Life and Work with Meg Hadley

Today we’d like to introduce you to Meg Hadley.

Meg, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I would say this is the toughest question a human being could ask another. I don’t think I could pinpoint an exact time where my love for art, especially painting developed. As cliche as it sounds, I’ve always eaten, breathed, and slept thinking about art. Growing up, my mom never had a house without an art studio for my siblings and I. You could say I was being forced to express myself constantly in the most positive way.

I started developing a huge solitude in painting around 13 years old but that also came along with the nasty attitude directed at every art teacher I was assigned too. Maybe I was too stubborn growing up but I just never enjoyed authority constantly telling me how to draw, paint, act, or even look for that matter. So, I took matters into my own hands. I stopped following the “core values” and whatever was written in a curriculum to teach students about art. I started experimenting, doing the complete opposite of what was asked, basically just diving deep straight down in my own head of creativity. Now, on paper this sounds like any other kid who just wants to rebel and be heard but I think the universe was trying to show me to trust my own gut instincts and be my true self at a young age so I could become a woman who pushed through the rules and created different ones of her own.

Doing so, I started painting on glass canvas felt a little weird, I experimented with wood and ran into too many problems with oil expanding on the wood, then glass fell into my hands and felt way too right. No one seemed to be painting on different mediums so hell… why not?

After a few years of practicing portraiture, abstract/contemporary design, and digital media art I began to have my paintings heavily influenced by psychedelics to expand my brain on color theory and show the different realms through paint and juxtaposition.

Now at 22, I have created my own brand/style of painting, built websites, sold over 70 original pieces, self-taught myself techniques, live painted at over 10 well-known festivals, shown at well known local venues, and much more.
I am only expanding from here!

Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
The hardest thing is self-perseverance and self-reliance. To not listen to the multiple voices of others constantly telling you, “You won’t be able to make a career out of your passion” “You can’t have a future without a college degree” or “You can’t make a life out of that.”

To be honest, every art teacher I have had has always said I would never become a successful portrait artist. You could say I worked harder on portraits out of spite, but I think it was more backhanded motivation than anything. The world is a tough place, a very tough place filled with all of these beings and things that want to pull you to the depths of not succeeding and conforming. But if you listen to your own will power, it’s really crazy how you can transform your life into absolutely anything you want.

Please tell us about Jesusjoints Art.
My work is constantly shapeshifting and forming into new sub-genres of genres. I don’t think there are words to actually describe my art as a whole. Each painting is so far fetched and unique from the other but all based on a certain belief, memory, or feeling I’m going through at the present moment.

After exploring the art of graphic design, digital media, and oil painting. I have combined surreal contemporary expressionism and painting on glass. Not only do my paintings represent life and beauty in everyday portraiture/geometry but a different realm of juxtaposition.

I consider “jesusjoints” as a life collection of multiple lessons I have learned. The name was originally created in my freshman year of high school art class. Going to a private catholic school at the time it just seemed a little fitting for the biggest “fuck you” I could find. I remember being so exhausted from making art to follow school curriculums. Being so tired of putting art out into the world that didn’t really show anything about my soul whatsoever, I started a journal with as many ideas as I could dream. And well… the title being… Jesusjoints.

You could say the name carries a few meanings. A constant state of growth, turning away from pushed beliefs and ruled, a joint wrapped in bible paper, the biggest fuck you, a strong juxtaposition of life.. etc.

I am most proud of the dedication and the self-taught career growth I have learned. Running, designing, and building your own business/brand doesn’t come easy and not for the weak-minded. My style is unique and I hope to continually learn new things about what I have taught myself already.

Do you think there are structural or other barriers impeding the emergence of more female leaders?
Communication. Acknowledgment of roles and self. High standards.
This is a tough subject because I have a lot of different opinions on this matter. I feel like I have been in a few situations where I was overly criticized by men in higher or other roles for being a perfectionist, needing to “take the career/job as is”, etc.
I started working for myself so I don’t have many experiences with barriers in female leadership since I take myself and job very seriously. If I do experience these barriers it’s usually my time to leave and move on to the next opportunity.

Contact Info:

• Website: http://jesusjointsart.com
• Email: jesusjointsart@gmail.com
• Instagram: @jesusjoints

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