A bold artist from Stroud has shared his story after he gave up his office job and battled with addiction.

James Green was working as a salesman in Australia, and on the outside he had everything most young men could ever want: a beautiful girlfriend, a stable well-paid job and brilliant career prospects.

“To many, my future seemed as bright as the Australian sun,” he said.

However, James found his life unfulfilling and once said “I don’t care about what I’m doing, it’s like I am slowly selling my soul”.

“You can have the most impressive CV in the world, but it means nothing to me. I was a senior salesman, and a young one at that, I still wasn’t happy,” he explained.

“I turned to alcohol. I drank to cope with stress and to find a small release from the whirring void that my life had become.”

Eventually, James felt like he had to make a change, and so he made the decision to return to England.

“I needed something part-time as I had no money. At first, I applied to become a postman and I managed to earn just enough money to afford a little box of a studio flat,” he said.

This was his first step in becoming one of Stroud’s talented upcoming artists, the sky is the limit from here.

Last year, he saw his art showcased at the Crypt Gallery, London in May.

Stroud News and Journal:

A piece entitled Connaught by James Green

In the run-up to the exhibition, James said he “grabbed whichever tool (and colour) felt right in the moment, purposely blocking out structured thought”.

He feels this makes his work more personal, and relevant to the moment.

Today, James feels as if his experiences have shaped him, admitting that at one stage he used to hide from the path that got him to where he is today.

“Although it was pretty tough to live like this at first, it’s been worth every minute,” he said.

“I feel free and excited every day I wake up. I live a fuller life for it and every day is unique.”

James stresses the fact that he is not idealistic, nor does he require luxury. He does not believe people need as much money as they think.

However, James admits that money is not what drives him or brings him happiness.

“All I care about is making something that I want to put my name on,” he said.

“It has to be different. It has to be unusual.”

In the future, James has invited anyone interested in art to contact him.

Follow James at theartfulgreen.com