The Exchange: Johnny DeGiorgio — Flow, Form, and the Language of Light
Some artists arrive at their practice through big, defining moments. Others grow into it quietly, over time—through curiosity, consistency, and paying attention to what feels true. Johnny DeGiorgio is very much the latter.
From doodling in the margins of his school notebooks to working across clay, canvas, and large-scale murals, Johnny’s creative path has been guided by instinct, patience, and deep trust in the process. His work moves fluidly between drawing, ceramics, sculpture, and symbolic mark-making—often guided by what he calls “light language,” a visual system of glyphs and forms that feels both intuitive and otherworldly.
In this Exchange, we talk about flow state, working across mediums, learning through experience, and what it means to build a lifelong relationship with creativity. Johnny shares how ceramics has shaped his discipline, how community supports his growth, and why he believes the best ideas arrive when we simply get out of the way.
This conversation is a reminder that art doesn’t have to be forced to be powerful. Sometimes, it’s about showing up, staying curious, and letting the work speak when it’s ready.
Q. What would you say was your gateway creative outlet?
A. My gateway was doodling with a ballpoint pen in the margins of my school notebooks. Classes were rarely engaging. Doodling always was.
Q. How would you describe what you create to someone who’s never seen your work?
A. Describing my work is my biggest challenge. I make what makes me happy. There isn’t an agenda or any deep message. I prefer to leave much of it open to interpretation.
Q. What materials or tools do you feel most connected to right now?
A. Lately I’ve been working a fair amount in clay. Both functional and sculptural. Cups, jars, bowls, mugs, masks, animals. I’m at the final stage of assembling an eight piece stacked totem. On paper and canvass i remain faithful to the ballpoint pen. Posca paint markers and watercolors are ever present.
Q. Is there a piece or project that changed how you see yourself as an artist?
A. My first mural. There were many firsts. I had never worked on such a scale, 20ft x 40ft full facade of a restaurant. It was my first time using spray paint, first time assembling a two story scaffolding, (fear of heights had to be put aside) first time pulling a permit from a city hall.
Creative expansion aside, else the project gave me confidence and solidified the notion that others also saw me as an artist. This was in 2013 in SF.
Q. When do ideas come to you — slowly over time, or in quick bursts?
A. Ideas. They show up when I get out of the way. If I sit and draw a bit, they flow. Sometimes I can get overwhelmed, which I know some creatives beg for…I’ve come to understand that if there is a block or doldrum, I am the cause of it. I need to step aside. There is no shortage of inspiration. The only shortage or limit is time.
Q. How has your practice evolved, and where do you see it heading?
A. Ceramics has forced me to be more deliberate and plan, at least a little bit. I still fly by the seat of my pants most all of the time, however clay demands certain steps be taken. Once I understand how a medium behaves I can return to my reckless focus and play.
Q. What’s your studio or workspace vibe — quiet, chaotic, ritualistic, spontaneous?
A. At home I have several pieces going at once. Materials are laid out in front of each and I’ll bounce between them. My clay studios are communal, so I need to adhere to their structures and guidelines. Gotta be courteous, clean up proper and put everything away at the end of a session. Each have their merits. I love having music on but I’ve found headphones to be an impediment. Hearing the sounds of the work is important.
Q. Do you have any habits or routines that help you get into a creative flow?
A. Aside from the ritual sacrifices? I just sit and go. I’m lucky in that way. Or maybe its the product of keeping a practice consistently. Either way, I’m thankful for it.
Q. What part of the process do you love most — and which part do you wrestle with?
A. I love the flow state whenever it arises. It sometimes feels as though I’m being piloted. I’ll look back at work, in a sketchbook or otherwise and feel a bit, startled is too strong, and impressed feels arrogant…pleasantly surprised. Glad to have a hand in it all. I wrestle sometimes with commissions, especially portraits. Pets or people. I get a bit obsessive with capturing the subjects spirit. It can appear effortlessly at times or be pesky and elusive.
Q. How do you know when a piece is finished?
A. When I feel its getting close I’ll sign it and continue. The piece will let me know when to stop. It can be auditory (in my noggin) or a distinct feeling. I may go to add something and just get a “nope, stop.” And that’s all she wrote.
Q. Is there a recurring theme or symbol that keeps reappearing in your work, even when you don’t plan it?
A. A lot of my work has shapes or a writing of sorts I’ve come to call Light Language. The characters look like glyphs or cosmic runes. They can be the focal point or comprise the entire image. They can also show up as accents or structural elements.
Q. How has your creative community (online or offline) shaped your evolution as an artist?
A. Its been entirely supportive. Zero negativity. I find social media to be purely positive for me and my art. Offline I have some very knowledgeable people I can lean on in my clay studios. They’re a fabulous resource for all manner of construction and style. Drawing and painting, I just get after it on my own. I do attend a live figure drawing class when I’m able. I LOVE it and intend to do so more often.
Q. What role does collaboration or feedback play in your work?
A. I’m open to it, just never sought it out.
Q. How do you balance the personal meaning of your art with how others interpret it?
A. The meaning of most work doesn’t make itself known until I’ve completed the piece. Even then I’m hesitant to name some works. I’d rather put them out into the world and let people see what they see and feel. Now and again a title is obvious and the piece demands it, so I listen and abide.
I try to not take much stock in others opinions, positive or negative. Compliments feel great, however I try to not let them influence what i make. Unless I’m distinctly asking for a critique, meh, I let them slide on through. I’m going to make what I make regardless.
Q. Has your relationship with art changed over time — and if so, how?
Absolutely. I feel my relationship with my art is sacred and deeply personal. For me, it is transcendent.
I can’t say what inspiration is, or where it comes from. However, what I can say, is that I am immensely grateful to commune with it.
Listen in as Johnny and I talk about, staying open to creativity, being true to our creative voices, and trusting the timing of creativity- the full Exchange below.
Ask Forward, Receive Back
A tradition inside The Exchange: each artist leaves a question for the next, creating an unbroken chain of curiosity, reflection, and creative lineage.
Alaina Joy’s Question → For Johnny D.
“If your work could speak back to you—without filters, politeness, or explanation—what do you think it would accuse you of, thank you for, or demand you confront next?“
Johnny’s Answer
I feel my work could accuse me of being easily distracted. Sit your ass down and get to work! And I would agree. I feel it would also encourage me to continue exploring and pushing my skills and limits. To dive deeper into meaning and purpose. Express more boldly what I feel and to speak about it. It may demand to be shown more widely and be showcased. And also to find the divinity in my practice and to not be bashful in saying it exists.
Follow along to see what Johnny D. asks the next artist as this chain of creative curiosity continues.
Thank you to Johnny DeGiorgio for sharing his time, words, and world.
You can find more of her work on Instagram @johnnyd_art
Stay tuned for the next installment of The Exchange — more artists, more conversations, more creative fuel.
Discover more from Please Hold Studio: Characters & art by Alla K • NYC
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