Hi, my name is Jenavieve!

            I would say that my most defining characteristics are quiet, caring, and emotional. I’m fairly quiet around people except for my friends and family. I care deeply for those who I am close to. I probably care too much, because I am always so concerned for my loved ones and I am always willing to take some time out of my day to talk to them if they’re having a bad day. I admit that I am also emotional and cry easily, whether it is while watching a film or just because I am upset. My most defining physical characteristics or features are my smile and my squinty eyes. I have been told that I “smile with my eyes.”

            When compared, my family lineage is very different. My father’s side of the family originates from France, which is where I got the last name, Coulon. My mother’s family is from the South, meaning Georgia, but beyond Georgia, we suspect England and Ireland. In the 1940’s soon after WWII, my father’s parents moved from the East of France to Philadelphia, where my father was born an only child, and was raised in strict Catholic schools and a Military Academy called Valley Forge. From there, my father became a musician and plays the piano. My mother’s parents have lived many places all around the country and briefly lived in England when my mother was the age of two.

            My father’s heritage is most influential to me. My French grandparents passed away a few years apart, roughly around 2007. I spent the most time with them when I was young. Because of them, I tend to take interest in anything French, and also because my heritage is apart of who I am. I am proud to say that my grandparents were French, and spoke in their language around me, and taught me about their culture.

            During this strange transition in my life, I believe that what I am standing on all relates to home. I grew up in New Jersey. From living there for so many years I have made so many friends who love, support, and encourage my art career. I consider many of my friends to be part of my extended family. From living in Florida these past few years, I am so grateful to go back home during breaks, and my limited time spent there is more special than ever. 

            This position in what I see in the world is broadening with age. For the longest time, I feel as though I was maybe out of touch with reality. I was happy and smiling all the time. Not like that’s a bad thing, but I lived in my own little happy world, and didn’t think much about anything that was negative, such as politics and sad happenings around the world. These past few years I have learned to accept reality. I am “evolving,” or to simply put it, growing up. This past summer I took an online class that was philosophy and bioethics. The course was about the life or death decisions people in the medical field must make. The course discussion was about serious life threatening health issues and terminal illnesses, all which are very tough topics but are important to accept that it happens, and that making that kind of decision isn’t easy, but that it is possible to come to the best moral decision. The course was both intriguing and depressing at times, but I was broadening my horizons and stepping outside my comfort zone!

            What I enjoy looking for in the “mediascape” is the work of other artists. I also enjoy many other forms of media such as film, books, art blogs, and youtube vloggers. I follow many artists and animators in the industry who post on instagram, and enjoy seeing their daily sketches. It inspires me to create more art!