Today we’d like to introduce you to Jessica Carlson.
Hi Jessica, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Hello! My name is Miss. Jessica! My story starts in the rural town of Forestville, New York, 28 years ago. At a very early age, I knew I was meant to be an artist. My childhood was filled with coloring books, craft kits, and hundreds of Crayola Crayons.
Not much has changed since.
I received my Bachelor’s in Fine Arts at The State University of New York at Fredonia. After graduating, I knew it was time to leave the comfort of my hometown and live on my own. I was accepted into The University of Texas at San Antonio to complete my Master’s in Fine Arts. After a 1,600 mile roadtrip, I made it to Texas and began school. I met so many inspiring artists and mentors during my time there that truly helped shape the artist I am today. After completing my degree, I worked as an after-school art teacher at numerous NISD schools for a program called, My Art Starz. This was an amazing opportunity to connect with children and instill in them that everyone is an artist! Currently, I work as an Assistant Teacher at Marvelously Made – The School for Young Children in Helotes, Texas. It is an honor to do the work that I do and help foster a safe and nurturing environment for children.
When I am not teaching, I am creating art of my own in various mediums. Paint, clay, cardboard, seashells, you name it!
Last year, I started “Miss Jessica’s Art Club”, a Youtube Channel for artists of all ages! I plan, film and edit tutorial videos on creating art out of various materials. I like to focus on using things that most people have on hand in their homes. Creating art can be very simple and I want to continue sharing that message. I have a deep love for filming and editing content and it brings me great joy and satisfaction to put my videos out there for artists all over the world to enjoy!
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
In a world FULL of consumption easily accessible at any moment, I have struggled with over consuming and being left in a feeling of depletion and doubt from comparing myself to other artists. However, when I shifted my focus to creating more than I consume, my happiness increased dramatically. Creating anything, whether it’s baking, painting, sewing, or putting together a puzzle brings us inherent joy! I encourage everyone no matter what your skill level at any craft, to simply try it. You might surprise yourself!
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I create out of almost every medium I can get my hands on. I would say I specialize in having fun! I really enjoy ceramics and have a mini studio for clay set up in our garage. I encourage anyone out there who might be feeling discouraged by creating art to set up a “creativity corner” for yourself. No expectations or goal in mind, just freely create whatever you’re feeling. I feel most proud of my journey thus far, moving across the country, completing two degrees and fulfilling my childhood dream of being an artist.
What sort of changes are you expecting over the next 5-10 years?
I would really like to gain a larger audience in the coming years and be able to reach more artists! I enjoy creating on Youtube, TikTok, Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest. Pinterest is where I get a lot of my inspiration for projects! I also really love the collage feature on Pinterest.❤️ No matter how much the world changes, there will always be artists.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/missjessicaartclub/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/Miss-Jessicas-Art-Club/61556763315882/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@MissJessicaArtClub
- TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@missjessicaartclub
