INTERVIEW WITH MICHAEL GRANVILLE
Michael Granville is an accomplished athlete, painter and a social justice advocate. In 1996 he set a National High School 800 meter record and qualified to run in the United States Olympic Trials. He owns G:Fit Bootcamp is a personal trainer, head coach of the Palo Alto High School just to name a few of his roles. He was an Exhibition Director for Illustrative Voices, an Art Education non-profit.
He created and donated a painting for Ukrainian Art Fundraiser organized by Maansey Rishi. The proceeds went to our non-profit.
We set down with Michael to understand his approach to life and his involvement with various projects.
Website - (https://gfitwellness.com)
Photos by Boris Polissky
First of all.. thank you for donation your art work towards our cause and thank you for sitting down with us for a chat. .
MICHAEL
My pleasure. I’m glad I can help in any way.
Besides being an accomplished athlete and painter you’re heavily involved in social activities and a non-profit organization.
MICHAEL
Yeah that’s quite true. In 2020 is when we started. It was Jordan Fogg and myself. He is the Executive director and his idea was to put together platform for artists to meet and discuss social justice topic - identity, bullying, love, racial differences, privileges, geographical differences. We called it Illustrative Voices. Every three months we would change it up. And one thing being a part of the nonprofit and also about fighting for one cause of social justice, it becomes to be a tireless job because once you start seeing a group that you want to fight for and you notice like wait a second…this goes along with this next group and so it becomes a cyclical way of being of service that way.
So as the exhibition director for Illustrative Voices it was up to me to find venues, find the artist, collaborate with Jordan, with the topics and then making sure that it was,for the people. In art, there’s a very exclusive club and to get in you know, you’re usually an older white male you see in all the art books. And this is where the history of art is. And we wanted to say no, there's more. Like, even with myself being African American here to find African American artists, you don't really see them popping up in your schools and say, oh, here's Ernie Davis, or here's Samella Lewis and different people.
I started learning more about the different art that is out there. Asian art, black art, you know, European art, which we are aware of, local art. So I found venues in Menlo Park, the Cal Center of innovation in Foothill. And sometimes we would even go into little businesses in the neighborhood because that's where people come together. Even like nail salon and have an art show there. You get there, meet the artist, hear their story behind each painting. And it's a way to just kind of open up people, a way of discussing social justice topics without being so taboo.
Yes, when you walk into the gallery and the painting is just hanging, you don’t always have a connection to it as opposed to when you talk to the artist and get the story behind it.
MICHAEL
Yeah, and that's what it is.
It's like it's… when it’s already hanging there, you have no reference.
Yeah, there's nothing for you to connect you to that piece. It’s that connection talking to the artist and then hear what they did to create it, their story about their family and maybe there's something in that art now that connects, resonates with you that makes you want buy it.
You know or next time you see this artist, you know, next time I see Michael’s painting, I actually want to pick it up because there's a story.
Yeah, exactly. .
MICHAEL
You know, and so that's what we did. We started online during the pandemic – virtual shows. And I've been able to recruit artists from Philadelphia, Texas, Southern California and a lot more were locally. Since then I moved on from it because I’ve spent enough years doing it. But we raised good awareness to get the word out there. To me it was a good way connecting me with other artists and social justice things without having the reserve.. oh it's not dealing with black people, but I understand what they're feeling. Maybe I'm not so pushed to say something about it. But now after being part of illustrated Voices, I can talk about Ukraine, seeing what they're going through with the oppression from Russia and being able to understand how that feels for my culture or maybe someone else's culture.
And that’s why I was curious - why Ukraine as a subject for your painting? But it seems like to you it’s not just about the country, it's more part of this idea of world injustice…
MICHAEL
There’s a language in Africa that has the word ‘Ubuntu’
So that's a word that really resonates with me - what matters to you matters to me. And I think if all are empathetic and see each other as having the common goal of being free, being able to be with your family without the fear of being persecuted….
So when Maansey reached out to me…Maansey was my athlete at Gunn High School. I was the head coach for track and cross country and that's how we had our rapport as coach and the athlete. From conversations and before, as coach and athlete learned that she likes chess, she's an artist, she's a singer, she supports a lot of art…
I didn't know all that…
MICHAEL
Yes, she is. You know, she's a brilliant, just multifaceted, but most of everything she really cares about people.
I can see that, yeah.
MICHAEL
A painting donated by Michael was auctioned at our fundraiser on May 31 2023
She reached out to me if I’d be willing to draw something related to social justice and donate for a Ukrainian Fundraiser she was organizing. I was like, yes. I also liked that I had a chance to really dive into more of the story. And I've heard stories about the war in Ukraine, but definitely, you know, my thoughts and prayers are with the country.
