We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Doris Faye Jones a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, Doris Faye thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. If you could go back in time do you wish you had started your creative career sooner or later?
While I strive to live with no regrets, I didn’t truly embrace my creative side or try to pursue endeavors to show it to anyone until 2015. After decades of hiding away my paintings, poetry, and other writings, I slowly started to open up and let others see my work. More accurately, let others ‘feel’ my work. I sold five paintings the first week I started sharing about them. Since then, I’ve lost count of the number of paintings I’ve sold. I’ve self-published over a dozen books of varying genres. This year, I wrote my first fiction novel and I am working on my second. What was once a secret world for just my heart and eyes only, has become a floodgate of creative works.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
I’ve spent a span of over three decades working in healthcare, gaining the vast skillsets and knowledge related to the management side of the industry. I’ve functioned in a long list of job roles over the years, many of which included training, mentoring others, creation of corporate policies, manuals, training documents, and more. One of the biggest strengths that has always set me apart is the ability to work at a pace faster than one person. I can achieve results and produce more than the expected, as well as produce exemplary work. In my creative endeavors, I am a fine art painter, poet, writer, graphic designer, novice illustrator, photography, and more. When it came time to work on my creative projects, I combined the expertise of my professional skillsets with the creative. This has resulted in the ease and advantage of being able to manage the vast components of both sides of a projects aspects. I am most proud of my creations authenticity as all 100% mine. I haven’t used other works, AI, or input from others to create my artistic works. I stay true to those with reverence for genuine work created by an artist without the influence of ‘outside help’. The most important part about my works, my brand, and me that anyone should know is that everything I create comes from a place of love. Love drives the majority of my works and I strive to create enlightening, hopeful, and pleasant artworks. The kind of creations that speak to beauty and love.
We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.
Two of the biggest experiences in my life that can illustrate my resilience is: 1. I was a foster kid from age 14 until I turned 18; at which time I aged out of my time as a ward of the state of Louisiana. After high school, I quickly got into my own place to live with a job. Shortly before age 19, I packed up my car and drove to California. After a rocky few months after getting here, and some of that spent sleeping outdoors, I got a job and a place to live. I’ve been on my own for the majority of my life with the exception of two short failed marriages. Otherwise, I’ve held a job the majority of that time since and I made my way in this world without parents to provide support or financial help. 2. Much of my inability to pursue or allow myself to be creative was due to years of on and off use of substances. I got clean and sober in June of 2011 and have spent the past 12 plus years rewiring my brain for good, redirecting my life to be productive, and allowing myself to achieve happiness and contentment from life.
What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?
We are immortals. There are vast lists of many different kinds of genres for books, movies, etc. The jobs and options for how to earn a living are also many. Artists and creatives that get their work out to others and allow it to be shown in the ‘light of day’ become immortal. I’m not particularly concerned about making a huge amount of money or fame. I know that if the good Lord takes me, my sons will have a legacy of ‘me’ left behind for them. They could start today and try to go through all of my creations, my writings, paintings, video productions, my spoken word poetry album, and more; and it would take them a VERY long time to get through it all. This… is the most rewarding part about it for me. I may go, but my works will still be here for those that love me.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://dorisjoneslaborsoflove.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dorisjoneslaborsoflove
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dorisjoneslaborsoflove
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dorisfjones/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/djlaborsoflove
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@DorisJonesLaborsofLove
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/doris-jones-labors-of-love-ramona
- Other: My KDP Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B08CSDT5WY
Image Credits
All images taken by me, Doris Faye Jones. Any edits, graphic enhancement with colors or design were generated by me, Doris Faye Jones. These images are all of my creation, 100% fully credited by me without any outside contributors.