Legally Blind Visionary Damian Griggs Talks AI Filmmaking, Inclusive Storytelling, and Breaking Hollywood’s Gatekeeping Model
“I would say me going blind was the most important life lesson I’ve ever received… I realized I don’t need my sight to be everything I need to be. I’m blind, and I’m here now, interviewing with Authority Magazine. So, overall, I have nothing but gratitude. To a lot of people, that will sound very weird, but it opened more doors than it closed.”
As a part of my series about leaders helping to make the entertainment industry more diverse and representative, I had the distinct pleasure of interviewing Damian Griggs. Damian is an emerging entrepreneur in the American media and technology sectors, known for integrating AI with creative storytelling in efforts aimed at expanding access and representation in entertainment. Legally blind since the age of 19, Griggs has built a career that blends innovation with advocacy, rooted in his personal experience and a growing body of creative work.
Originally from Portland, Oregon, Griggs began his professional journey in publishing, authoring several books and experimenting with music production. He has self-released works available on platforms such as Amazon, and his website features music projects accompanied by hand-painted album covers — artistic efforts he continues despite visual impairment. This early engagement with multiple media formats laid the foundation for his current focus on technology-driven content creation.
A pivotal moment in Griggs’s career came through an unexpected encounter with attorney Jerry Elliott, a partner at Elliott Ostrander & Preston. Initially seeking legal assistance to form a limited liability company, Griggs was referred to Elliott, who later became a mentor and instrumental supporter. Griggs describes the encounter as accidental but transformative, underscoring the importance he places on interpersonal relationships in professional development.
At the core of Griggs’s recent ventures is a proprietary artificial intelligence system designed to generate feature-length film prototypes. While technical details remain confidential due to intellectual property concerns, the system is intended not to replace creative professionals but to lower barriers to entry in the entertainment industry. By enabling studios and creators to produce rough cuts of films at lower cost, Griggs hopes to encourage investment in underrepresented voices and reduce the role of traditional gatekeepers.
This commitment to inclusivity is informed by Griggs’s own experiences navigating professional spaces as a blind person and as part of a generation disillusioned with conventional work models. He is a vocal proponent of freelance labor and remote collaboration, citing his work with international freelancers as key to the success of his projects. One such collaborator, a UK-based writer named Bridget, contributed to Griggs’s upcoming book, The Star Climbers, which he views as a product of the decentralized creative process he champions.
Griggs’s perspective on diversity in entertainment is grounded in generational and cultural observations. He believes that broadening representation serves both social and commercial purposes. For younger audiences, he argues, visibility affirms identity and fosters inclusion. He also posits that normalization of diversity in media can reduce prejudice over time, citing generational shifts in attitudes as evidence. His third point emphasizes economic equity, advocating for equal opportunities in an industry historically limited to a narrow pool of gatekeepers.
Despite his ambitious pursuits, Griggs maintains a pragmatic view of leadership and entrepreneurship. He frequently cites his Christian faith as a guiding principle and defines leadership through the lens of service and mutual respect rather than hierarchy or dominance. He aims to conduct business in a way that prioritizes relationships and shared goals, often rejecting conventional corporate models in favor of more fluid, collaborative structures.
Griggs openly criticizes what he refers to as the “20th-century business model,” which he sees as misaligned with the values and expectations of younger generations. He has expressed frustration with institutional rigidity and opaque industry practices, particularly in publishing and entertainment. To counter these limitations, he has proposed alternative communication and pitch strategies — including multimedia investor pitches — to align with contemporary consumption habits and reduce friction in professional interactions.
Reflecting on the life-altering experience of losing his sight, Griggs describes the event not as a limitation but as a catalyst. “It opened more doors than it closed,” he says, expressing gratitude for the clarity of purpose the experience brought him. That ethos — embracing disruption as opportunity — permeates much of his work.
Griggs continues to advocate for a future in which technological innovation supports broader access and creative expression rather than displacing human contributions. Through his projects and personal philosophy, he aims to reshape how stories are told and who gets the chance to tell them.
Yitzi: Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series Damian! Can you tell us a story about what brought you to this specific career path?
Damian: What interests me in the media and entertainment industry is that I initially started out last year publishing books. If you Google my name and Amazon, I have a couple of books available in paperback. And if you go to my website, I have music as well. I hand-paint the album covers, which is kind of funny because sometimes the colors don’t come out the way I want them to, since I’m not able to visually tell the difference.
Yitzi: Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you began your career?
Damian: I met Jerry Elliott. He’s one of the partners at Elliott Ostrander & Preston, and he’s been a huge part of my journey. I couldn’t have done any of this without his help, mentorship, and advice. And the way we met was completely by accident. I had called a different lawyer I found on Google, just trying to find someone to help me form my LLC. Turns out that guy was retired, so he referred me to Jerry.
Being me, I don’t usually like to ask for accommodations unless I have to. So I scheduled a ride and went all the way to Jerry’s office in downtown Portland. I met him wearing slides, sweatpants, and a t-shirt — like I usually do — shook his hand, we talked for a bit, and he signed me on as a client. I never thought that would happen, but he sees something in me that he must believe in.
