Hey, I'm Jessie!

I've been making art for as long as I can remember.

I started selling custom digital illustrations in 2020 & somehow turned my little side hobby into a full-time art business. Around the same time, I created my I AM portrait series - a collection celebrating Black Joy & representation. As a Black Mom, I wanted my own kids to grow up seeing artwork that looked like them: happy, confident & loved. It became one of my most meaningful projects I've ever created.

Like many artists, I found myself creating to keep my business afloat instead of creating because I loved it. My husband suggested I try something completely different & encouraged me to start working with the school District as a Paraeducator Sub. Even though I thought I wasn't 'qualified' to teach kids that weren't mine, I thought "WHY NOT?" & it ended up changing my life.

Working with disabled students reminded me why creativity mattered in the first place. I started making things just because they made me happy. That experience led me to earn my Special Education teaching certificate & now I'm working towards my Masters in Education.

When art stopped being the thing that had to pay every bill, it became fun again. I started making things simply because I wanted to. Somewhere along the way, joy became the foundation of everything I created again.

Jackson, my oldest, is Autistic & nonspeaking & he's taught me more about communication, patience & celebrating the small wins than I could have ever imagined. The visuals I make for him in our house are the foundation for what I also offer my students.

Whether I'm drawing family portraits, painting a mural, creating resources or leading a classroom, the goal is always the same: make people smile!