I’ve heard people say that the past doesn’t define them and for some people that is true. But, adversity in my childhood was a defining influence in my creativity. I can’t remember a starting point; my efforts at creative expression are some of my oldest memories. It feels like something I am, more than something I do, and I believe that powerful need to create will always be with me. As a little girl I fell in love with the natural world around me. From the breeze wrapping around me as the sun kissed my face to the sight of downy feathers on a mourning dove, flora and fauna alike enraptured me and became a world I could escape through. The natural world has continued to be a theme in my art and it is a delight to my soul. Though my style has morphed through the years, the inspiration remains the same.
“I stand at the edge of this world in awe of the depth and the height of life’s journey from tingling delight to pain deep and raw it’s a grand tug of war to feel worthy”
— J. Good
After years of sketching and painting, I was left feeling bored and unsatisfied with my finished artwork. I wanted more texture, but with the watercolor I was doing that was hard to accomplish. So, I started cutting my paintings into components and rearranging them with other elements to form a mixed media effect. It breathed new life into me and my work. This became a stepping stone and a natural progression toward the work I do now, which brings me more joy than anything I’ve done previously.
As a longtime treasure hunter, I delight in salvaging discarded and damaged books, letters and charts. Finding a scrap of paper from the 19th century and weaving it into a modern collage with my own illustrations allows me to create these dreamscapes I’ve grown so fond of making. Because I don’t use any reproductions in my work, I have to fight the tendency to hang on to these precious bits of history. I’ve learned not to be stingy with these resources even if they are rare and valuable because if I do it ties my hands and clips my creative wings and I’m rarely happy when I’m finished. I have to commit 100% to each new piece knowing that it will never be repeated. That allows me to stay inspired by endless possibilities.
I find so much fuel for my art through what my eyes see and how it affects my emotions. But what if I didn’t have my sight, would that mean I could no longer create? What if I couldn’t hear the avian chorus at dawn or my favorite song which both lend so much to my creative process? Would I be able to create at all? I think there is a connection between heart, mind and soul that is ours alone to thrive and grow, even in a world of silence and darkness. One of my greatest inspirations is Helen Keller. She was a visionary who penned some of the most powerful sentiments without the benefit of sight and sound. Keller said, “Your success and happiness lies in you, resolve to keep happy and your joy and you shall form an invincible host against difficulties.” Through her writings she created light for others from her dark and silent perch. To me, hers is the purest example of an artist’s soul. Her lifelong resolve to capture life with her entire being is humbling.
“I want my artwork to invite the viewer into another place and time. Each piece is like an illustration from a book I just haven’t written yet. There is a story inside each one.”
My biggest challenge on my creative journey is keeping the flame alive as I battle with PTSD. When trauma from my past rears its ugly head it can stop me in my tracks. This trauma affects my ability to function, much less create art. Sleepless nights can make it hard to carry on at all. But I’ve learned to trust the process my mind uses to navigate such dark waters, it’s the same mind that created my beautiful escape through art and it will find its way back. I think we all have this gift inside us; a pure place that no person or thing can truly take from us. It’s ours alone to survive through the gains and losses of life and ultimately thrive. Duke, my Great Dane, is my silent and faithful guardian. He is trained to help me cope with the debilitating effects of PTSD and he is just pure heart.
My biggest satisfaction comes from touching another heart with mine through the pictures I create. I feel so honored to be able to share my journey with you; as a self-taught artist I am encouraged by support of and love for my art.
The Song Inside
Can you
Sense the ocean
Inside a deep seashell
Do you hear the stories unfold?
Within
Pink walls
That beat a pulse
With an island rhythm
Enchanting South Seas fairytale
Begins
Let go
And close your eyes
Wave your hands as you dance
Upon warm Polynesian sand
Just once
Explore
The deep blue sea
Where this story began
From an oyster to a pearl strand
Respect
This gift
Expect nothing
Appreciate each breath
I can hear life’s song inside
Can you?
