Today we’d like to introduce you to Jorge Anaya-Lopez
Jorge, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
My art story begins Back when I was a photo assistant on assignment in Milan. I had an epiphany during the Missioni SS 88 show. It happened while we were rounding the third turn. It was a combination of the humidity in the Palazzo Reale Milano and the fact that my breakfast that day had been two luke warm Moretti’s. I went down face first. The most interesting fact about this little unfortunate “incident” was I was quickly moved from the passarella but ignored to recover on my own. Fashion doesn’t stop for anyone. Now for the epifany part. I woke up and I knew. I knew I was being fired. I knew I was being blacklisted and I knew that I had a problem. I was very bad at drinking. Actually, I was great at starting to drink, just very bad at stopping. I had no limit. I had no self control. And now, I had no choice. I couldn’t ignore it any longer or sweep it under the rug. I had to face that I am an alcoholic and I can’t stop drinking on my own. When I returned to the states two days later. I felt so ashamed. So alone. I checked into rehab and began to recover with a group of what was obviously misfits and weirdos. I was no different. The blackest of the black sheep. My second day in rehab, I met Cousin Eddie. I don’t know why he was Cousin Eddie but that’s how he introduced himself and that’s what everyone called him. Cousin Eddie and I became recovery mates. We trusted each other. We trusted each other the way two wounded and hurt souls trust each other. Honest sharing, with a sprinkle of side eye. Hurt and scared people take time to figure out how to heal. Hurt and scared people take a moment to get to the real root. One thing is to not drink. It’s a whole other thing to figure out why I compulsively turn to alcohol and knowing it will destroy me all over again. To get down to why I run from myself. Why I present a half portion, a half truth of who I am. I just chuckled while I typed that into my phone. The half truth of who I am is such a pussy way to say I’m overwhelmed by my thoughts. I’m overwhelmed by my fears, insecurities, doubts and self sabotage. Even to this day with fucking 24 years sober, I still candy coat how scared and insecure I can be. It’s not as bad as it used to be, but it can resurface at any moment if you do not remain vigilant. It feels so good to say (type) that out loud. It’s such a relief to remove the mask. To put down the mental fascade. To be honest with oneself and others. So anyway, Cousin Eddy is my homeboy. We go everywhere together. Meetings, pizza, Starbucks just hanging all the time. One day he starts drawing and it changed my life. We were just chilling and he was drawing. He was always sketching and drawing. When I walked by, I take a look and it’s a dick. “What the fuck are you doing?” He looks up at me and like nothing tells me “It’s the dick my sexual abuser forced me to suck when I was twelve”. Holy shit. Holy shit. Holy shit. Did he just…. Holy shit. It was so nonchalant. It startled me. My gut dropped. My gut dropped and my mind took off. My brain was racing. It was 1,000 thoughts all at once. I didn’t want to look at him. It was too honest. lt shook me to my core to hear someone say something so traumatic. And then it happened. I said it. I said it out loud. I said it to Cousin Eddie out loud without knowing it was about to happen. “I was sexually abused by a family friend when I was three or four years old too. What I swore I would never tell anyone. My deepest secret that was so deep and so secret that I didn’t even remember anymore. The thing that I swore would go to the grave with me was released. There in that moment I chose to live my truth. I chose a new path on that day. That’s what lead me to sell art. Choosing myself, no matter what anyone thinks of me. Today I choose to alchemize the pain into to love. Alchemize the dark into light. Alchemize the fear into joy. Today I choose me.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Everything. Me. Mostly me. Getting out of my own way. Believing in myself. I do not travel smooth roads. I create roads so others behind me can travel smooth roads.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I buy and sell art on line. I like what speaks to me. You should only buy art that speaks to you. It should speak to you. It should make you feel. Feel your feelings.
So, before we go, how can our readers or others connect or collaborate with you? How can they support you?
Buy the art. Sell me good art. Follow and like if you like what you see.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @CollectionOneOne3
Image Credits
All artwork owned by CollectionOneOne3
All photos taken by Jorge Anaya-Lopez
