North Shore Spotlight Volunteer: Antonio Granville

Consistently smiling, Antonio Granville graces the North Shore with light-hearted laughter, encouragement and a positive attitude! You can frequently find him working one to one with each artist, jumping in on Zumba or his favorite activity, “Photo-bombing” pictures! Over the last five months, his energy has been infectious and his ambition excels our community forward.   Antonio came to our studio through ReEmployability in January 2017. “ReEmployAbility is the nation’s largest provider of early return-to-work services and transitional employment programs. ‘Their’ Transition2Work program offers employers a simple, cost-effective solution to modified light duty assignments, and reduces workers’ compensation and disability claim costs while giving the injured employee time to heal and benefiting the community.”1 Although he was injured on the job it certainly does not jeopardize his character or limit Antonio from taking in all the information he can and lending a hand whenever and wherever possible! Antonio described it best when he said “I just really get to be myself. I am encouraged to be who I am.” We are delighted to have Antonio with us and pleased he has stayed true to his energetic persona. Enjoy a conversation between Antonio and the Arts of Life community” Russell: Do you like it here?Antonio: I do. I really do.Russell: You enjoy working with us? Nice friendly peopleAntonio: And I thank you for that Russell you were one of the first people here to tell me that and were nice.Russell: Of course you like it here. Sometimes you have to go. You have to leave. People have jobs. You have to go, you have to go, you know? That’s life. Right, Grace? Most people have to move on, get a job, make that money.Grace: Russell, are you used to our volunteers coming and going?Russell: Sometimes they stay a little bit and then they have to go. Go to school, work. I hope you stay around.Antonio: I plan to stay as long as I can. I never looked at it that way. Grace: What’s your favorite part of the studio environment?Antonio: MY favorite part is that open atmosphere. Nothing on the schedule just being here every day. Seeing what’s going on in their lives. You know asking “What’d you do last night?” Coming in everyone is always happy.Russell: That’s right I like it here, I’m in the band, everyone’s happy. Russell: What do you do here?Antonio: I volunteer, I came here because I got hurt at my job. I didn’t want to sit at home so they sent me to this position. At first, I didn’t know what to think because I don’t know art. Danny gave me a tour, the second person I met was you and that’s a one-two combination you just can’t turn down! Russell: What kind of job you used to have?Antonio: I did QA, Inspection work. The place I worked made pizzas and before they made anything I made sure there was no bacteria on the rack, and before everything was up and running I made sure the right amount of sauce was on there, the machines were calibrated, detail and finicky work. This is much better. I like it because in art it’s about detail. Ted GB: My first question is what do you do when you’re not hereAntonio: I love to read. I’m usually reading one or two books at a time. That or I’m with the boys. My two sons, Alex (9) and Xavi (10). Pretty much the same thing I do when I’m here. Smile, play, have a good time, Learn as much as I can and teach when I can too. Cole: How did you hear about that Arts of Life?Antonio: I heard about the studio because I got hurt at work. Little did they know I was going to stay! Up until that point, I had never heard of this before. I never knew something like this place existed. Up until “Life, and Where I’m At” that we watched at the Chicago studio, I assumed everything was still state run. Cole: What’s your favorite part of being in the studio?Antonio: I just really get to be myself. I am encouraged to be who I am. Happy-Go-Lucky not a care in the world unless there’s not a smile on someone’s face. That’s my favorite part. All day I get to come in and be me, I don’t have to downgrade my attitude, my happiness or my joy. 1.”Trust the Return-to-Work Experts.” Home Page · ReEmployability – Putting Injured Workers Back to Work Faster. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 May 2017.