I had some Ukrainians in my bootcamp. And this is just before the war happened. I saw them when the war started and I asked “Anything I can do to help? I feel sorry and I know what's going on within the home country.” I asked is there any way I could donate. She goes, “don't donate because you don't know who you're going to give to. Thank you for what you're saying”. She said that just talking to me and having the conversation, felt good. And so that was my closest thing. And then when Maansey brought this, I was like… I'll jump right on and go for it.
So how did the idea came to you?
MICHAEL
These next 3 months I’m doing different showcases for my art and I was already coming up with some ideas. Every now and then I do iconinic picture where I use religious images but make them look black. And then something hit me I want to use tracking, since it’s my background, and i started looking and wanted to do a historical type of piece. So i wanted to research .. what is art for me. So I started looking at Egyptian art, which I love and then Greece. Then I got into Greek art, and with Venus de Milo and a lot of the things they need to give to the Olympians. So I was like, oh, I'm gonna do an Olympic series. I’m using the six colors of the Olympics - black, white, red, yellow, green and blue and then make each piece have that very simple, just like what you see now in my piece. As I was getting ready for my shows, I wanted to have at least 10-12 pieces of which I already I sold half of them and I have 2 more shows coming. When Maansey reached out to me I was like “What can I do?” And I've always had this idea of the quote that the Ukrainian lady said when giving the sunflower seeds to a Russian soldier “Put these seeds in your pocket, so when you die, at least sunflowers will grow from your corpses”. You know, just she was so upset and I felt that and to me.
Yeah, it’s a very visual
MICHAEL And I was like, if anything I was cheering for Ukraine before and now I'm like I'm into this, you know, the underdog. Take Vitali Klitschko and his brother Wladimir, they went in and put on their armor, all of this stuff was happening in February last year was all sticking with me. And I'm always thinking of ways to learn more about Ukraine and understand what's going on there. I tried to understand the idea with the sunflower seeds and what the flag is – it’s a huge farmland for the world.
I’ve talked to Ukrainians in my class, learning more about the war. So when Maansey hit me up with this donation I was doing Olympic series, I thought “ OK, what can I do about this?” Knowing that Ukraine is religious I was just looking at different things and came across the images of the stained glass window. I was like, oh, I can make this into a freeze frame in a moment of time and hopefully at the end, you can see the glory of where this came from. So that was it. The whole idea of having the stained glass and then putting the javelin thrower which is a gesture of war, protection.
I actually thought you were talking about the missile. Then I realized you were talking about the Olympics
MICHAEL
No, I didn't even think about that.
Whoa, that one got me just right now…. So I continued to go along with that and then once I've completed it, I hoped that Maansey would like it and was just happy to have it go out. Then I was happy to be able to go and speak at the fundraiser event and be part of something meaningful, you know. To see what she was doing with your organization I felt like what I was doing at the moment was something that I was doing it solely for my compassion and I enjoy helping in any kind of way. Then being able to go and see what this painting has brought me and it also has opened up to meeting new people, which is what part of my life is.
Yeah, I can see that. Seems like part of what you do is getting to know and sharing your story with people. When I reached out to you about this interview, you were pretty much .. here is my schedule for next 4 days, let’s do it! And that’s awesome.
MICHAEL
Yeah, I understand, we're all busy . Here's I think the one important. I'm going to be a graduation commencement speaker this weekend and one of my things is of one of the keys of being successful is to be available, you know. And I think a lot of the things that has led me to where I am now is to know my value and know the value of my time, but also, other people's time and availability. And just being available. And whenever I always said “Yes, let's do this”. It always ends up in the in the right position.
Do you feel overwhelmed at times with all the things you do and people you meet?
MICHAEL
That was my last year. Sure it was. I found myself kind of trying to be the board of directors here, trying to do this here, trying to do that there. To the point to where my cup was so empty… I had nothing to give.
You know, and so last year I took some time back.. I wasn't sleeping. So I was able to actually talk with the therapist and they found out why, why I wasn't sleeping. They helped me out with my sleeping, which changed a lot too. I had a chance to regroup to see what is important to me. Being able to do that and communicate that with my wife and kids and just being able to step back. I just took about two weeks off and then came back and started doing the things that I really wanted to. If something interesting would pop up, sure I’ll do that.
Well I think it’s the giving Aquarius in us. You’re born on February 14 right? I’m January 24.
MICHAEL
Oh, look at that. That’s so cool. Just look at that. I want to help everyone but at the end I really can’t.
At some point you have nothing to give. You get irritated because of the little things
Looks like taking time off and then jumping back into what you enjoy worked for you.
