Shot Through with Pain

New Orleans-based artist Jaclyn McCabe creates vibrant mixed-media collages that combine found imagery and poetic song lyrics. She uses the artistic process as a way to explore life’s most complex emotions. Jaclyn is also a life coach who guides women on a journey of radical self-acceptance.

Art is an incredible way to explore, feel, and sort through my emotions and experiences––especially those that don't make sense to me—and my process for creating it is organic and intuitive.

It starts with a found image, often from a book or magazine, and I combine other found images or my own photography to create layered works that reflect the complexities of life. Occasionally, I begin with a clear direction in my mind, but more often the composition reveals itself to me.

Since childhood, song lyrics have been a way for me to connect with and narrate emotions, and they remain a central influence in my art. While creating a composition, I invite a song to find me: I hit shuffle on a playlist and lose myself in the work. Before long, a lyric catches my ear, perfectly capturing the event I'm trying to articulate. From there, the song begins to shape the mood and guide the composition.

I refer to my art practice as "following the wonder." It reflects my spiritual practice of listening to the subtle guidance of the universe—like following breadcrumbs left on the path and trusting they'll lead somewhere meaningful.