Instagram/@jewel
After Jewel shared a self-portrait that was not yet finished, in my opinion, it pretty much summed up her journey with motherhood. Apart from being a singer-songwriter and a visual artist, she is also an Instagram user. She uploaded the photo together with a caption that perfectly encapsulates the the experience of raising children.
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In the video accompanying her Instagram post, she explains the self-portrait she is working on, which is a follow-up to a portrait she did of her son. She intentionally left the shirt undone because, as she said, ‘This portrait is motherhood to me and how we as parents are never finished, developing, healing, growing.’ The self-portrait gains much deeper meaning as her son’s handwritten poem is also included in the painting.
The multi-skilled artist’s post included a contemplative caption about the relationship between parenting, growth, and healing. Jewel wrote, “Motherhood and parenthood is never done in the healing, filling in holes, looking for blind spots we do until we leave this earth, and this is the greatest inheritance I think I can give my son.” Jewel also hinted at the release of her new project to the fans, generating curiosity with her post.
The comments had genuine heartfelt emotions and nurtured positivity as a combination. A number of comments were praising her work, one saying, “how is a human sooo good at absolutely everything,” and another one saying, “God was like just dump the whole talent bucket into this one.” In addition, to the praise of her art, seems combination nurture and authentic emotions pouring in from the audience women’s work enchants them, saying she should “leave it as is” due to the “stunning” simplicity of her work.
Jewel’s statement that the notion of parenthood is an endeavor, not a triumph, and a destination, not a journey, argued strongly with users, particularly newly born baby parents. One woman commented saying, “Just to say I’m a new mother. Baby boy due date is 12 weeks tomorrow. Motherhood feels like transformation embarking on and it feels like the iceberg I am experiencing is just the tip of the iceberg.”
Her audience seemed to deeply relate to the the extended interpretation of the unfinished elements. Someone in the comment said, “Love the message behind leaving the shirt unfinished,” appreciating the ongoing parenting and growth life journey. “Come through Mona Lisa,” another commenter said, admiring the coordinated colors from the portrait and the son’s portrait.
The post led to a discussion of other workers of art, and a painter said in the comments section, “Artist to Artist, looks incredible.” Another commenter began talking about their experience with the unfinished drawing and said, “I somewhat regret not filling in the background of a drawing I once did. I feel like my heart isn’t in it to pick it up again and it is framed now.” This resulted in a conversation about how permanent the decisions an artist makes is and how heavy these decisions can be.
Jewel’s artistry becomes more evident as she is able to distill deep life lessons into a piece of visual art. The self-portrait serves as a testament to her artistry, enabling her to depict the idea of parenthood and life in general; a never-ending journey, the stitch in time depicting personal development and growth. She shares deep personal experiences, allowing her to deeply connect with an audience as they reflect together on life’s wondrous yet flawed nature.
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Knowing that the ever-versatile artist will, once again, shower them with artistic brilliance and a profound message, her fandom grows increasingly more impatient to her soon-to-be-released project. The vulnerability she choose to openly bare through multiple artistic forms is just as heartfelt as the engagement she effortlessly creates for her audiences, a Jewel trademark that stretches across her numerous career paths ranging from music, poetry and even visual arts.