About Me
Before We Begin
What you’re about to read is not an artist bio. I will not list the schools I've attended, the exhibitions I've taken part in or the things that I've achieved in the art world. Instead, I want to tell you the story of how I became the person I am today. I want to share with you some of my struggles, my highs and lows and the lessons I learned along the way. Think of this as a very short autobiography. By reading this, I hope you find something in my journey that inspires you to create a better future for yourself.
Where It All Began
As a child, I believed almost anything was possible. Like most kids, I had crazy dreams of what I wanted to be when I grew up. At one point, I wanted to be a musician, next I wanted to be a spy, then an author and then an artist. No matter what it was, I believed I could make it happen, and I couldn't wait to see what the future held.
The Dark Days
However, at 16 years old, that sense of possibility had started to disappear and I entered one of the most difficult periods of my life.
One of the reasons for this was my home life. Arguments were frequent, and I spent more and more time alone in my room trying to escape everything going on around me. At the same time, I felt heartbroken that the girl I'd been talking to for months was drifting away. I also started confronting trauma that I’d buried for years, such as growing up without a father due to his passing when I was young.
Through all of this, I began to feel alone. I lost all confidence in myself and believed that I had no purpose in life.
One of the only things that gave me comfort through this time was creativity. I would spend hours drawing, listening to music and watching movies. These activities gave me a way to process complex emotions and escape the world around me. However, no matter how much I tried to lose myself in creativity, I couldn't seem to stop the pain.
For months, nothing really changed. Every night I would go to bed and dread the idea of waking up the next day. I became consumed by the thought that my life would never get any better.
New Possibilities
However, a few months later, something started to change. Obsessed with boxing and hip hop, I began looking deeper into the journeys of some of the people I admired most. I became fascinated by the stories of how they overcame incredible hardship and went on to build extraordinary lives. Their stories made me feel understood and less alone in my struggles. I loved how they spoke openly about their trauma, used their pain as fuel, and refused to let their past define who they became. I found it truly inspiring, and I began to think that if I worked hard, maybe I too could turn my life around.
Rebuilding Myself
So, I started working relentlessly.
I threw myself into personal development, spending hours watching videos about mindset, discipline, and self-improvement, while continuing to listen to the stories of people who had overcome extreme hardship. Their stories became a constant reminder that my circumstances didn't have to define my future.
One thing I'd always felt deeply insecure about was being very skinny, so I started lifting weights and eating more to build muscle. I also began teaching myself how to box, not only so I could defend myself, but to become more confident.
I worked harder at school, determined to improve my grades, and took a part-time job as a pot washer to earn money on the side. Alongside all of that, I began drawing more, trying to perfect my craft.
Through all of this work, my life was slowly getting better. For the first time in years, I started to feel hopeful about the future again, and believed that I had the potential to do something great with my life.
Rock Bottom
However, just as I began to believe things were finally getting better, everything started to fall apart once again.
The end of 2022 became one of the lowest periods of my life. For months, anxiety and sadness consumed me, leaving me throwing up almost every day. I had also spent most of December isolated in my room, barely talking to anyone. Things at home were still difficult, my new relationship was slowly falling apart, and the seemingly endless cycle drained my energy.
This all led to one of the darkest days of my life.
I went for a drive and found myself alone in an empty car park. The handful of orange street lamps flicked on as the sun set, and the freezing December air started to close in on me. Next to me sat a spoiled sandwich I'd bought hours earlier. I’d barely eaten any of it, as every bite made me feel like I was going to be sick.
I'd just had another argument at home, but this time, I couldn't bring myself to go back.
I sat there for hours, with tears streaming down my face as I stared through the frosted windscreen. After everything I'd done to rebuild myself, I couldn't believe I was back at rock bottom. I felt completely broken.
I knew I had two choices. I could either let this moment define me and fall back into the same despair and hopelessness that had consumed me before, or channel the pain, generating the fuel to keep working on myself and towards the bright future I always wanted.
That night, I made myself a promise. No matter how difficult things became, I would keep moving forward and never stop working towards that future.
So once again, I focused heavily on improving my life. I worked even harder than before, on my mind, body, and future.
Slowly, things began to improve. With every challenge I overcame and every bit of progress I made, I became more confident in myself and more hopeful about the future.
Eventually, I began to realise just how much I had changed.
Moving Forward
Looking back, my mindset had completely changed from when I was 16 years old. I’d gone from feeling completely hopeless about my future to believing that I could make something great out of it.
Through this process, I learned a lot. I learned that I was capable of facing incredibly difficult moments and still finding the strength to keep moving forward. I learned to believe in my biggest dreams and have the courage to chase them. But most importantly, I learned that no matter how difficult the present may feel, a better future is always possible.
With this new mindset, I was ready for the next chapter of my life. But now, instead of avoiding difficult situations, I began seeking out new challenges and deliberately pushing myself beyond my comfort zone to discover what I was truly capable of.
A New Beginning
By the end of 2023, my life looked completely different. I had moved to university, met my girlfriend and continued working with the same determination to build a future I could be proud of.
However, I still had one big question to answer. I knew I wanted to do something meaningful with my life, but I still didn't know what that would be.
I thought about what I loved doing. I’d developed a real passion for business and dreamed of starting my own. I also loved drawing, designing and creating things. So, I decided to try to combine my passions by creating artwork and selling it. At first, I didn't have much of a plan, and I didn't know exactly what I was building or where it might lead, but what I did know was that I wanted to create something extraordinary.
The Future
At the moment, Joel Manley Studios is in its early stages, focused solely on me creating artwork. However, I see the potential for it to become something much bigger.
My vision is to grow Joel Manley Studios beyond art into a creative studio that tells meaningful stories across multiple mediums, including art, film, short-form content, clothing, and books.
Ultimately, I want to build the most influential creative studio of the 21st century by creating experiences that transform the way people see themselves, the world around them, and what they believe is possible.
Through Joel Manley Studios, I want to create work that reminds people to keep pushing forward, have the courage to chase their dreams and never lose sight of what's possible. I want to build something that 16-year-old me would have needed to see. But more than anything, I want to remind people that no matter how dark things get, a better future is always possible.
Join The Journey
If my story spoke to you and you want to be a part of this journey, feel free to join my inner circle. Inside you’ll gain:
- Early access to print drops.
- Behind-the-scenes insights.
- Deeper personal stories & reflections.