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EP.140 Jess is a public health professor, but in all her free time, she’s a passionate artist.
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I had the pleasure of speaking with Jess Owens-Young. By day, Jess is a public health professor, but in all her free time, she’s a passionate artist. Her work beautifully captures the essence of living as a Black person in the U.S., exploring various dimensions of Black life through acrylics, oil pastels, and inks. Jess also creates digital illustrations that reflect these themes, often focusing on life in the interior, including houseplants and other living beings. She draws inspiration from notable artists like William H. Johnson, Elizabeth Catlett, Alice Neel, Jordan Casteel, Amy Sherald, and Henry Taylor. If you’re interested in collaborating or collecting some of her artwork, be sure to follow her on Instagram or reach out directly! Join me as we delve into her artistic journey and the stories behind her incredible work. Website: https://jessowensyoung.myportfolio.com/paintings Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/truthofstrength/ Etsy: https://www.etsy.com/shop/ByJessOwensYoung
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Transcript
Introduction of Jess Owens Young
00:00:00
Speaker
All right, welcome back everyone to another episode of It's Personal. Today I have all of the work that she does, absolutely everything, um but I'm gonna allow her to introduce herself.
00:00:17
Speaker
All right, hey, everyone. My name is Jess Owens Young. um I am a multidisciplinary, interdisciplinary artist. And during the day, I'm actually a public health professor at a university in Washington, DC. But when I'm not teaching or doing research, I am creating or thinking about art. um So yeah, art is a big part.
00:00:42
Speaker
of my life. And so like as I mentioned, I'm a multidisciplinary artist. So what that means is that I work in mixed media.
Childhood Reflections and Curiosity
00:00:50
Speaker
I typically create art that has acrylic painting, oil pastels, um acrylic inks, things that I like to um just play around with and see see what happens. And now I'm also a collage artist.
00:01:06
Speaker
And the work that you do is so amazing. Your work is work that I like to tell people is like for the culture. Everything that I look at and what you do is just so dope. Everything. Thank you. I like it all. I really like it all. I always start with this question. Can you tell me about Little Jess? Little Jess growing up?
00:01:29
Speaker
Yeah, Little Jess was the kid who always got good grades, but the teacher's comments at the bottom was, talks a little bit too much, or can't pay attention in the class very well. But you know academically, everything was stellar. And and you know I owe that to the imagination of Little Jess.
00:01:53
Speaker
Um, she was just curious about everything and her favorite word was and still is why, ah you know, adults tend to find that question annoying from little kids, but, um, that's how we foster curiosity. and And that's how I followed my curiosity by asking why, and perhaps that's why I became a researcher, you know, just following that question. But yeah, little Jess was also very active.
Family Influence and Artistic Journey
00:02:20
Speaker
She had a lot of energy.
00:02:22
Speaker
And um she probably got those remarks from the teachers because Little Jess finished her work quickly and wanted to find something else to do or wanted to talk with classmates um or or just get into something else. So Little Jess was curious. She was very active and had a very, very strong imagination. I love that. And I love that you started with uh you know you'd love to ask why and as a teacher I have started to um enjoy that question even more because it does allow students to really explore and inquire into the questions that they have about the world or a thing or an object and it can really set them off in a path that can influence
00:03:13
Speaker
art or sports or um a topic or an interest. So I really love that you said that and I think um I wish and I hope that teachers are allowing that that question to you know foster in the classroom today because I truly believe that That is the essence of you know finding what you love is finding the why, the things that you enjoy. I think that's great. I think that's great. You talk a lot about you other the people that influence you. Are there specific families, you talk a lot about individuals who are in art that have influenced you. Are there individuals in your family that are, is art something that runs in your family or are you like the lone wolf here?
00:03:53
Speaker
Art runs in my family in an interesting way. So okay first I'll say um how I got back into art because that's a part of the influence story. um So I was a soccer player for many years, played throughout college, um played some semi-pro. And then one day my body was just like, we're tired. As it does.
00:04:17
Speaker
So um I was you know trying to find something else to do because soccer was such a big part of my identity growing up and throughout my 20s. And so my wife and my mom just like both really encouraged me in different ways to go back to art. um My wife especially encouraged me to take art classes. And so I i signed up for um a community art center class that was like intro to oil painting, you know, just some random class that that I ah took. um And that got me back into art. And so in that way, my wife really pushed me to to do that. um But my mom growing up, like she was into art, like she always had like art books, you know, those thick art books, and new coffee table books. Yeah.