One of a kind dreamscapes
I’ve heard people say that the past doesn’t define them and for some people that is true. But, adversity in my childhood was a defining influence in my creativity. I can’t remember a starting point; my efforts at creative expression are some of my oldest memories. It feels like something I am, more than something I do, and I believe that powerful need to create will always be with me. As a little girl I fell in love with the natural world around me. From the breeze wrapping around me as the sun kissed my face to the sight of downy feathers on a mourning dove, flora and fauna alike enraptured me and became a world I could escape through. The natural world has continued to be a theme in my art and it is a delight to my soul. Though my style has morphed through the years, the inspiration remains the same.
“I stand at the edge of this world in awe of the depth and the height of life’s journey from tingling delight to pain deep and raw it’s a grand tug of war to feel worthy”
— J. Good
After years of sketching and painting, I was left feeling bored and unsatisfied with my finished artwork. I wanted more texture, but with the watercolor I was doing that was hard to accomplish. So, I started cutting my paintings into components and rearranging them with other elements to form a mixed media effect. It breathed new life into me and my work. This became a stepping stone and a natural progression toward the work I do now, which brings me more joy than anything I’ve done previously.
As a longtime treasure hunter, I delight in salvaging discarded and damaged books, letters and charts. Finding a scrap of paper from the 19th century and weaving it into a modern collage with my own illustrations allows me to create these dreamscapes I’ve grown so fond of making. Because I don’t use any reproductions in my work, I have to fight the tendency to hang on to these precious bits of history. I’ve learned not to be stingy with these resources even if they are rare and valuable because if I do it ties my hands and clips my creative wings and I’m rarely happy when I’m finished. I have to commit 100% to each new piece knowing that it will never be repeated. That allows me to stay inspired by endless possibilities.
I find so much fuel for my art through what my eyes see and how it affects my emotions. But what if I didn’t have my sight, would that mean I could no longer create? What if I couldn’t hear the avian chorus at dawn or my favorite song which both lend so much to my creative process? Would I be able to create at all? I think there is a connection between heart, mind and soul that is ours alone to thrive and grow, even in a world of silence and darkness. One of my greatest inspirations is Helen Keller. She was a visionary who penned some of the most powerful sentiments without the benefit of sight and sound. Keller said, “Your success and happiness lies in you, resolve to keep happy and your joy and you shall form an invincible host against difficulties.” Through her writings she created light for others from her dark and silent perch. To me, hers is the purest example of an artist’s soul. Her lifelong resolve to capture life with her entire being is humbling.
“I want my artwork to invite the viewer into another place and time. Each piece is like an illustration from a book I just haven’t written yet. There is a story inside each one.”
My biggest challenge on my creative journey is keeping the flame alive as I battle with PTSD. When trauma from my past rears its ugly head it can stop me in my tracks. This trauma affects my ability to function, much less create art. Sleepless nights can make it hard to carry on at all. But I’ve learned to trust the process my mind uses to navigate such dark waters, it’s the same mind that created my beautiful escape through art and it will find its way back. I think we all have this gift inside us; a pure place that no person or thing can truly take from us. It’s ours alone to survive through the gains and losses of life and ultimately thrive. Duke, my Great Dane, is my silent and faithful guardian. He is trained to help me cope with the debilitating effects of PTSD and he is just pure heart.
My biggest satisfaction comes from touching another heart with mine through the pictures I create. I feel so honored to be able to share my journey with you; as a self-taught artist I am encouraged by support of and love for my art.
The Song Inside
Can you
Sense the ocean
Inside a deep seashell
Do you hear the stories unfold?
Within
Pink walls
That beat a pulse
With an island rhythm
Enchanting South Seas fairytale
Begins
Let go
And close your eyes
Wave your hands as you dance
Upon warm Polynesian sand
Just once
Explore
The deep blue sea
Where this story began
From an oyster to a pearl strand
Respect
This gift
Expect nothing
Appreciate each breath
I can hear life’s song inside
Can you?
