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Jana Kramer is taking her story into her own hands.
"I never wanted someone to write my narrative, I wanted to be the one in charge of that," the actress exclusively tells OK! when discussing showcasing her life in the public eye through social media, including her recent divorce from former NFL football player Mike Caussin.
"I'm better off, I dare to begin, you know just bring wine, I'm a badass mama and I enjoy a girls weekend — and that's kind of like me in a circle," the One Tree Hill alum explains of her slogans for her new t-shirt collaboration with clothing brand LULUSIMONSTUDIO. "These are the things I want to say."
JANA KRAMER SAYS IT WAS 'HARD' BUMPING INTO EX MIKE CAUSSIN DURING NIGHT OUT WITH JAY CUTLER
So, why LULUSIMONSTUDIO? The brunette beauty has been a fan of theirs for awhile now, and loves the expression their pieces bring through their meaningful — and witty — graphic tees. "I love a good t-shirt, and for me, it was fun, the stuff they put on the t-shirts," admits the self-proclaimed "cozy comfy dresser". "My favorite they did was called 'Romantic as Hell' and I just think they're very clever with some of their words and sayings on shirts and so I started wearing their shirts a bunch."
The 37-year-old had a big hand in the design process of the LULUSIMONSTUDIO x Jana Kramer collaboration, coming up with her t-shirts' sayings herself and approving the designs and colors. She made sure the collection stayed inherent to her laid-back style and expressed the emotions of what she wanted to say during this stage of her life, while allowing LULUSIMONSTUDIO to stay true to what their brand is as well.
The comfort-based clothing collab is a five SKU collection of 100% cotton, pigment dyed, boyfriend tees that are hand distressed in the USA. "I love the little ripped stuff," Kramer explains when noting her influence in the creation of the distressed t-shirts.
Using art — of all modalities — to express her thoughts and feelings has been healing for the new fashion designer. "I think there's something empowering about it. When I wear my Better Off shirt I'm like, 'Hell yeah I am'. And I got to make this, so it's that extra layer of feeling accomplished and strong. I think being creative can definitely be therapy for some people, especially for me."
The mom-of-two — who shares children Jolie, 5, and Jace, 2, with ex-husband Caussin, 34 — has also turned to her more well-known trade of songwriting and singing amongst processing her troubled relationship history. Her new single "Voices" was just released last month, giving us a glimpse into what it's been like for her to find self-worth within a toxic marriage.
"It was my song ["Voices"] that basically helped get me through my divorce. When you're in bad relationships — and in general with life and comments and people — I let those negative voices stay a lot longer than any positive voice that ever comes in. And especially after something like a divorce, I believed all of the negative voices and I would just sit and cry with my friends," Kramer admits.
"I would be like, 'I'm not good enough, no one's ever going to love me and I'm broken'. And there's all these things that just consume me and it was just really hard. So, this song was kind of like my anthem to be like, 'No, I'm not broken and I do deserve love. I am enough," the singer proudly states. "I feel like I wanted to put this one ["Voices"] out first because, of course, I could've come out with one that was like 'I hate you, and you suck, and you cheated — or whatever'," laughs Kramer, "but you know, I chose to come out with something that I thought could help other people, and help people realize the importance of listening to those positive voices."
JANA KRAMER & JAY CUTLER ARE NO LONGER TOGETHER AFTER 'GOING ON A FEW DATES'
Although the supermom has had massive success with her work, it isn't always easy for her to be so open with the public. When trying to stay ahead of the headlines and taking the narrative into her own hands, the Whine Down podcast host admits, "It's hard. When things happened in my marriage, I didn't want people to rip us apart — and they will, and they always will — but I would like to at least control it a little bit. But some days I'm like, 'Man, I wish I just wouldn't have said anything', because it does get picked apart so much."
No matter the backlash, Kramer always stays true to herself and tries to keep the positive "voices" at the forefront. "I feel like my true followers — my true fans — that listen to the podcast and follow along with me know my heart in it. I know my heart. I know my healing. I know my journey. That's what I try to remember, and I try to remember that I am helping other people that need it," says the singer.
The actress is not done creating passion projects to give to her fans just yet. Next year, she will be coming out with more clothing collabs — although she can't name who with just yet. But what we do know is that the Michigan-native is always going to stay true to her style, keeping her "cozy comfy" dressing on brand.
When asked about her dream partnerships, Kramer admits, "Of course it'd be amazing to have designer things [fashion collabs], but I also know I don't buy designer. My mom still shops at Kohl's, I still walk in there too," Kramer says through a smile. "I'd love to see something in Target. I was just at Target earlier and I was picking out a few shirts, so it'd be fun to have some kind of cozy line there."
"And I already have more things I want to say," exclaims Kramer — in regards to both her potential clothing designs and in life. "I'd really love to get more on the speaking engagement route with everything I've been through with domestic abuse and overall mental health stuff. I think that would be really great because I have a platform and I just want to be able to use if for good."
Despite the troubles Kramer has been faced with, she has come out stronger and continues to use her voice for the greater good. And good news for us: It doesn't look like she will be stopping her efforts anytime soon. Keep scrolling below to shop the LULUSIMONSTUDIO x Jana Kramer collection directly from OK!, and support this badass mama as she continues to pave the way for all females.
LULUSIMONSTUDIO x Jana Kramer's Badass Mama Destructed Tee retails for $44.
LULUSIMONSTUDIO x Jana Kramer's Better Off Destructed Tee retails for $44.
LULUSIMONSTUDIO x Jana Kramer's Dare To Begin Destructed Tee retails for $44.
LULUSIMONSTUDIO x Jana Kramer's Girls Weekend Cheetah Destructed Tee retails for $44.
LULUSIMONSTUDIO x Jana Kramer's Just Bring Wine Destructed Tee retails for $44.