00:05:10
Speaker
And I would flip through those. She also subscribed to um Architectural Digest and um House Beautiful. And I remember just always leafing through those magazines and admiring like design and things like that. um And so at first I wanted to be an architect so I could design those things because you know my mom encouraged that as well. But my dad is also creative in his own way. So he's the the type of guy that can go to the junkyard, see the treasure in the junkyard. One of those guys. Yeah, yeah, spend like $5 on parks to fix it up.
00:05:53
Speaker
and then make a good profit, you know just sell it off. So he he can see how things fit together. And it makes sense because he's a mechanic. um But yeah, he can just see shapes and how things work together. And he he also drew a lot of floor plans or things like that. like He
Multidisciplinary Art and Experimentation
00:06:13
Speaker
built my playhouse in the backyard. So watching him um use his hands in that way was also an influence for me.
00:06:23
Speaker
That is incredible. i I think it's so amazing that you have influence within the family because, you know, oftentimes, you know, that isn't the case where, you know, art is looked at as, especially at a young age, art is looked at. Art, you know, all the creative things are, quote unquote, harder to reach. They don't make money. What are you going to do with all the stuff? But when you have influence within like that circle, I think it's so powerful because as being an athlete as well. Like, yeah, that is hard when you don't have that outlet. And there's nothing like competitive sports. I play competitive sports in university. I play basketball. Once it's gone and you try to like work out or you try to do like pick up here and that it's not the same. ah he not pain at all But i'm so it's so cool to to see that you were able to pick up something after the fact as well. Sometimes that doesn't happen. Sometimes that doesn't happen.
00:07:23
Speaker
Yeah. I have one of the questions I was thinking about. I have it written down. I'm going to read it. It's a little wordy, but as a self-taught artist, how have you cultivated your multidisciplinary approach and what role has like the experimentation um The exploration played in like the development of like your artist style because your style is like very unique um When I see people they post it or I just see it online. um I know it's you I know it's you um So how did that happen because I often see on online as well people are wondering How does one find their writing or their their writing or their their art style? How'd that happen for you? Yeah Yeah um
00:08:04
Speaker
you know i I get this question pretty often about like finding your style. um But first, i'll I'll talk about the multidisciplinary approach. and And for me, this approach is just rooted in play. And play is a value that I am trying to spread, especially among adults who think that they have to take themselves so seriously or that they don't have time for play. And play is how we learn.
00:08:33
Speaker
So just by playing with different things and and figuring out, oh, this is what happens when you add acrylic ink to this kind of medium. a Or if you mix a wax pastel crayon with acrylic paint, this is what happens. um So just playing around with things is one way that I um explored and and started to like solidify.
00:08:57
Speaker
my style. um Looking at my art friends on IG and what they're doing and you know talking in the DMs, learning different techniques from them. And also YouTube has played a big role in my learning and my play and experimentation. But in terms of like finding my style, I think when I first got back into art,
00:09:20
Speaker
um around 2018 or so, I really focused on like trying to make things look like how they actually look. you know Because growing up, I thought that, oh, to be you know a capital A artist, you have to make things that look exactly what it's supposed to look like. right And for folks who haven't seen my style, my style is kind of cartoony, you know and it's kind of kind of childish in ah in a good way.
00:09:51
Speaker
you know and I really struggled in the beginning with accepting my style once I actually got to that kind of um creating. Because you know making things look exactly how they're supposed to look was kind of boring to me. And I admire artists who do that really well, but that's not my my kind of approach. And so um once I finally got to my style, again, through time, through repetition, through play,
00:10:22
Speaker
Um, the hundred day project really played a big role and, um, fighting my style. And for folks who don't know what that is, it's just for a hundred days, you pick something to do. And, um, one year I just picked, uh, drawing a little portraits on scrapbook paper every day. And that helped me to refine my style.
00:10:44
Speaker
um But as I was saying, it took me some time to accept that my style is actually also capital A art. um Just because it looks, you know, again, childish or or cartoony doesn't mean that that it's not art.
Representation of Black Culture in Art
00:10:56
Speaker
And so just taking time, taking time to play and keeping at it, like being consistent um really helped me to find my style.
00:11:07
Speaker
i I love the idea of play. We speak about plays as an elementary teacher. I teach third grade and play is such a something that we consistently talk about.