Related Stories
One of a kind dreamscapes
I’ve heard people say that the past doesn’t define them and for some people that is true. But, adversity in my childhood was a defining influence in my creativity. I can’t remember a starting point; my efforts at creative expression are some of my oldest memories. It feels like something I am, more than something I do, and I believe that powerful need to create will always be with me. As a little girl I fell in love with the natural world around me. From the breeze wrapping around me as the sun kissed my face to the sight of downy feathers on a mourning dove, flora and fauna alike enraptured me and became a world I could escape through. The natural world has continued to be a theme in my art and it is a delight to my soul. Though my style has morphed through the years, the inspiration remains the same.
“I stand at the edge of this world in awe of the depth and the height of life’s journey from tingling delight to pain deep and raw it’s a grand tug of war to feel worthy”
— J. Good
After years of sketching and painting, I was left feeling bored and unsatisfied with my finished artwork. I wanted more texture, but with the watercolor I was doing that was hard to accomplish. So, I started cutting my paintings into components and rearranging them with other elements to form a mixed media effect. It breathed new life into me and my work. This became a stepping stone and a natural progression toward the work I do now, which brings me more joy than anything I’ve done previously.
As a longtime treasure hunter, I delight in salvaging discarded and damaged books, letters and charts. Finding a scrap of paper from the 19th century and weaving it into a modern collage with my own illustrations allows me to create these dreamscapes I’ve grown so fond of making. Because I don’t use any reproductions in my work, I have to fight the tendency to hang on to these precious bits of history. I’ve learned not to be stingy with these resources even if they are rare and valuable because if I do it ties my hands and clips my creative wings and I’m rarely happy when I’m finished. I have to commit 100% to each new piece knowing that it will never be repeated. That allows me to stay inspired by endless possibilities.
I find so much fuel for my art through what my eyes see and how it affects my emotions. But what if I didn’t have my sight, would that mean I could no longer create? What if I couldn’t hear the avian chorus at dawn or my favorite song which both lend so much to my creative process? Would I be able to create at all? I think there is a connection between heart, mind and soul that is ours alone to thrive and grow, even in a world of silence and darkness. One of my greatest inspirations is Helen Keller. She was a visionary who penned some of the most powerful sentiments without the benefit of sight and sound. Keller said, “Your success and happiness lies in you, resolve to keep happy and your joy and you shall form an invincible host against difficulties.” Through her writings she created light for others from her dark and silent perch. To me, hers is the purest example of an artist’s soul. Her lifelong resolve to capture life with her entire being is humbling.
“I want my artwork to invite the viewer into another place and time. Each piece is like an illustration from a book I just haven’t written yet. There is a story inside each one.”
My biggest challenge on my creative journey is keeping the flame alive as I battle with PTSD. When trauma from my past rears its ugly head it can stop me in my tracks. This trauma affects my ability to function, much less create art. Sleepless nights can make it hard to carry on at all. But I’ve learned to trust the process my mind uses to navigate such dark waters, it’s the same mind that created my beautiful escape through art and it will find its way back. I think we all have this gift inside us; a pure place that no person or thing can truly take from us. It’s ours alone to survive through the gains and losses of life and ultimately thrive. Duke, my Great Dane, is my silent and faithful guardian. He is trained to help me cope with the debilitating effects of PTSD and he is just pure heart.
My biggest satisfaction comes from touching another heart with mine through the pictures I create. I feel so honored to be able to share my journey with you; as a self-taught artist I am encouraged by support of and love for my art.
The Song Inside
Can you
Sense the ocean
Inside a deep seashell
Do you hear the stories unfold?
Within
Pink walls
That beat a pulse
With an island rhythm
Enchanting South Seas fairytale
Begins
Let go
And close your eyes
Wave your hands as you dance
Upon warm Polynesian sand
Just once
Explore
The deep blue sea
Where this story began
From an oyster to a pearl strand
Respect
This gift
Expect nothing
Appreciate each breath
I can hear life’s song inside
Can you?
The Women Create Foundation is a catalyst for small but significant strides to empower women creators through grants that help bring projects to life and foster innovation.
