multimedia experience and I cannot wait to continue my adventures with Grant’s body of work as I explore Dirty Windshields and The Lonely End of The Rink.
One of the most endearing facets of reading a Grant Lawrence book is catching all the embedded references to song titles in his chapter names. In honour of that spirit of creatives sharing the creativity that influenced them, I have included an embedded playlist at the end of this blog post. This playlist consists of Canadian-made music special to my heart and features Hey Ocean!, Joel Plaskett, Jill Barber, as well as Grant Lawrence’s head-banging punk band, The Smugglers. Please enjoy the musical adventure and more importantly, read a Grant Lawrence book. I guarantee a literary adventure in Desolation Sound will have you wanting to stay longer than a library book will let you.