00:11:19
Speaker
I teach at an international school that is, you know, we do a lot of amazing things with kids, but we are constantly reminding ourselves that they are kids and they also need to play, whether that is with paint or pencils or just like actually playing, because as we get older, we, you know, we can't play as much. um But I think the play allows us to do exactly what you did in regards to finding your style, right? um It really allows them to navigate into different, you know, realms of things to eventually explore as they get older. So I love that you mentioned play and practice. I think we can talk.
00:12:01
Speaker
more enough about the practice that it takes to refine something that you believe in and that you're happy with sharing with other people as well, because that can be really hard, really, really hard, especially online today.
00:12:14
Speaker
really yeah Yeah, I still get nervous whenever I post something. Of course, of course, of course. Yeah, I mean, again, I appreciate it so much. One of the things I love about your style is like the way that you use color. um You, I feel like and I feel like, I mean, you can correct me if I'm wrong, but you really um use color to spark like emotion and feeling in your in your in your paintings. Can you tell me a little bit about that process? So like, how do you decide what colors you're using? And and how does that play a role in the work that you do? Yeah, color absolutely plays a big role.
00:12:59
Speaker
in my art. um And as you said, I use color to evoke emotions. Again, since my style doesn't exactly represent things exactly how they look, I do use color to bring up feelings and and especially memories. um I think I want to use colors that bring up memories of childhood and again, memories of play. And so like I rely a lot on primary colors to bring out those feelings. And I also use a lot of greens and oranges and pinks, especially for my flowers. And we can talk about the flowers in a little bit of light. I love flowers. I love flowers. Yeah, we can talk about that too. But yeah, colors, it's one of the first things that people see.
00:13:58
Speaker
right They might not necessarily see the lines or like the textures or things like that. Color really um is what attracts us. and I think about nature a lot when I'm thinking about my colors. right um so For example, male birds.
00:14:17
Speaker
and their bright colors and how they use colors to attract mates, right? that That's one of the first things that that the the female birds see, like they might hear the song, but they see the colors of of the males. And so I think about that a lot, like what colors will capture my audience's attention and also what colors um should I use that resonate with my memories of childhood, but can be universal
Challenges in Depicting Black Experiences
00:14:51
Speaker
as well. And so those are the things that are going through my mind, um, when I'm picking colors and sometimes it's just vibes, you know, one day I'm really be into a certain color. Um, and another day ah I might not, but what I'm finding lately is that I'm curating my colors much more.
00:15:10
Speaker
So in earlier pieces, especially the pieces with more abstract backgrounds, I used so many different colors in creating that or those kinds of pieces. But now I'm finding that I'm sticking to um specific colors consistently.
00:15:31
Speaker
whether it's a painting or a collage. um And I'm finding that that's really helping me to refine my visual language as well. I love the way that you, um yeah, I noticed the greens, I noticed like the deep like blue with like, like it's almost like a sea blue if you like to use a lot. But I also noticed just the way that you're able to capture features of black culture.
00:16:01
Speaker
in such a vivid way, like I i mean specifically like the eyes when I see like your, I know it's yours because I see the eyes or the lips or sometimes like the hair. Honestly, like I could just be scrolling and I'll just know it's yours because of the the way that you make the eyes or the lips or or because of the bold colors. How did that happen? Why was it something that you wanted to feature in a lot of your work? Because I think that's like a,
00:16:31
Speaker
I'd say like that's Jess, like that's what Jess does when I see her work. like Why was that something that you wanted to highlight? Yeah, that's a great question. um That really taps into when I think about questions around beauty and how Black people fit in or don't fit in into dominant narratives of beauty. And you know we learn about beauty from an early age.
00:17:01
Speaker
And I remember being a kid learning that certain features that are common among black folk were not valued. right You get teased about how full your lips are, or the shape of your nose, or the way that you know your your eyelids are. That's some random one that I've gotten before. um But like big eyes
Soccer Background and Artistic Influence
00:17:25
Speaker
and things like that, and and you can see that throughout history too, how those features were characterized in in mass media. and One thing about my art is that I like to infuse history.
00:17:39
Speaker
throughout I like for my art to also be an opportunity to learn something new. And so um by featuring our features in that way, I am providing an opportunity for folks to re-examine what is beautiful and how they view Black folks through a lens of beauty that can really start to lean on or lean towards appreciating our features and recognizing the beauty and the fullness of our lips or the shape and texture of our hair, things like that. And so, yeah, so that that really just came, again, also through play, through experimentation and
00:18:28
Speaker
um trying different ways of of featuring our features. And I think I've settled on something that feels good to my soul um in the way, especially for my collages, the way that I cut um the paper to to make our features.
