Today we’d like to introduce you to Juel Ables.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Juel. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
My journey started on April 26th, 2016 when I wrote the first entry in my journal:
“This journal is a part of my journey in discovering myself as a young woman. I am scared, terrified even but excited to learn about myself and grow as a person. I will always be growing and changing in life. I will continue to discover my truth and redefine who ‘Juel’ is. I will not be the same person in six months, a year or five years but I will welcome my growth and the strength I will gain along with knowledge, courage, and wisdom along the way.”
Sometimes, I reread this entry because even while in a dark place, I kept hold to that small speck of hope that things were going to work out. The thing is, I didn’t ‘look’ depressed and my life wasn’t in ‘shambles,’ but I wasn’t happy. Your 20s is usually a time you try to figure out who you are and where you are going, and I had no idea where I was going because I felt I was missing a huge part of who I was. I started drinking, hanging with the wrong crowd and making poor decisions to ease the pain. So, not only did I feel like life was knocking me down, I was knocking myself down by creating a cycle that wasn’t healthy.
As I was journaling, I was also reading books and articles on healing and self-evaluation and started painting. Painting was a personal favorite because there were no limits or standards of what was considered ‘art’ or ‘beautiful.’ I always told people, you could paint a canvas white and put one dot in the middle and someone will call it ART! For me, art is calming; a form of expression when verbal communication fails; a great way to network and meet people; gives me a sense of self-worth and productivity; physical proof of my growth over time.
As time went on, people started to take notice of my work and suggested I take part in art shows or sell my work. At first, I was against it because I didn’t feel confident or like a real ‘artist.’ I didn’t go to school for art or have any professional training, but as I started networking and attending shows, I decided I should give it a try. People would ask what my inspiration was for this painting and that painting, and I would tell them it was my form of ‘therapy’ for me. Boy, that got them talking! We would discuss various life tragedies and experiences that people go through every day but needed a positive outlet. I started realizing some of the things I struggled with and felt embarrassed to ask for help, many people experienced daily, divorced or deceased parents, dating issues, terrible economy, and job issues, various types of abuse and health concerns all while trying to find yourself and maintain a smile on your face. Growing up, I always heard “what happens in this house, stays in this house,” “just pray about it,” or my personal favorite, “someone has it a lot worse than you, so just be grateful.”
I started to realize that a lot of ‘tragedies’ that people assume are rare occurrences, actually affect a lot more people than they realize, and we need to expand the conversation of mental health and self-care in our community. However, some cultures and populations do not have access or the luxury to take advantage of such services and there is still a stigma in getting help. I want to open the conversation to the people in Atlanta and surrounding cities and offer positive ways to cope through creative therapy.
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?
Easy wouldn’t be a word I would choose, but it has been worth it. As an artist, it is easy to get frustrated when your work isn’t coming out as you pictured in your head and start comparing your talent, creative styles and success to other artists. You should never compare your art to someone else’s just like you should never compare your life to someone else’s. We all have our unique set of experiences that shape us to become the person we are and will be – some good, bad, ugly and embarrassing. Since art is a creative outlet, the art piece a person creates is based on their experiences, which cannot be duplicated. As different as my piece is from the next artist, it does not mean its any less beautiful than the next because it was not created to be compared but cherished in its own uniqueness.
Another lesson is patience and perseverance. Even though there aren’t any set rules in creating art, certain techniques come in handy if you have a specific image you want to create, and it takes time and A LOT of practice to master it. I have tried to paint a certain image for 2 years and I JUST mastered the technique to finish it! Same with life, some things will not come easy in the beginning, but you should keep trying and you will see the fruits of your labor!
On the business side, starting a business sounds like a great endeavor and to say you are a ‘CEO’ sounds dope, but it takes a lot of work, time, energy, money, and faith. When you work for someone else, you can clock out and enjoy your (sometimes) paid vacation. As a business owner, especially in the early stages, you work long, odd, unpaid hours. Sometimes I am up at 4 am working on a painting or business work while still maintaining my full-time job and other life responsibilities. However, when I sell a painting, meet a new client or business colleague and see the benefits of my work, it makes the long, crazy hours worth it!
Through all the trials, I wouldn’t trade it for anything in the world. God has placed the right people, resources, and situations and I’m excited to be on this journey!
Please tell us about Phases by Luna – what should we know?
Phases by Luna advocates the importance of mental health, self-care and constructive coping through creative therapy. I am a painter and will start hosting art classes geared towards mental health and creative therapy in the next year as well as other creative events.
There is a huge art scene in Atlanta with a lot of art shows, pop up shops and art exhibits taking place. However, there are not many that touch on mental health strictly through art and that is where my niche is, to bridge the gap of mental health and creative therapy in the south. Even though there are a few sip and paint classes here in Atlanta, my classes would allow people to paint, sketch, journal and/or use creative writing to express themselves while opening the conversation of self-care in a group setting.
Is there a characteristic or quality that you feel is essential to success?
Whenever I felt insecure or forgot my power, my mom would always retell the story of her pregnancy with me. She had bad fibroids and was considered a high-risk pregnancy. Instead of allowing the fibroids to smother me, I would prop my head and feet and lay on them. At her doctor visits, she would mention her pain from the fibroids but on the ultrasounds, she saw I was just getting comfy until my delivery date and she would feel better knowing I was okay. Even in the womb, I was resilient and was able to use a hostile situation to my advantage. Even in the womb, I was powerful, and I should never forget that I am not only resilient but what could have been my destruction, God turned it into my good.
Now, 28 years later, I always remind myself that I have gotten through 100% of my bad days. Even if I felt like I barely made it, I got through them. My resiliency and being able to look at the good side and sometimes humorous side of a situation, have allowed me to thrive and I thank God for this gift.
Contact Info:
- Email: phasesbyluna@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/phasesbyluna/
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/
PhasesbyLuna/
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