MICHAEL
Yeah. And what happened is I had all this lined up and I just took two weeks off with everything going. But ultimately my business and everybody around was totally fine. It's like man, take time off, take care of yourself. We need you. And that's where I got the quote that says “You can't help anybody else if your cup is empty”. And that's when that just stick with me. And so since then, that's when I just say yes to the things I really want to do.
Let’s go back in time a bit and talk what success meant to you when you were young.
MICHAEL Sure. In 1996 I made it to Olympic trials. I'm looking back at it now, that was really good accomplishment at the time. I didn't win, you know. But looking back at it now, I was like, man, you should celebrate it more. That was a good accomplishment and at that time I didn’t appreciate that as much. But I've been drawing. Most of my life. Always, you know, was a part of winning a. Contest and drawing or doing things with the environment and different social topics.
It’s quite a rare mix to be an accomplished athlete and to be a painter. The physical and creative sides combined in one.
MICHAEL A part of the mix too is personally, I didn't want to… and I don't know why I say that. Even saying this out loud, it's weird to hear. I didn't want to confuse people's idea of their perspective, because even I knew the drastic poles an artist or an athlete. But they all do kind of come together, though, because being as an athlete you have to have a lot of practice. There's a lot of hand/eye coordination. You know, there's a lot of mind and body connection and that's what I get from drawing. Even the feeling of running. I think that's why I did this. I was like why I haven't thought about this. Being a physical therapist and a personal trainer, being a massage therapist, I learned a lot about the anatomy and then on this side of it being an athlete and know what it feels like to come out of the blocks and to jump over something and then translating that feeling into a pattern or a line or contour line or circle. I can really feel what that athlete is doing.
Do you feel there’s a part of you missing where you’re not pursuing professional athlete, track goals?
MICHAEL
I think I've accomplished that. I mean looking at my track career, I accomplished that. But there's always, you know, as you get older, it's like, oh, it would have been cool if I did something else.
Maybe trying a different event, being a little bit more courageous. I think I understand when to say no to when the tides are shifting, to see the ebbs and flows of when it’s pivot. Like it's OK to gun HO and say you know I'm, I'm here till the wheels fall off. But maybe sometimes you can go before the wheels fall off and use that energy, that progression and just shift it to something else.
Well, and what you do now is influencing, guiding people.
MICHAEL
That’s what I will say in my commencement speech. When I broke the national record that was a dream that I had. We all have to have dreams and a lot of those dreams too especially as you're a young man, are pretty much self-centered. I want this dream because of this. This is going to make me feel…
And you're seeing your pride, looking out, looking at the people. As I'm getting older and this what I'm gonna say now, that record it was personal. It's still the national record to this day, 27 years later, and who knew me looking at that guy there and thinking of his record as something that is going to take me to sports heights, you know, Olympic gold or money in sports. But most of what that record has done is brought me closer to where I am now.
You feel like you're not the same person anymore that you were 27 years?
MICHAEL
Muhammad Ali said “Iif somebody sees you in 27 years later and says you're the same, you messed up in life”. You want to make sure you’re different and you have change for the better.
And what drives me now is seeing smiles on other people's faces. I have to say seeing satisfaction on my clients faces. It's seeing a new person come up and fitting in. I call it gym without walls, literally and figuratively .
It's the confidence. It’s fitness, the mental wealthiness and wealth of it. You know the camaraderie of people and that's my drive is to continue having that source where people can communicate, learn about each other and have a connection. Or if you met through me, if 2 two people hang out outside of our circle and bring back a conversation. That's what drives me. And another part what drives me to is I I feel like I've found myself and as an artist as well.
Then there’s learning to be vulnerable to not knowing because your ego can get on the way. You put yourself in someone else’s position as you don’t know what they did that got them to their opinion. Being able to be in the position to listen and it’ll marinate. It’ll pop up again and I’ll be like.. has said it.. and now I see it again. I can relate. A big part is revisiting the causes that you helped or put a Like on.
That is the whole point of Illustrative voices – understanding the ways to be helpful. Starting with conversations, going here.. donate, going here.. being part of organization. Any kind of way your level of giving is available, take advantage of that. And then couple months later revisit it. Don’t forget it. Let me go back to being humble and see where else can I help.
And Muhamman Ali is somebody I bring up a lot. He said “our rent for our stay here on Earth is service to other people.” So pretty much the way we give back for our space here on Earth to give to other people. That is fullfillment.
This is a great way to sum it up and get to the reason why we even started this conversation. Thank you so much, Michael, for your time, for your painting, for your donation and for supporting various causes like ours
MICHAEL I love it. Thank you
