Meet Uele, An Aspiring Artist and Thrive Gives Member

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When we visited Uele Siebert in Tennessee, what moved us immediately was her spirit. In a home covered with hand-painted knick knacks, family photos, and stacks of books, Uele spends her days in the light. Literally — on mornings, before the summer heat sets in, she tends to her garden, snipping delicate herbs and watering planters of tomatoes. In her day-to-day life, Uele paints inside a makeshift studio in her living room; sunbeams diffuse through a window above her canvases. 

Uele’s life shifted in 2010 when she was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis, an autoimmune disease that flares up in the body, rendering movement (often in joints) painful. Her condition “impacted the way I walked, the way that I moved, the way I am able to access things.” Because the change was so drastic, it took a drastic shift in perspective and a conscious effort to adapt and find the means to live her life. 

She found creative ways to cook and work with her new circumstances. Tasks taken for granted like opening jars presented new challenges for Uele, but she met the challenges with vitality and persistence. Our Thrive Gives program gave Uele the resources to order and deliver her favorite groceries and ingredients without the hassle of leaving home. Life demanded to be lived. Painting became a refuge and the primary mode for Uele to express herself. Buying art supplies on a whim, she began to simply fill the page with color. 

Change is inevitable; change roughens and surprises us. It can often feel like our lives are defined by what happens to us, but Uele’s story is proof that how we choose to respond to that change is in our control.