On the back of her first book, Our Lady of Weight Loss, Janice Taylor is labeled a "weight-loss coach, weight-loss artist, and creator of the popular e-newsletter "Our Lady of Weight Loss's Kick in the Tush Club."

I'm not really sure why I am a Square-Peg person, but I know I am. Clearly, there's nothing round about me!

... I'm following a dream...I understand that my brain works from an intuitive/creative place. I'm not coming from a cognitive or intellectual place. I see things from a different angle - people say to me: "I never thought of it that way."

A friend of mine used to say that I was a a Square-Peg who jammed myself into a round hole - and made it work!

Janice said that, prior to writing Our Lady of Weight Loss, she "...worked in the corporate arena and I was very creative about the way I worked."

She gave another example of her Square-Pegness:

When I was 49 I joined a group of women. I have a problem with comprehension sometimes when I read... When I went in I found that the group was all corporate women...I showed up in my best artist's outfit; a hand made t-shirt with my favorite cow print pants! - and walked in to a row of suits.

We measure everything by numbers. How much we weigh; how much money we make; how many books are sold. I think living by the numbers is enough to drive anyone over the edge.

In her book, Janice mentions experiences of growing up overweight.

I feel like I'm "outside" - and I felt particularly like that when I was growing up. I thought I was fat, stupid, ugly - had something seriously wrong with me. I didn't realize it was a good thing {being Square-Peg}. Now I say "Praise Be - I'm Square."

I've had certain losses and traumas in my life. I think that, when tragedy hits, you either find a way to get meaning or you collapse.

Some people have just accepted that they're almost "done" - and they're just moving through whatever happens. At this point in my life, I am happy to say that I am not "done." I'm reinventing myself - every day!

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Square-Peg-Stacks

Reviews Janice Taylor's book: Our Lady of Weight Loss - Miraculous and Motivational Musings from the Patron Saint of Permanent Fat Removal.

Because we interviewed the author of Our Lady of Weight Loss for this issue of The Encourager. we were able to ask about the book, too.

We asked how long it took to write the book. Janice's initial response - followed by a laugh - was "50 years." But then she clarified: "Writing the book took about 6 months."

Janice also said: "I believe I have created a new genre of diet book. It's illustrated beautifully (if I say so myself). It's a happy weight loss book. Our Lady of Weight Loss is the first to make weight loss fun and to use creativity as a way to lose weight. It's a paradigm shift. (Pretty heavy stuff!)...

The book is truly funny. I am serious about weight loss: but not heavy! I like to laugh. The book is visual. So much art in it...The mix of righteous recipes, diy arts and crafts weight loss projects, the illustrations and the motivational musings have created an 'experience'..."

The art in Our Lady of Weight Loss makes me smile. There are collaged "Our Lady" pictures (Janice describes her as: "Patron Saint of Permanent Fat Removal") throughout the book. I love their whimsical qualities and the texture in them grabs me - the fabric in the folds of the skirt on the front cover, cinnamon coating on the donut in the picture from the chapter "Our Lady of the Evelyn Wood School of Label Reading", the mantilla from the "Our Lady of Luminous Light" chapter.

The art is more than enjoyable - it served a purpose. In the book Janice describes how she came to use art for transformation.

Janice evokes much laughter through the book. She also balances this with deeper subjects. She notes having been heavy as a child ("They never made mention of my size, as many others did, nor did they make the comment I'd gotten used to hearing: 'What a shame. You have such a pretty face.'") and mentions her past relationship with food ("I had always given food way too much power. Making art about food wasn't just a distraction, it was a way to embrace food--to stare down the enemy and learn how to befriend it and play with it.").

The book isn't typical Square-Peg fare, in that it does have a pretty specific plan, a series of steps to take. But Janice's use of humor (lightness - she definitely doesn't feel like a drill sergeant) and wacky use of art for pushing through a negative relationship with food make it Square-Peg approved. The book IS grace-filled.

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Looking Ahead:

We're planning an early March telecall around the theme of using art to transform your life. Please check the "What's New?" section of Square-Peg's home page for the exact date and sign-up information for the call. We'll be posting it soon.

Next month we're interviewing artist Shirley Esala. She has some beautiful work to show you!

So - Want to make make some "Art for Losers"? What do you want to lose? And how can your art help you?? We'd love to hear your ideas.