Yitzi: Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?
Damian: When I first started out, I used what I call the Blitzkrieg Model for my business. It’s proprietary, and I developed it myself over the past year. I work exclusively with freelancers, and I learned pretty quickly that Eastern operators are much more fun to work with than Western ones.
Nothing against U.S.-based workers — they do great work — but if I need someone to send a thousand emails at an affordable price, my friends in Pakistan are incredible. I love them. They’ve really helped me out, and I don’t think they even realize how much they’ve helped me.
Yitzi: Ok, thank you for all that. Let’s now jump to the main focus of our discussion. Can you describe how you are helping to make popular culture more representative of the US population?
Damian: What I’ve been working on is developing an AI that can create feature-length films. I can’t go into detail about how it works because it’s proprietary, and my lawyers would definitely be upset if I shared too much.
But I can say the goal isn’t to take jobs away from artists. I’ve gotten some pushback from people in the industry about that, but that’s not the intention — and realistically, it’s never going to replace them. The unions and the Hollywood system will make sure of that.
The real purpose of what I’m building is to make it easier for more people to be represented in Hollywood. If studios can create low-cost proof-of-concept films, they won’t have to second-guess whether or not to back a project. They’ll be able to see the idea come to life in a rough format and realize, “Hey, this is a great idea.” The AI-generated film might not be screen-ready and probably never will be, but it can open the door to investment and opportunity. That means more access to the industry, and less gatekeeping.
Yitzi: Can you tell us a story about a particular individual who was impacted by the work you are doing?
Damian: Yeah, definitely. One person who’s been impacted by what I’m doing is the writer who helped me with my third book, The Star Climbers — which isn’t out yet, by the way, so that’s exclusive just for you. Her name’s Bridget, and she’s awesome. She’s a freelancer living in the UK, and she does great work. I really enjoy working with her. Her business mainly focuses on writing screenplays, and the kind of technology I’m building would directly benefit her, because it’ll create more demand for writers like her.
Oh, and I want to add to that. Most people my age — I’m 22 — they don’t really like the traditional 9-to-5 model. They want flexibility, they want to do meaningful work, and they want to be paid well for it. The freelance economy allows for that. People can be their own boss, and if you treat them right, you can get incredible work done.
Yitzi: As an insider, this might be obvious to you, but I think it’s instructive to articulate this for the public who might not have the same inside knowledge. Can you share three reasons with our readers about why it’s really important to have diversity represented in Entertainment and its potential effects on our culture?
Damian: Yeah, it is really important to have diversity in our culture, and I can give you three reasons.
Reason number one is, like I said earlier, young people have a lot to say, and they really care about what they say. They want to be heard, and representation helps them feel seen and validated.
Second, it helps reduce hate. Our society isn’t running on Jim Crow laws anymore. My little brother, who’s 14 now, doesn’t see a distinction between who’s white and who’s Black. It doesn’t matter to him. He’s growing up in what I’d call a post-racism era, or at least closer to it than previous generations. Representation reinforces that mindset and keeps us moving forward.
Third, it’s important to give marginalized people — without trying to sound too politically correct — a real shot at success. They should have the same opportunities as everyone else. I’m a firm believer in equal opportunity for all.
Yitzi: Can you recommend three things the community, society, or the industry can do to help address the root of the diversity issues in the entertainment business?
Damian: First of all, stop gatekeeping. It’s really frustrating. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been told no, ghosted, or ignored — especially in the book industry. People love to say, “It’s a subjective industry,” and sure, that’s true, but the content that ends up on shelves shouldn’t be decided by a handful of gatekeepers. It should be driven by the public, the people who actually consume the work.
Second, they’ve got to listen more. I get it — executives get tons of emails — but with today’s technology, especially AI, there’s no excuse. Gmail even gives you a summary at the top. You don’t have to read the entire thing, just glance at the summary. If it sounds promising, then dive in. But a lot of people in the industry don’t even do that. That’s part of the reason I come up with the innovations I do.
Third… honestly, I don’t have a perfect third point. But I’ll give you a bonus idea I’m working on. I’m planning to start doing investor pitches soon. I don’t want that promoted publicly because I’m not trying to look like I’m asking for money in the press. But the idea is to send investors a song that highlights the key points of my pitch — because let’s be real, a lot of investors don’t like to read.
So they hear the song, get the main points, and if they’re interested, they can read the full document. I think that could really change the way pitches are done in this industry. The traditional pitch model doesn’t work for everyone, and I’ve found ways to work around it.
Yitzi: How do you define “Leadership”? Can you explain what you mean or give an example?
Damian: I’m a pretty spiritual guy. I care a lot about faith, and I understand there are different stigmas around the church — people being this way or that way, Protestant, Catholic, whatever. I don’t care about any of that. What I care about is living out Jesus Christ’s mission. And I’ll explain what I mean by that and how it relates to leadership.
