Meet Raea Gragg | Graphic Novelist, Author, Illustrator

We had the good fortune of connecting with Raea Gragg and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Raea, what role has risk played in your life or career?

A professor once walked up to me out of the blue and said “Raea, I’ve figured it out.” I looked up from my project, unsure of what he was getting at and he concluded, “You’re fearless.”

Fearlessness is the definition of risk-taking and it’s my recipe for success. As a little kid, I decided to part with my fear of failure and instead, replaced it with the fear of not trying. It was hands-down the best life decision I’ve ever made. I’ve grown used to and am accustomed to failing. I expect to fail. The rare times I don’t fail – it’s just a happy surprise! A lot of artists and creators can get hung up on making everything perfect or set very high expectations for themselves but really all it boils down to is trying… failing and trying again!

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.

Growing up, the last thing I wanted to do was read… however, at age 15 I self-published my first novel. I am an author-illustrator who has created stories ranging from picture books all the way to contemporary young adult novels. My latest work has been middle-grade graphic novels, including my MUP series about an adventurous young girl who continuously gets lost in time.

And yet – you know what’s crazy? I still don’t like reading! I have dyslexia which makes reading an ongoing challenge. However, my dislike for reading is the reason why I create books, particularly graphic novels. I want to create stories that are so captivating, even the most reluctant readers (myself included) will get through the whole saga cover-to-cover.

There is nothing more inspiring than meeting someone who has told me that one of my books was the very first book they were able to read.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.

Surfing! The best part of San Diego and SoCal is the surfing and beaches. Ever since I moved from the frigid fog-dominated Bay Area I’ve taken up surfing. I typically will bring friends to the beach and give them surf lessons on easy beach breaks that you can find at almost any beach. My favorite spot is in Tamarack for surfing in Carlsbad. After surfing, it’s taco time!

Other than surfing and spending time on the sand, I would definitely take them to Balboa Park and the botanical garden. There’s an artist alley with local artists who are very talented. The zoo is also right there! The best time to go is the morning, when all the animals are out and awake.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I’d like to thank my peers from Loyola Marymount University School of Film and Television, especially the animation and screenwriting departments. So many outstanding individuals from college have helped inspire me to create the stories I’m producing now. To all those who helped me learn photoshop, those who helped edit dialogue, and everyone who listened to my endless new pitch ideas, thank you for your continued creative collaboration it means everything to me.

Website: www.raeagragg.com

Instagram: @raeag

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/raea-gragg-53b483125/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/raea.gragg/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCOJm5aiHDlqzBqL5sRcOm4w

Image Credits
the portraits – Renee Sweeney, Lili Hamada