We all know that things can get ugly, but everyone has their own ways of dealing with the tragedy. It is never easy. For most people, it is a long journey of finding coping mechanisms and various strategies to come to a recovery.
Jason Pinchoff is one man, who experienced a great amount of tragedy. He lost his mother to breast cancer, and his father and sister in an automobile accident. Coping meant helping himself, but helping others in the process as well.
Recognizing that he certainly couldn’t cure cancer himself, the entrepreneur and fashion designer founded The Linda B. Pinchoff Foundation to raise cancer awareness and introduced a fashion line called A PINCH LIFE to provide accessories, such as hats for children in hospitals.
Additionally, Pinchoff launched the “I Don’t Do Ugly” campaign with an array of tees and accessories with the words “I Don’t Do Ugly” written on them. The slogan is meant to help curb bullying that some cancer patients may face by transforming a vicious insult (i.e. “You’re ugly”) into a declaration of independence from the scars of the illness, hurtfulness, and negative purpose.
Pinchoff challenges people to take a picture of themselves with a #IDontDoUgly sign as a way to share their personal stories to triumph negativity on social media, and challenge their friends to do the same.
“I want to know what ugliness surrounds you and how you rose from it, or how you’re dealing with it, or how you’re teaching other people to deal with it,” Pinchoff says.
People are now using the #IDontDoUgly hashtag to work against all different forms of bullying, not just bullying faced by cancer patients.
“People never realize “ugly” isn’t about your looks. It’s about society. It’s the way people treat people. You can take the most beautiful person in the world, but if they treat you with no respect, and look down on you, guess what? That person is the ugliest person in the world,” Jason says.
When people ask Jason about where to find a creative outlet to express themselves, he recommends the arts.
“Arts is such a beautiful thing, like music and fashion and anything creative because you get to express yourself without ever having to talk about it. It’s a voice, even though it’s not a voice. It’s a universal language. I think other people just need to realize that they can express themselves. They have to realize that they’re not alone, and if something is happening, there are people that they can talk to.”
Interested in hearing more? I sat down with Jason Pinchoff and talked to him in this interview.