Meet Clarissa Gainey
Featured Artist October 2025
If you ever catch Clarissa Gainey singing at the top of her lungs in her car, don’t be surprised. Music and a little chaos are the fuel for her creativity. “Music is my reset button. I love turning up the volume and singing at the top of my lungs while driving around town,” she says. “If you see me belting out a tune at a stoplight, feel free to look the other way, I won’t mind!”
But long before the car concerts, Clarissa discovered her love for design in middle school. While other kids were doodling stick figures or drawing cats that looked like blobs, she was captivated by the idea that visuals could actually communicate. That fascination never went away. “In middle school, design was introduced as part of the art curriculum, and I was instantly captivated. From that moment, I knew I wanted to be a designer.”
Over the years, her approach has grown with her. What started as learning the basics became something much bigger. For Clarissa, design is about connection, storytelling, and efficiency. She loves finding solutions that are simple but brilliant. “There’s a beauty in efficiency, when visuals communicate clearly without unnecessary clutter,” she explains. “No matter the client, I aim to craft tailored solutions that maximize clarity and impact, streamlining communication so the message shines.”
Art is deeply personal for Clarissa. Growing up in Brazil and navigating life across languages taught her that visuals can speak where words sometimes fail. Simplicity became her bridge between cultures and ideas. Design isn’t just her work, it is part of who she is. It shapes how she teaches, creates, and moves through everyday life. “Art is how I translate what I see into something I can share… it provides purpose, fulfillment, and a sense of connection with others beyond words.”
Staying inspired is never a problem. Clarissa finds inspiration everywhere, whether in a book, a blog, Pinterest, or even scrolling through social media. She’s constantly amazed by other people’s ideas and loves letting that energy spark her own. “People’s ideas never cease to amaze me, and their ingenuity fuels mine.”
Her personal life plays a huge role in her creative process. As a mom of two young kids, efficiency is essential. She’s always figuring out smarter, faster ways to get things done, and that mindset naturally spills into her design work. “Efficiency is the thread that ties my personal and professional life together,” she says. “As a mother of two young children, I’m constantly searching for smarter, faster ways to get things done at home, and that naturally extends into my work.”
Clarissa’s creative process is a mix of structure and freedom. With clients, she listens closely, asks thoughtful questions, researches, sketches, and iterates until the concept feels just right. When she’s working on personal projects, she lets herself wander, experiment, and play. That’s when the unexpected discoveries happen. “That state of play is essential for me; it’s where unexpected connections and discoveries emerge,” she explains. Even then, she sets personal deadlines to remind herself that even play has purpose.
One of her proudest accomplishments was designing the very first logo and branding system for The Fox Theatre Institute in Atlanta. But the smaller victories matter just as much. “Every time a client says, ‘This is exactly what I wanted,’ I feel immense pride.”
Challenges are part of the journey, and Clarissa approaches them like puzzles. If one solution doesn’t work, she experiments with another perspective. “Doing things the same way leads to the same results, so when obstacles appear, I approach them differently—experimenting, shifting perspective, and trying new approaches.”
Art is also how Clarissa connects with her community. In North Augusta, she launched Downtown North Augusta: Remixed and Reframed, a photo series that reimagines familiar spaces and invites locals to see their city in a new way. That same love for shifting perspective and highlighting unseen stories carries into her most personal and ambitious project, Thankful 4 America. Here, immigrants of all generations share what it means to live purposefully in the land of opportunity. “I recently launched Thankful 4 America… it uses photography and video to honor the everyday impact of immigrants in artistic and emotionally resonant ways,” she says. You can explore these stories and learn more at www.Thankful4America.com.
Looking ahead, Clarissa hopes to expand Thankful 4 America even further, creating work that inspires empathy, sparks conversation, and connects communities. Curiosity drives her every day. She’s always asking, “What if?” or “Why not?”That mindset keeps her work fresh, evolving, and meaningful.
And here’s a little-known fact: Clarissa meant to study industrial design in college but accidentally checked the wrong box on her application. “It turned out to be one of the best ‘mistakes’ of my life.” That happy accident landed her in graphic design, setting her on a path that would shape her career and creative journey.
For Clarissa Gainey, design isn’t just about visuals. It is about telling stories, celebrating people, and creating connections. It is about clarity and curiosity. And now, with Thankful 4 America, it is also about honoring the countless voices that make this country richer, one story at a time.
