Today we’d like to introduce you to Jamie Imhof.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I am dual donor double transplant recipient (liver and kidney). In 2022 I was found to be in multi-organ failure and septic shock. To make a long journey (which I do reflect on with various Podcasts and on Facebook) shared on the shorter side, I required massive medical intervention and an immediate liver transplant. I received my first gift after six weeks of hospitalization, which I affectionately named after my donor ‘Scottie” but I was still extremely sick and in end stage kidney failure. Seven months later, tirelessly working through many complications and setbacks, I received my darling kidney transplant ‘Kiki’.
This was just the first chapters of my story, leading me on a journey of recovery and wellness. Being immunocompromised presents many side effects, especially ones an individual has to work through and transplant is a treatment not a cure. I lost the ability to do all basic bodily functions, including talking, eating and walking. The medications also didn’t even allow for me to hold a object for some time.
I had to relearn everything again alongside processing a great deal or trauma. My original condition was caused by being in active addiction (from alcohol and opioids) and I needed to build a recovery program for me that would guide me to stay healthy especially with these new gifts.
Art as always been an avenue to calm my mind and as I progressed into to a leading advocate for others in multiple communities I learned about creating advocacy art. Primarily through rock painting (one of the oldest forms of communication) where I could share a small portion of my story and a glimpse of my personality.
My earliest attempts of starting to paint again were both physical and emotional therapy, both learning how to grip paintbrushes through medication shakes and cognitively drawing again.
Nowadays, I am four years sober (or four years in recovery as I like to share), I am working on multiple certifications while in the earliest stages of a designing a non-profit. I share my artwork freely and I have plans to expand the mediums I work on hoping to start collecting donations for the business (which will take some start-up funding). My health is doing fantastic even with a post cancer battle and other surgeries, my transplants and overall wellness are ‘kicking butt and taking names”.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
No, no it is not a smooth road. First the physical and mental aspect of making creating art. Even in the beginning many people asked why I was so dedicated to this painting. The first guys I choose to date in the years post transplants had some really negative things to say about all my painting despite when I expressed how it was assisting my recovery. I just kept at it, relentless sharing and eventually others really started to embrace what I was creating. I used to walk everywhere collective rocks and eventually the supply ran out so I needed to find a way to make this project sustainable. That’s when I taught myself through a lot of trial and error how to mold concrete into a viable medium.
Nowadays the only difficulty I have is just wishing I had more hours in the day to try out all the new designs I have in my head!
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I do advocacy art. It’s art specifically designed to convey a purpose message. My rocks I make in honor of Donate Life (organ donation and transplantation) along with blood production donation (representing all the different types). This rocks are not just for myself (my own story) but rather I say I make them neutral so anyone else can use them to share their story as well. Meaning other transplant recipients care partners and donor families, other individuals who donate blood and even ones who received any life saving transfusions.
I make thousands and thousands of these rocks which are often given out at tabling events and in everyday life. I don’t have the funding to do this by myself, so I raise the funding for all the supplies through generous donations from the community. I always refer my art as a community based project.
It’s become I thing I am known for but I do have to give credit – the original rock painting idea and a Facebook Group came from other heart transplant recipients, I merely just expanded the movement to raise awareness of a sometimes difficult topic in a more approachable way. I am proud of the barriers this art breaks down.
To keep this project ongoing will require more support and growing the mission which is the next of steps of non-profit I am formulating. That won’t just be focused on my art but rather it’s an element of the business plan to fuel stronger support systems for individuals undergoing challenging health and wellness journeys and wish to learn how to thrive both through and onwards.
I post often about all this on my social media so I invite anymore reading to follow me since I have been such an open book from the beginning (hoping I might be the same inspiration to others I was desperately searching for as well when I was struggling).
Any advice for finding a mentor or networking in general?
Oh my gosh, Just be yourself and be honest about what you are going through. Look for individuals who inspire what you would like to become (not have). Be open to meeting new people and stop caring so much about what others think about you. In my case I really thought I would be judged badly for having a liver transplant due to alcohol use disorder. Little did I know being so transparent about my journey would lead to many individuals respecting my words and actions, alongside amazing new mentors and friendships.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://wearethrive.ing/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jamieimhof/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jamie.imhof.3/
