Jess
“I love being a woman because I feel like I have a superpower ability to provide people with the love, care, and nurturing that they need and in the next moment I can harness all the strength, resilience, and power that was passed on to me from my mother and her mother. ”
Jess is an artist who navigates life with a vibrant energy and a positive perspective. She’s one for the simple things, but also driven by the pursuit of her dreams. She made the brave leap from a job where she was comfortable and content, but not truly inspired, into the unknown to pursue her creative passions. Now she creates empowering artwork which celebrates the strength and beauty of the female form in Jess’s favourite place - the snow. Meet Jess. This is her story.
P: Please introduce yourself!
J: Hi! My name is Jess and I am a freelance Illustrator and Graphic Designer who spends much of the day drawing naked ladies! I currently live in Squamish BC, Canada.
Check out Jess’s art - @wouldbenudenotto
P: Describe or define yourself in your own words.
J:
I'm a closeted perfectionist, something that I am working really hard at letting go of.
When people meet me I know they see me as extremely extroverted, however, I do harbor some introverted qualities.
I am very empathetic, to a fault potentially. I have a twin sister and many years ago she ended a long-term relationship and I think I took it harder than my sister and her ex-partner combined. Haha, my mom thought it was some freaky twin thing, but I think it was my high capacity for empathy.
I have trouble saying where I am 'from' because I have lived in a couple of different places as a child. I'm very attached to each because they had such a profound effect on me and have made me who I am today.
I love to snowboard and for my entire 20s, my world revolved around living and working in places that allowed me to snowboard each winter.
I used to feel self-conscious about my lack of expert skill in some areas, but now I see it as one of my strengths. I love to learn, be a beginner at something, and experience my progress in a new sport, skill, or hobby.
I am easygoing and tend to avoid confrontation. Unless I feel like someone is being treated unfairly or being taken advantage of, then I have been known to get a little feisty.
I am a big believer in the law of attraction - I think I got this from my mom. When I was younger and would confide in her she'd always say 'tell the universe what you want, not what you are afraid of' and to 'imagine light beams of positivity shooting from your forehead like a unicorn!'. It was pretty weird but it always made me feel better. I still use those tactics when I am about to do something scary on my mountain bike, snowboard, or with my art.
I love to sleep and exercise and when I don't get enough of either I turn half-goblin, half two-year-old having a temper tantrum. Luckily enough for my boyfriend, family and friends I prioritize those two things in my day.
I have two sisters and they are my best friends!
I get excited easily and you can tell how excited I am by the volume and speed at which I am speaking at.
Nothing makes me happier than a matching pant/shirt outfit, anything miniature (especially miniature horses), seeing corgies walking down the street, thrifting the perfect pair of vintage cowboy boots, drinking beers with my cousins in Saskatchewan, swimming in the ocean, or any body of water (as long as it's not too cold), reading anything by Ken Follet, surfing with my friends, campfires and the subsequent smell that lingers for days afterward, mid-day naps, a hoppy IPA in the sunshine, powder days with ALL my friends, a meat and cheese heavy charcuterie, and the list could go on and on ;)
P: What is your favourite thing about yourself?
J: I am a people person! Friends and strangers have told me I am easy to get along with and talk to. I had an old boyfriend who said he loved how he could take me to a party and not worry about me finding a group of people to talk to. I thought that was a great compliment.
P: Tell us a story. Have you had an experience that’s defined you or made you stronger?
About 5 years ago I had a self-described quarter-life crisis. I was working at my dream company in a position that was seemingly perfectly suited for me. I was an Account Manager at a small advertising agency in Whistler, BC. I was able to work on cool campaigns with brands that I loved, in a town that allowed me to pursue my passions. However something wasn't sitting well with me, I always envisioned myself having a more traditionally creative career and I felt very unfulfilled. When I saw my peers, friends, and even strangers pursuing their own creative careers I would feel physically ill. I remember scrolling through Instagram and coming across a picture of my ex-boyfriend with his new girlfriend and then the very next post was by a former design school classmate who had just completed a really cool branding project. I felt as if I got kicked in the gut. I thought this intense physical feeling was from the previous ex-boyfriend/new girlfriend photo but then I realized it was actually my intense jealousy of seeing someone be able to work on their own creative career. It was a pivotal moment and from then on I thought a lot about my future as an Account Manager and how I could transition back to design. Unfortunately, I lacked some serious self-confidence and had a ton of other issues I needed to work on.
I stayed with my job for a few more months and then finally worked up the courage to have a conversation with my Creative Director/Boss. She completely understood my concerns and ultimately validated my thought that I wasn't in the right position. After quitting, I felt as if I was starting from scratch. A lot of people questioned my decision to leave my job and pursue art and for a while I felt as if my support system was a party of one (me). I spent two years working on myself, building back all the confidence I lost, and finding my creative voice again. Breaking away from what my friends, family, peers and colleagues expected of me was tough. But ultimately my decision taught me how to trust my gut, ask for help, accept help when it’s being offered and realize what is truly important to me. Since then I've been working really hard to give myself the life I've always dreamed of: the freedom to come and go as I please and the freedom to create things and work on projects that are meaningful to me.
P: What is one piece of advice you’d give to your younger self?
J: Inaction is harder than action. Don't overthink things too much. Don't underestimate yourself and don't overestimate others.
P: What does being a woman mean to you?
J: Ouf! Being a woman is so complex, amazing, difficult, wonderful, confusing, and wildly entertaining all at the same time. I love being a woman because I feel like I have a superpower ability to provide people with the love, care, and nurturing that they need and in the next moment I can harness all the strength, resilience, and power that was passed on to me from my mother and her mother. We have the ability to be that rock and that soft place for our friends, family members, and strangers.
P: Who is one woman that inspires you? What would you say to her if she were here now?
A hundred different names float into my mind when I read this question. Since I can't think of just one person I will say: to my fellow ever-inspiring female freelance creatives, I am SO grateful for your bravery and talent! I am constantly in awe of your work ethic and fearlessness towards creating a career out of your passion. You inspire me daily to keep working hard on my craft and are a constant reminder that it is possible to create a successful, happy, purposeful art career!
