Hi there,
I am an artist going by the name 'Grum Reapur' with a brand based around the same character. I use my art, toys and design work to convey the troubles I have had in the past with mental health problems and how I overcame them in the hopes to inspire change within other people. The character itself is the antithesis to the Grim Reaper, that is, rather than coming to take your life he comes to save it in your hour of need. I am fully obsessed with making the Grum Reapur become part of human history in the hopes to save people from the darkness I once experienced. I am currently in the process of writing the story behind it, which is basically an embodiment of who I am, the people that influenced me and what I did to overcome the many issues I faced in my past.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

I never wanted to be a tourist, seeing the places everyone had seen, but I wanted to travel to meet people from all around the world, get to learn what drives them, understand their philosophies on life and tell that story through my art and writing. I really got into the ideas within philosophical thought and was initially drawn to cynicism as it seemed to capture how i felt about the world. That is until I discovered stoicism and that has massively helped in my life. I am really inspired by Alexander the Great, his approach to life being that he would meet people and do what he could to help them. That is how I live my life and travelling from place to place, getting to meet people would be an absolute dream come true.

Interests

• reading
• podcasts
• music
• business
• philosophy
• psychology
• art
• learning
• deep conversations
• meeting new people
• sculpture
• graffiti
• painting and drawing
• entrepeneurship
• designer toys

Music, Movies, and Books

My music taste is all over the place. When I was younger, in my teenage angst years I was really into nu-metal, but as the years have gone by I found myself shifting away from that and enjoying a multitude of different styles and artists. One thing I find common amongst the music I listen to is how it makes me feel, will it lift me up to the point I end up dancing? Pretty much yes, from deep house to the tunes from musicals, retrowave, synthwave, lo-fi hip hop, trip hop, space ambience...this is the music I listen to most these days as I can just put on a playlist and let it play in the background without being too much of a distraction whilst I work.

My favourite movies are definitely those with practical effects in them, I don't really see it as gore, more of a living sculpture that is brought to life via animatronics and the skills of the artists working on them, think anything by John Carpenter. On the flip side of this is an absolute adoration of the Studio Ghibli films, I just wish there were more. The way they capture the wonderment of the world and present them is nothing short of pure magic. I don't know what to put as my favourite film because it all depends on what mood strikes me in the moment of choosing to watch.

My interest in books has been absolutely reignited this year, I like trying to understand the human condition so I read a fair amount on psychology, philosophy, anthropology and sociology, but my reading list isn't limited to non-fiction. As of writing I am about 100 pages from finishing the Southern Reach trilogy which has had me hooked since I started reading a couple of weeks ago. I am desperate to find out just what is going on in that universe. I am also a HUGE fan of David Wong and Lovecraft, I would attest that the idea there is something lurking beneath the surface of the known world is what truly grips me into a fictional piece of writing, movie or piece of art.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

This may seem a little deep, but overcoming my own mental health problems. There was once a time when I couldn't move for my depression and the damage it did to my body will forever be there, that was a long time ago. It was overcoming these issues that lead to me starting my own business driven to inspire those experiencing the darkness to overcome it. When I get to meet people at markets, fairs or me just walking around in public I am just open about everything, my own experiences and suffering from the past and this enables others to open up. Part of my drive is challenging the idea that we have to keep our emotions hidden away for they may bring us shame if we open up. In my experience I have found the opposite to be true, that when you open up you are inviting others to open up too. To me that is amazing, being able to connect with people on a deeper level, understanding that we are connected in our humanity and emotions.

Teach, Learn, Share

Teach - Painting, sculpting, mold making, casting, drawing, social media marketing, branding, graphic design, product photography and maybe a dash of video editing.

Learn - everything, I want to truly experience this world and am more than happy to learn anything I can, whether its a little bit of a language, some interest facts about space and time, different artistic skills, investment...absolutely anything and everything

Share - My story, my skills, my toys and art, the knowledge I have gleaned from speaking to people from all walks of life.

What I Can Share with Hosts

Moments of connection, laughter, cooking, tears, hugs, conversation, plus anything I mentioned in the Teach section from above.

Countries I’ve Visited

Canada, France, United States

Countries I’ve Lived In

England