Jeffrey M. Sparr

Jeffrey Sparr is a father, husband, entrepreneur, and successful artist. He also has Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD).

Jeff was a college athlete when he first began to experience symptoms, which were eventually diagnosed as OCD. He began treatment and continued on with his life, getting married, starting a family, and launching a successful textile career. Through it all he was waging a daily war against the illness.

Looking for an outlet to help cope with the mounting pressures of running a business while fighting his disease, Jeff turned to painting to help him relax.

When Jeff paints he displays few symptoms of his OCD, which otherwise are always with him. Painting provides him a creative outlet and helps give him a sense of control. Through his art, Jeff finds a release from the mental strain of his disease. To put it simply, Jeff found peace through painting.

What began as a release from the challenge of living with OCD has created an unexpected passion as an artist. Jeff’s unconventional style, combined with interesting subject matter, brilliant colors and keen sense of movement have gained him local and national recognition.

Now, though his Peace Love Organization Jeff hopes to help others find what brings them peace to help deal with whatever challenges they are facing. As Jeff says, “Let’s face it, everyone has something they are dealing with. If there is a way to help people find the thing that brings them peace, be it art, music or whatever that “thing” may be, I want to help them find it. Finding my own peace through painting has changed my life and helped me not only cope, but thrive despite this debilitating disease.”

Here is a guy dealing with a very personal struggle, who had the courage to embark on a journey that combined his talents – art and entrepreneurship, with a vision of making a difference. The name and unique logo, which is prevalent in many of Jeff’s pieces, stand as a commitment to helping people find these two basic, but often elusive feelings: Peace and Love.

Create A Better Day.™

As recently recorded on the popular "This I Believe" segment on NPR:

I believe there is a better day for everyone that can be fostered by the adversity each and every one of us faces in our lives.  Let’s face it; everyone has something they are dealing with.  Living proof my own journey - from Captain of the Ohio State Tennis Team to a diagnosis of mental illness and a battle and recovery that has defined my character and led to an incredible life.

And all these years I waged a war against an invisible opponent where the stakes were the quality of my life.  A silent assassin hard to understand, cure or even explain to someone.  A disease that takes on the absurd and irrational and turns it into obsessions so powerful that it consumed my life with an anxiety level I can only liken to “being at the airport with your 2 year old daughter and turning your back for a second to grab your bags and when you turn around your daughter is gone”. And this in turn forced me into senseless compulsions for hours to lower that anxiety. But I was lucky, I was diagnosed with OCD and with that the treatment/support needed and  hope for a better day.

Desperate for a release from the anxiety (despite no formal training) I tried painting one day and found inner peace that changed my life and helped me not only cope but thrive despite the illness.  What came easy and just felt good provided me a medicine and a vehicle (my own blank canvas) to capture my imagination and creativity.  And unexpectedly my art highlighted by faceless characters, bold movement and thought provoking titles (“Stop the Madness,” “1/2 Daddy,” and “Getting better” ) connected with people on an emotional level providing me the opportunity to increase awareness and help others through my art, speaking and even teaching.  I’ve seen the magical power of the arts and its ability to heal firsthand.  Whether it be a 15 year old withdrawn boy unable to paint transformed over a simple canvas to an engaged teenager to a 6 year old and his parents enjoying a few moments of normalcy through the beauty of painting together.

I believe that children can often say it better than adults.  I was recently reminded by my 7 year old daughter in a beautiful note where she told me that I have a “heart full of art”, how proud she is of me and how she thought that I really “get it now”...  And as I think about everything that I’ve been through, I agree with her.

Hear it now on NPR (WRNI.org)

To understand Jeffrey's story better, you can view this piece that aired on Discovery Health.