00:18:44
Speaker
Yeah, you do such a good job of that. Again, I love, I love seeing it because growing up it was like, I've always had like full lips. And so like, then I would hide them, like my family, like in general, like they said, like, I'd always get like, Oh, like, look at your nose. And then I would hear comments like, your nose is like your grandfather's. And it was something that I like always was taken aback. I was like, what is that? Like, you know what I mean? Like you said, like, right by that, like, what are you trying to say? But when you see art,
00:19:12
Speaker
being you know displayed that way in such a beautiful you know landscape and like history. like Your art really tells a story and it really does allow a window for people to look in and be like, oh, like let me examine why this artist is really, what does what is this artist really trying to tell me through the work that they're doing? You do such a beautiful job of that, it's such a beautiful job of that. Thank you.
00:19:40
Speaker
Yeah, um the other question I have was like you talk about like exploring and I have this one written down to have a few written down. Sure. You talked about um exploring like interior lives of Black people, both like physically and emotionally. So my question was, like what what what unique challenges or considerations do you navigate when trying to capture these like intimate dimensions of like the Black experience? Because we know that those experiences are so broad and you know they're happening all the time. um So what what challenges or things do you consider when you're you're making your work?
00:20:22
Speaker
And that's another great question. um One challenge that I try to be cognizant of is not falling into like um specific tropes around blackness and and how we think and and what we believe. um you know There's no one way to be black and to have a black interior life. And so I try to not you know, fall into just one narrative of what it's like to be Black or what Black people think about and things. Yeah. Yeah. that's That's really a challenge, though, because um what you see praised on social media or what you see, like,
00:21:09
Speaker
getting brand sponsorships or or being celebrated often falls into certain types of blackness, right? and And it's easy for people, especially creatives and artists who are just starting out to um fall into one of those um lines of thinking or lines of creating in the hopes of, you know, being picked up or being celebrated or being quote unquote successful.
00:21:38
Speaker
Right? um And so that is a challenge to try to stay unique to your authentic voice while also recognizing that there are different ways to represent Blackness and and Black experiences. So I would say that's one of the biggest challenges, especially because you can only sometimes rely on your own experience, especially if you don't read or watch films or listen to music to expose yourself to other ways of of being Black or even just being human in this world. It's so easy to just stick to your own experiences and and um not explore others in that way. Yeah, I think, and again, you
00:22:24
Speaker
I think it's hard to, to share everything, but I think you do a great job of um really helping people who are watching you at least online because I know you do a lot, you do a lot more than just post the pictures, like there's other things that are happening. Right. So I thought think you do a really good job of allowing people into your world of experiences that you're having, or they could be experiences from other people or things that you're seeing online or things that are happening in like the
Specialization in Sports and its Implications
00:22:50
Speaker
news, et Yeah. I think you do a really, really, really good job of that. Tell me about Jess, the soccer player. This is something I know. I'm intrigued. yeah Wow. Just a soccer player. Um, so I started playing soccer around seven or eight and it really started with playing with the boys in the schoolyard playground and they would only let me play goalie.
00:23:18
Speaker
Um, and so I actually started out as a goalkeeper. Um, Brianna Scurry was one of my heroes growing up when I was a, a goalkeeper. Yeah. Um, then I started playing rec league and then eventually moved up to travel leagues and things like that. It was a part of the Olympic development program in Maryland and, you know, just going up the ranks and throughout college. And I've switched from goalkeeper to striker.
00:23:48
Speaker
Um, I don't even remember it. Probably about 11 or so. Um, I switched to that position and I, that's what I play striker or forward or wing sometimes a little bit midfield, but not often. Um, I just liked to score goals and I was very fast. I fire was a very fast soccer player and I also ran track. Um, so it was tough to keep up with me and I tried to use my speed to my advantage.
