Marilyn Monroe was pictured a woman of glamour in her era. It was hard growing up in the early
2000s without seeing and hearing of her. Although she was largely known for her beauty and
captivating persona on screen, many negated the person who was behind the stage name.
Norma Jeane had nothing short of a difficult upbringing. Never meeting her father and being
born to a mother who had severe mental health disabilities, she was given up for adoption at
just two weeks old. She had then been taken and rehomed to 10 foster homes until the age of
10. However, this upbringing did not discourage her. She channeled her drive and confidence
through her work. However, as she portrayed this persona of “Marilyn Monroe” that exuded
confidence and sensuality, she was naturally a shy woman. She was then labeled a “dumb
blonde” for the characters she played in movies yet she refused to be confined to that title. She
founded her own production company to take back control of her career and become the type of
actress she envisioned for herself. She also invested into herself intellectually and had a home
library of more than 450 books. I wanted to portray this side of Norma in my paintings; the quiet,
shy, and intellectually curious side. When we as a community remind ourselves that there is a
real person with real feelings behind the camera, behind the title, behind the persona; that’s
when we truly connect and understand. We can become more than what we were given, what
we started off with.