Meet Joelle Provost

Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Joelle Provost. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Hi Joelle , thank you for being such a positive, uplifting person. We’ve noticed that so many of the successful folks we’ve had the good fortune of connecting with have high levels of optimism and so we’d love to hear about your optimism and where you think it comes from.

I truly believe optimism comes out of necessity. Like anything else- gratitude, kindness, etc- optimism is a practice. And long term optimism is rooted in action, meaning, it’s sustained through making choices that are aligned with prosperity for the future, like laying out the groundwork for generations to come. I am now a low impact painter; id like to be known as the notorious LIP. I paint on upcycled canvas because the non organic cotton from the art store was not aligned with my values, and cotton is one of the crops with heaviest pesticide use in the US annually, wreaking havoc on animal ecosystems. Our household of three is also low waste and plant based and I am part of several zero waste groups online. All of these things give me hope. Hope is deeply rooted in action for myself and my family, and this is where my optimism grows. All of this is out of necessity because future generations need us to pay the groundwork for them, and they need to see that elders have the discipline to fight for our future.

Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?

Just entertain this question for me, if you will: What if we could mend the earth by participating in ethical consumption?
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As stated previously I am a low impact painter, meaning, I paint on upcycled canvas using once loved paints. Essentially my friends and extended community knows me now as the artist who will take used high quality paints and canvas.

Why? Because behind an every textile, every single product we buy, is either a story of ecosystems flourishing (this is ethical production) or a story of ecosystem destruction. And so. We as a society have absolute potential to change the fate of our mother earth, by voting with our dollar.

So not only is it important for me to paint about issues of our time to help viewers process emotions associated with living in the Anthropocene, but it is also inspiring and priority for me to paint on ethically sourced materials that promote a circular economy or an alternate economic model to the one we are living in.

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

The main advice I have to young people is to listen to their own internal guidance system on where to go, and be stubborn enough to not take no for an answer. We all have unique contributions to the world. When you forge your own path, it’s exciting and likely will rub people the wrong way because there is no one like you and so it will be scary for others to watch. People will tell you you can’t do what you want to do because it’s never been done before. You’ll know you’re on the right path because it will feel aligned even when it’s scary and only one or two other people believe in you.

To develop the practice of confidence, do little things during your day that align with the life you want. Also meditate on your vision. Even if it seems impossible, humor the belief in miracles. We only have this one little life, and miracles happen all the time.

Alright so to wrap up, who deserves credit for helping you overcome challenges or build some of the essential skills you’ve needed?

I have to give credit to my mom. I do not credit her enough. My mom is a portrait photographer. She also used to photograph weddings all over the Bay Area.

When I was little my mom would rush us home from school, feed us snacks and close the door on us to work in her home dark room. This instilled in me the idea that art was a job to be taken seriously, not something whimsical (solely, although a little whimsy is ok too).

Now, my mom is still my coach. In fact, she is a coach and a healer to my other siblings as well (I have four brothers).

I call her for all advice, whether it’s a situation with a client or a bigger question about my life’s path. I am tremendously lucky.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @joelleprovostofficial

Image Credits

All iPhone by me:)