We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Wendy Means. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Wendy below.

Wendy, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Has your work ever been misunderstood or mischaracterized?

Absolutely, I feel that almost everything about me has been misunderstood in one way or another, and by extension some of my work, but I also find that people with similar experiences really really get my work. One of the things that is frequently misunderstood about me is my physical disabilities. I’ve mentioned repeatedly in interviews that I have Ehlers- Danlos Syndrome which comes with multiple other comorbidities. With my physical situation there are good and bad days, flare ups, so you get a situation where someone who has seen you on one of your better days doesn’t understand how debilitating the symptoms get and how high the pain levels are.

One of the more positive aspects of my syndrome is that I look younger than I am, which seems great to most, but being a woman and a minority already makes earning respect more of a challenge. When you add in your contemporaries believing you’re a couple decades younger than them, it can become a full on Sisyphean task. I mean, I’m someone with no real fine art training past high school throwing my hat in the ring with the best of the best so I’m already in an uphill climb. It’s a real trudge.

And now we have a brand new contender in the misunderstood Olympics. After working on healing a PTSD (CPTSD) diagnosis for some 25 years, some things just still weren’t adding up. While continuing to inventory some of my mannerisms, thought processes, emotional reactions, and sensory issues, things weren’t all neatly tracing back to just trauma anymore. I thought maybe all the sensory issues linked back to a Fibromyalgia diagnosis that I have, but that really wasn’t fitting either. I started to look into Autism Spectrum Disorder because of a close family member who is likely on the spectrum. That’s when I found out what a high incidence there is of ASD with Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome and in families with a history of ADHD (which is rampant in my family.)

Long story short, at age 54 I have finally been officially evaluated and I do indeed have level 1 Autism (formerly known as Aspergers.) So I was even misunderstanding myself all this time. This realization has completely changed the lens with which I view my personal history. Now my tendency to find patterns in things and to always want to know “why” or “how” make much more sense. Instead of burning energy trying to “fix” something that was never broken, I’m now embracing full self acceptance. I’m excited to see how this new area of self-discovery manifests in my art as I continue this journey.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I’m an outsider artist, currently partnered with 33PA, offering my original work on Artsy.net and also with Macabre Gallery and their online site. There are plans in the works to exhibit with local gallery Yellow House this year. As always I have prints and merch available on my own site, wendevious.com, where I can also be reached for commissions.
When I’m asked to give a brief sentence or two describing my work, I often joke that I’m the secret lovechild of M.C. Escher and Frida Kahlo. I’m a contemporary realist striving to give form to the space between the seen and unseen. I blend my personal experiences with universal truths. My artistic journey has been anything but conventional—I pursued fine art in my youth but stepped away for over 27 years due to physical and emotional struggles before returning with renewed purpose. While I had primarily worked in acrylics in the few years I’ve been back at it, I am now pushing myself into new territory by learning oil painting, deepening my exploration of realism. I’m self taught in both disciplines.

I prefer to refer to my style as metarealism, marrying the corporeal world with quantum physics and spiritual concepts. My paintings aren’t just visual compositions but dialogues with the ethereal—conversations about mind, body, and spirit; thriving amid chaos. Using symbols, color energy, animism and layered meaning, I welcome viewers into an introspective and transformative space.
We live in a world where we often dismiss the things we cannot physically see about each other. Through art, I give form to these unseen realities, offering validation to those who experience them and awareness to those who don’t. My work speaks to the struggle of being misunderstood while offering a hopeful, spiritual lens on thriving in the face of confusion and challenge.

I am most proud of the way my work connects with people on a deep level and the skill level I’ve been able to achieve in short order. Whether someone feels invisible in their own life or seeks connection beyond the day to day, my art serves as a bridge to making them feel seen. My goal is to transform pain into purpose, limitation into expansion, and isolation into connection.

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can provide some insight – you never know who might benefit from the enlightenment.

Many people assume that being an artist is a relaxing, fun, or even leisurely pursuit, but for me, painting is neither relaxing nor fun—it’s work. Deep, intense, and often exhausting work. Creating is not just about putting paint on a canvas; it’s about problem-solving, pushing through frustration, and constantly challenging myself to grow. Each piece requires immense focus, discipline, and perseverance. There is joy in the process, but it’s the kind of joy that comes from achievement, not from effortless play.
What many non-creatives may not realize is just how hard I work—not only on my craft but on everything that surrounds it. Being a fine artist is not just about making art; it’s about running an entire business. I wear so many hats beyond painting:

Marketing & Social Media – Constantly sharing my work, engaging with an audience, and building a brand in an oversaturated digital world.

Pricing & Selling – Understanding the value of my work, navigating sales, and ensuring that my art is sustainable.

Networking – Connecting with collectors, galleries, and fellow artists to grow my opportunities.

Designing Merchandise – Expanding my offerings beyond original paintings, which means designing prints, products, and other ways for people to engage with my art.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

For me, the most rewarding aspect of being an artist is the ability to connect authentically, and beyond words. Art allows me to bypass language. In our technology driven culture language changes, evolves and spreads so quickly, that we are no longer agreeing on meanings and intentions. Working in an image driven format creates a different type of dialogue between my inner reality and the inner reality of the viewer more effectively, in my opinion. There’s a kind of intimacy in that. My scapes provide a safe space where emotions, energy, transformation, hope and pain can be experienced rather than explained.

One of the most profound aspects of creating is that I don’t have to mask—I can fully be myself. As someone who is neurodivergent, navigating the world often requires adjusting, filtering, or translating my speech and mannerisms to fit social expectations. But in my art, there are no rules for how I have to present myself. My work is honest, raw, and free from the constraints of social expectation.

Painting also gives me control over the miniature environment that is my canvas. In a world that can feel chaotic or overwhelming, painting gives me a space where I set the terms. I can explore ideas at my own pace, create meaning from disorder, and build something that is entirely pleasing to me.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://wendevious.com
• Instagram: @wendeviousarts
• Facebook: @wendeviousarts
• Other: https://www.artsy.net/artist/wendy-means
  https://macabregallery.com/artists/wendy-means/