User:ChristopherGillyGrant/sandbox/Christopher Gilbert Grant (XORADMAGICAL)

= XORADMAGICAL = Christopher Gilbert Grant (XORADMAGICAL) is a Mi'kmaq filmmaker, writer, poet, visual artist, animator, public speaker, mentor and creator from Pabineau First Nation, New Brunswick, Canada.

Christopher (in his words) creates to express the humor and terror of existence, and has worked with the National Film Board of Canada in 2019 for his short for their Hothouse 12 program, the short film being XO RAD MAGICAL (2019) and since then has continued to branch out and work in film and arts. His work has been recognized and exhibited at galleries, museums and film festivals internationally.

In 2021, Christopher was commissioned by Reel Canada and Netflix to produce a short two-minute film for National Canadian Film Day called Tussle (2021) He is also known for his role on the platform TikTok as XORADMAGICAL, where he creates art as therapy and assists those experiencing symptoms of schizophrenia with relatable reflections, as it all relates to his own experiences with schizophrenia himself.

Christopher is still doing his art and practice to this day.

Personal life
Childhood

Christopher was raised in Pabineau First Nation, New Brunswick, Canada. From a young age he was interested in creating and expressing, specifically in film. He spent his childhood playing with animals, creating art and creating short films for fun.

Christopher was taught how to animate at a young age by his mother, Phyllis Grant, another established artist and filmmaker from New Brunswick, Canada In 2007, Christopher animated a short one minute film for a Canadian film festival known as ViewFinder's International Film Festival for Youth in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Christopher's short "Puppy Pout Adventures" was selected for the top ten chosen films and was set to premiere for screening in Halifax at a local Cineplex. This experience was so positive it set the tone for what Christopher wanted to do with his life.

These experiences led Christopher to attend Mount Allison University in Sackville, New Brunswick, where he gained specific education in the Fine Arts, philosophy and theatre.

Mental Illness and Homelessness

Christopher's history of mental health issues, traumas and episodes are no secret to him or his audience. His art draws not only from his personal daily schizophrenic hallucinations, but also an expression of the deep pain associated with the experiences and trauma he has endured.

In 2016 after dropping out of Mount Allison University's Fine Arts program, Christopher was on the road, disconnected from his family as he completely alienated himself from the world and spent his days and nights in catatonic states making art or using substances to cope with complicated trauma. He spent many nights sleeping under bridges, waking up in ditches and living purely out of spite.

In 2017, Christopher was assessed and given a schizoaffective diagnosis. Since then, he has battled intense episodes of schizophrenia, bipolar mania, depression, paranoia, and all the anxieties that follow such a diagnosis. The terror he experienced on the street, and the nature of true face to face hardship was overwhelming and finally led to hospitalization. In the psychiatric unit, Christopher regained his love for drawing and expression as the space gave him room to be vulnerable and safe. He started drawing the comforting hallucinations of faces that would appear before him. This helped stabilize him enough that he could go home and continue his life.

In September of 2021, Christopher abused a psychedelic substance by taking 10x the dosage. This caused Christopher to lose all control of reality and safety barriers and was in a tense neighborhood stand-off with authorities and confused neighbors. Christopher was carefully lead by his family to a safe space, in which Christopher was then apprehended by RCMP Officers.

This led Christopher back in the psychiatric unit. It was such a traumatic and unexpected event that it left an aftershock of terror, anxiety and hopelessness.

Once Chris was back to his sober mental state he felt horrible and has expressed he absolutely refuses to ever cross such an irresponsible line ever again.

In 2022, Christopher endured major growth mentally and has gained an autonomy previously considered hopeless before. In this way, Christopher is able to work more projects, collaborate with other peers, give insight to those who are suffering and as of recent has been speaking rhetoric leaning toward being an example for others out there who have psychosis or neurodivergency and how to unlearn the toxic thought cycles and habits that keep you in those states of self-victimhood that, in-turn, keep you from healing yourself.

TikTok and Transparency

Christopher has been overwhelmingly transparent about his experiences, reflections, art and expressions which led to his creation of his TikTok account in 2020.

His TikTok account, which has reached over a million and a half followers, had gotten the attention of many users on the platform who resonated with his transparency about neurodivergency and mental illness.

The main focus of his work is to teach people alternative ways of dealing with intense and overwhelming neurological issues, specifically visual art and creative expression as therapy.

In countless videos he posts, he advocates the idea of facing trauma head-on (voices and all) and introspect your way to a clear enough head space to make responsible decisions to heal.

His videos have reached millions of people online, catching the attention of Buzzfeed, Newsweek Yahoo! and multiple other media outlets internationally.

His works and approach are intense and a complete dissection of the mind, but this is intentional, as in his own journey this is what got him out of his traumatic patterns, beliefs and root of his suffering.

Film

 * XO RAD MAGICAL (2019)
 * Tussle (2021)

With Chriss Off!

 * Grateful Dawn of the Neuron Moon (2018)
 * XO RAD MAGICAL (2018)

Reel Canada
Christopher has been invited as a guest speaker for film/animation courses for students across Canada who study film and television.

The recordings featuring his talks are available through the Reel Canada Reel Opportunities program.