Life, Values & Legacy: Our Chat with Gayle Gurchiek

Gayle Gurchiek shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.

Good morning Gayle, it’s such a great way to kick off the day – I think our readers will love hearing your stories, experiences and about how you think about life and work. Let’s jump right in? What are you being called to do now, that you may have been afraid of before?
“For much of my life, I silenced myself when I was hurt, bullied, or harmed—physically, mentally, or emotionally. I believed silence would preserve peace, but in truth it only caused me more pain. I feared that speaking up might upset others, provoke anger, or even put me at risk. Confronting a stage-four cancer diagnosis shattered that illusion. Facing mortality showed me how vital and liberating truth really is. Now I feel called to speak openly and courageously, even when it’s uncomfortable, because silence serves no one. If my voice can bring light, protection, or healing to even one person, then every risk becomes an act of purpose.

“One of the first things I felt called to do after my diagnosis was to create a film called Poster Girl. I couldn’t stay silent about what I was seeing in my hometown while navigating my own battle with cancer. The film became a way to bear witness—to the people, the stories, and the hidden forces that have caused real harm. Making it helped me process my own pain, transform grief into action, and give voice to those who were overlooked or unheard.

“For me, Poster Girl is ultimately about connection and truth. It confronts difficult realities while honoring resilience and courage. My hope is that it sparks reflection, conversation, and change—showing that even in the hardest moments, telling the truth and sharing our stories can be powerful acts of healing.”

Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
My name is Gayle Gurchiek. I am a model, spokeswoman, actress, artist, author, and filmmaker whose life and work center on truth-telling and transformation. Drawing on a multifaceted career in front of the camera and on the page. I bring a unique blend of artistry and advocacy to every project I undertake.
My latest and most personal work, Poster Girl, chronicles my own battle with stage-four metastatic breast cancer alongside my investigation into the environmental toxins that devastated my Michigan hometown. Through my filmmaking, I use my platform to shine a light on hidden injustices, give voice to communities impacted by pollution, and challenge systems that profit from sickness.
Whether as a creative professional or as a patient-advocate, my mission remains the same: to transform pain into purpose and inspire others to speak up, seek truth, and demand change.
My book, I Am Healing: A Child’s Guide to Resilience, is a story of strength , hope , and the light within.
It is beautifully illustrated and a heartfelt book. Each illustration was painted in oil. I share an uplifting message of resilience, courage, and healing for young children facing illness and adversity.
Through lyrical storytelling and vibrant animal metaphors, I Am Healing gently guides children on a journey of self-discovery and empowerment. With each turn of the page, readers are reminded of their inner strength, the power of love, and the endless possibilities that lie ahead—even in the face of life’s greatest challenges.
From quiet moments of self-affirmation to the triumphant realization of healing, my book offers children a sense of control, peace, and hope. All inspired by my personal journey as a stage-4 cancer patient, I Am Healing is an inspiring gift for young readers navigating illness, offering them the comfort, courage, and belief in brighter days ahead.

Okay, so here’s a deep one: What did you believe about yourself as a child that you no longer believe?
As a child, I believed that the world was safe — that the places we called “home” were protected, that the air we breathed and the water we drank were clean, and that sickness was something that just happened, not something caused by what surrounded us. I believed adults had all the answers, that doctors could fix anything, and that strength meant never breaking down.

Now, I see things differently. Through my journey with metastatic breast cancer and the investigation behind Poster Girl, I’ve learned that safety isn’t always guaranteed — not in our environment, our bodies, or even the systems meant to protect us. But I’ve also discovered that healing doesn’t just come from medicine — it comes from truth, from community, and from telling our stories out loud.

That’s what my film Poster Girl is about — unmasking what’s hidden beneath the surface of small-town America, and giving a voice to the people who’ve suffered in silence for too long. And that’s what my children’s book I Am Healing is about too — helping the next generation understand that even when life hurts, we can still find light, resilience, and meaning in our healing.

So today, I don’t believe the world is always safe — but I do believe in the power of truth, storytelling, and determination to make it safer for those who come after us.

When did you stop hiding your pain and start using it as power?
I stopped hiding my pain when I realized it wasn’t something to be ashamed of. For decades as a model, I tried to bury it beneath a smile, to be the strong one who never cracked. But pain has a way of speaking — through your body, your memories, your silence.

When I was diagnosed with cancer, I couldn’t hide it anymore. The pain became too loud to ignore, and instead of fighting against it, I started to listen. What it told me was powerful — that my story could help others, that my suffering wasn’t meaningless, that even in the hardest moments, there was purpose waiting to be born.

That’s when I began turning pain into power — by picking up a camera, asking hard questions about why so many in my hometown were sick, and giving voice to the silence around environmental injustice. That’s Poster Girl. And through I Am Healing, I wanted to show children — and the child still inside me — that healing doesn’t mean never hurting; it means transforming the hurt into something that helps others heal too.

I stopped hiding my pain when I realized it wasn’t a scar — it was a story. And stories have power.

So a lot of these questions go deep, but if you are open to it, we’ve got a few more questions that we’d love to get your take on. Is the public version of you the real you?
The public version of me is real — but she’s not the whole story. What people see is strength, determination, and purpose. And that’s true. But behind the camera, away from the spotlight, there’s also quiet, exhaustion, and a woman still healing all aspects of herself.

For a long time, I thought I had to be one version — the one who was strong, inspiring, unshakable. But life taught me that real strength isn’t about holding it together all the time. It’s about being honest, showing up as you are, and still choosing to keep going.

In Poster Girl, I let people see both sides — the advocate and the human being — because that’s where the truth lives. And through I Am Healing, I wanted to show that healing isn’t a straight line; it’s messy, beautiful, and deeply real.

So yes, the public version of me is real — she’s just the version who has learned to turn pain into purpose and purpose into power. Both versions are me. Both are still healing.

Okay, we’ve made it essentially to the end. One last question before you go. If you knew you had 10 years left, what would you stop doing immediately?
If I had ten years left, I’d stop saying yes to things that drain my energy just to make others comfortable.

I’d stop waiting for permission to live — to lay down the weight I’ve carried, to go where my soul feels alive, to find laughter in the middle of uncertainty, and to speak love before time steals the chance.

I’d stop pretending that I have to be strong every single day. I’d let myself be real — even when it’s messy, even when it hurts.

I think I’d spend less time trying to fix everything and more time feeling everything — the sunsets, the small victories, the people who show up. Because the truth is, none of us know how long we have.

So if I had ten years left, I’d stop living like I had forever — and start living like every day matters. What matters to me is how can I make a difference for the future generations.

In short….if I had ten years left, I would be grateful!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://postergirlfilm.com/
• Instagram: @gaylegurchiek
• Facebook: Gayle Gurchiek
• Youtube: @PosterGirlFilm

Image Credits
Cool Water Woman- Satoshi Saikusa
Shape- ART STREIBER