To me, it’s important to love thy neighbor, like it says in the Bible. Part of that is treating people with respect and kindness, being flexible and understanding. That’s part of my business model. I really care about relationships. I’m not interested in people just trying to sell me things. But if someone wants to build a long-lasting relationship that’s mutually beneficial, I’m all for it, and I’ll support them however I can.
To me, that’s leadership. Just because we’re in business doesn’t mean I need to cut someone’s throat. In fact, I think it’s the opposite. It means I should help protect their throat, and we should protect each other.
Yitzi: What are your “5 things I wish someone told me when I first started” and why? Please share a story or example for each.
Damian: Okay, five things I wish someone told me.
- My lawyer, Jerry, told me the other day, “I never want to hear the words from you, Damian, telling me that I didn’t tell you.” And the very first thing he did tell me was to protect myself — not just legally, but intellectually as well. That’s the most important thing. You’ve got to cover your bases from every angle, because when things get moving fast, that’s when mistakes can happen if you’re not protected.
- The second thing is something he really confirmed for me: relationships are the key driver of business. Like I mentioned earlier, everything for me is built on trust and mutual respect. If there’s no relationship, there’s no deal — at least not one I’m interested in being a part of.
- The third thing is, don’t trust the 20th-century business model. It’s outdated, and it doesn’t fit the current or future generations. People my age, Gen Alpha, and the generations coming after us aren’t going to buy into that model. You can already see the shift with how much disruption and disregard there is for old-school corporate structures and hierarchies.
- The fourth thing is always have a mission. For me, it’s about bridging the gap between young and old, between the old system and the new one. I want to bring people into this new space with me, not leave them behind. It’s about inclusion, progress, and building something better together.
- And finally, the fifth thing: freelancers rock. I can’t stress that enough. I love working with people my age who freelance. I’m probably never going back to the traditional model. I’m never, ever going to have a salary employee unless I absolutely have to. Contracting and freelancing are just so much more efficient when it comes to tapping into young, hungry talent.
Yitzi: You are a person of enormous influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger.
Damian: I’ve already been kind of talking about that. It’s the revolution, baby. I don’t care about all these old ways. I dropped out of university at Portland State to pursue this business because they kept trying to teach me this old, ancient model that’s slow, bureaucratic, and just overall unpleasant. That’s not how I’m wired. That’s not how people my age are wired, and that’s so clearly seen in the work culture.
Right now, I’m a pretty normal dude. I work at Exclusive Wireless by T-Mobile, and I can very clearly see the disdain among people my age. They hate policy, no flexibility. They really don’t like being told what to do, but having a double standard. A lot of people quit, and I don’t blame them. It’s just not fun working for the old model. I really do want to change. I have other ideas, too, because I have ideas almost every day. I document most of them, and they just kind of sit on the shelf for when I finally have the full money and capital to bring them all to life. I guess I’ll give you a sneak peek. You’re my first interview, and I appreciate you taking the time to be interested in me. I work on things in the crypto space, too. I’ve got a few ideas there that will change the world, frankly. And I mean that. I’m not playing when I say that.
Yitzi: Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
Damian: I would say me going blind was the most important life lesson I’ve ever received, and I’ll explain why. When I went blind, I was at first really upset, rightfully so. I wasn’t able to play all the video games I wanted. I couldn’t go outside and walk to the store like I used to. I couldn’t drive, which still kind of hurts; I really liked driving. But I realized I don’t need my sight to be everything I need to be. I’m blind, and I’m here now, interviewing with Authority Magazine. So, overall, I have nothing but gratitude. I couldn’t be more grateful for going blind. To a lot of people, that will sound very weird, but it opened more doors than it closed. I’m eternally blessed for that, and I’m very grateful.
Yitzi: Is there a person in the world, or in the US, whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why? He or she might just see this, especially if we tag them. 🙂
Damian: Lunch with my favorite person. Oh man, that’s pretty hard to answer. I go to music concerts when I have the money. I’m not rich yet. I’m like everybody else my age — I just want to pay my bills. But if I could have lunch with anybody, I would love to have lunch with Ice Cube. I love Friday, and all three of the movies. I’m so excited for The Last Friday. I’ve listened to his music, not just his solo stuff but also with Mac 10. I went to one of his concerts last year — he was at the Jammin’ 107.5 festival, or whatever the concert was called at the Moda Center in Portland. He said some words that really stuck with me, and they’re even on my website. So, shout out to Ice Cube: “Gratitude is the attitude.”
Yitzi: How can our readers follow you on social media?
Damian: Your readers can follow me on social media — just Google my name, Griggs Publishing, and they’ll find it. It’s on most platforms: Instagram, Facebook, even X. I’ve tried to get the attention of the Avalanche developers for crypto. AVAX is their token. I’ve got some ideas I can’t really execute on myself, but I’d love to see them in the world. I don’t want equity or anything like that — just a little credit would be enough. I just want to see the world change, and I believe I have the brain to help make that happen.
Legally Blind Visionary Damian Griggs Talks AI Filmmaking, Inclusive Storytelling, and Breaking… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.