Here’s a Pretty Ugly Truth
And a dash of sass
Here’s the Pretty Ugly Truth
Have you ever heard someone say:
"You’re so lucky."
"I wish I could do that."
"Must be nice."
If you have, you know how those words can sting. They oversimplify the grind, the setbacks, the sacrifices. They assume that what you’ve built came easily, as if your victories weren’t hard-won.
I hear them all the time, and they fire me up. Because nothing about this journey has been easy.
I paint, yes. Maybe I’m even good at it. But if I’ve mastered anything, it’s this:
I’ve turned every bad experience of my life into something I can look at—something I can make sense of. My art? It’s a byproduct of survival.
If you want to know how much I’ve been through, just look at how much I create. Every brushstroke, every journal entry, every piece of art is a manifestation of the pain I’ve processed. I have taken the ugliest parts of my story and wrung the truth from them onto canvas and paper.
And that is why when someone says, “You’re so lucky,” I call bullshit.
Luck Had Nothing to Do With It.
Getting my residency in Greece wasn’t luck. It took 30 years of dedication, countless rejections, navigating negativity, and showing up even when I wanted to quit. Inspiration? She’s fickle. She doesn’t always show up. But I do.
And when people say, “I wish I could do that,” my answer is always: Then do it.
Find a way around the obstacles—and when you can’t, find a way through them. That’s what my dysfunctional childhood taught me: resilience is a muscle. You build it by pushing through challenges, not avoiding them.
"Must be nice."
Nice? Working in the film industry for 25 years has been rewarding—but “nice” had nothing to do with it. What did?
💥 Persevering through harassment.
💥 Navigating egos the size of Everest.
💥 Surviving toxic, physically grueling environments.
I didn’t get handed this life. Life handed me what it did, and I made something out of it anyway. Every. Single. Time.
So Here’s the Truth About Inspiration.
I’ve spent my life extracting inspiration from the guts of reality, turning the wreckage into paintings of navigation and stories of resilience. That is what we are here for.
I’ve helped countless people rediscover inspiration, find their way, and reclaim their own creative power.
And here’s what I know for sure: You can do anything you put your mind to.
You can power through whatever you’re going through.
And if you don’t believe in yourself yet—borrow some of my belief until you do.
Stay the course.
Life handed me what it did, and I mustered all the strength to make something good out of it. Every. Single. Time. Extracting the inspiration from the guts of life has left me with pages of hope and paintings of navigation, True North, it’s what we are here for.
I have helped countless people experience inspiration and find their way. You can literally do anything you put your mind to. You can power through any experience you are going through. And if you don’t have enough belief in yourself, you can borrow some of mine.
Stay the course,
Jolene
Truth!!