Jayne Mattingly
Chicago, IL
“Creativity is my conduit for opening up the floodgates for my emotions."
Jayne Mattingly is a creative whose work lives at the intersection of creativity, healing, and advocacy. Her art is deeply shaped by her lived experience with chronic illness and her journey through Body Grief, a concept she not only embodies in her art but also explores in her book This Is Body Grief. She coined the term Body Grief to name the very real and often overlooked mourning process that comes with living in a body from puberty, to aging, chronic illness to menopause, and gender dysphoria to disability. For Jayne, painting is both an outlet and a mirror, reflecting her ongoing relationship with her body, her emotions, and her advocacy.
Art entered Jayne’s life early. She recalls being introduced to it by her father, who not only encouraged her but also introduced her to tools to create. “I feel particularly connected to tools that allow me to create texture,” she shares. “Using them calls to mind my father’s influence, as he was the one who taught me to paint.” This sense of legacy and continuity shows up in her process, where layering, scraping, and texturing become both techniques and metaphors for resilience.
Abstract yet expressive, Jayne’s paintings pulse with lush color and tactile energy. Some of her work incorporates graffiti-inspired gestures that heighten the sense of movement and depth. Jayne explains, “My style is textured and layered with vibrant colors. The evolution of my art can be most seen through the varied color stories I create for each piece.” Each canvas holds its own emotional narrative, often born from a moment of letting go, surrender, or discovery.
That sense of surrender is central to Jayne’s process. Illness became both an interruption and an invitation—pushing her toward stillness, presence, and trust in her own pace. “In breaking down through my chronic illness, I am no longer a type A person,” she reflects. “I think the more relaxed and in-tune type B person was always inside of me. I have given into healing and embracing rest.” Through painting, she connects to that softer self- one that embraces imperfection and the unknown.
For Jayne, creativity is inseparable from healing. “Personally, I find creativity allows you to feel more deeply in order to heal. It is also forgiving, as creative expression is at its best when it is less perfect and leaves you open to finding the beauty in imperfection.” Her canvases serve as both visual expression and emotional release, allowing her to transform pain into color and vulnerability into strength.
With a master’s degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling and years spent running her own practice, Jayne’s path has been one of continual transformation. Now, as a wheelchair user and disability advocate, she channels that same empathy and resilience into her art and writing. “Although chronic illness and disability affect me daily, through art I’ve found a way to move beyond those limitations and experience a fullness of life that only creativity can provide.”
Jayne’s connection to her audience is deeply personal. She describes the resonance of a compliment on her art as more than simple praise: “It is hard to describe the emotion around it. It is more than a compliment to me. It feels that they really see me and understand my causes on a different level. If my art resonates with its viewers on some level- any level- then I have done my job.”
Outside of her studio, Jayne embraces simplicity and presence. She finds joy in quiet afternoons on her porch, meaningful time with her husband, and the companionship of her pets. Painting, she notes, is both a privilege and a profound joy: a way to honor her past, process her present, and connect with the world.
At its core, Jayne’s work gives voice to Body Grief, transforming it into something tangible, layered, and alive. Each painting is not only a personal act of expression but also a gesture of advocacy- an offering that invites viewers to see, to feel, and perhaps to heal alongside her.