00:24:18
Speaker
And you know what, now that i'm I'm saying that out loud, that actually kind of connects to how I approach art. um And the reason why I say that is because I try to use my strengths in my art and try to um you know, really leverage what I know and what I'm good at in my art. i yes yeah yeah sure You have to be everything, you know, or or be good at all things. And so um I knew as a soccer player, my greatest strength was my speed. I wasn't the most technical player, um but I could outrun people and I also had endurance. And so, um,
00:25:02
Speaker
Those were things that I leaned on, but yeah, soccer, soccer was my life. And like at a point, you know, I had to choose between art and
Supportive Partnerships in Art
00:25:10
Speaker
soccer. I think in early like middle school, just because soccer was getting so serious and I chose soccer, um, which sometimes I regret, but overall I'm glad I did because, you know, your body only can last so long in a sport, but art is a lifelong.
00:25:28
Speaker
It is. Endeavor. you know And so I can do this for the rest of my life. I can play pickup sometimes, but you know I'll probably be sore for the next week. It's different. Yeah, it's different. It's different. It's different. Yeah. yeah And i' can you tell me more about, because you said you also did track. I think I had this conversation with someone else that I talked to recently. um The idea of like specializing in a sport or an idea or a concept or whatever it is. um Growing up, you said you had to choose when you were, I can't remember the age, sorry, did you say 11? Like, um yeah yeah, middle school. Yeah. that time Yeah. But you also did track.
00:26:13
Speaker
who Yeah. So can you talk about the, I mean, what was, do you remember that process of deciding between soccer and art? Can you talk a little bit about the idea of like specializing at 11, et cetera? Because I know as a kid, like I had to kind of do the same thing. I was playing baseball and then I was playing basketball and then sometimes they'd have camps and I'd have to decide and then like there's travel teams and all this like stuff. Can you tell me about that experience for you?
00:26:43
Speaker
Yeah. Um, so yeah, around early middle school, um, you know, I couldn't do all the things. Right. and And my parents had to consider like taking me places, you know, who's going to take me to practice and things like that. And they didn't have a lot of time, um, to do everything. So I had to choose and soccer to me was like a physical and mental um outlet. You know, I got to be on a team.
00:27:12
Speaker
you know, and and art is normally an individual. I mean, you could have a team, but 99% of the time it's me alone in my studio, right? So I wanted to be a part of a team. I had friends.
00:27:29
Speaker
You know, on the on the team and also at that time, as I mentioned earlier, like my idea of art, at least capital A art was again, this very narrow notion of you make things look exactly what it looks like. Right. And if you can't do that, you're just drawing cartoons or comics and that's not considered art.
00:27:49
Speaker
right And so in my young mind, I didn't think of myself as an artist or I didn't think of myself as having talent enough in art to carry me through college or as a career. And I think um as a kid, I had an inkling that I could get a scholarship.
00:28:10
Speaker
to play soccer in college, which I did, which was very helpful. you know um So I'm um strategizing you know at that young age of you know thinking about not only are my friends doing this sport and I can hang out with them more, but also what would be fruitful.
00:28:29
Speaker
um, as a career option or like to get me to college so that I can start my career. Um,
Art Series on Negro Leagues and Oak Bluffs
00:28:35
Speaker
and like I said, there was no like formal artists in my family. I didn't know what it looked like to be an artist or to have art as a profession, you know, so, um, I could see other things and and I thought that soccer could take me there. So yeah, so that's, that's kind of what I remember thinking and feeling.
00:28:57
Speaker
at that time. yeah I love um the introduction to sport at a young age. um I think it's interesting with the idea of specializing. i think I do think kids should be at least given the opportunity to try a lot of stuff, but especially early on, um because you just don't know. You don't know what your thing is. um I think sometimes there's kids and you're like, oh like Oh, okay. That kid, like, you know what I mean? Like once in a while there's that kid, but oftentimes I think most of us have to go through some trial and error, whether it's art, whether it's football, whether it's track, whether it's writing, whatever. But if they're not exposed to it, they don't even have an opportunity to to know that that that thing that they may potentially like or want to do for the rest of their life is actually there. So um I love that you had that opportunity and I love even more that you were able to come back.
00:29:51
Speaker
It's like such a full circle, such a full circle. It is. Something that my mom often says to me is, oh, I'm so glad that you are using your gift. And she also says, I was hoping and praying that you would use your gift. Yeah, she says that to me pretty often. And to me, that makes me think that she recognized at a young age that I had a talent.
00:30:17
Speaker
in art. But she also like gave me the choice between like attending different kind of art schools and camps and playing soccer. Wow. You're not the mom. Yeah. yeah yeah she She really um set the foundation for this journey. um And I like to also think that my wife kind of reinforces yeah that journey. That's what our partners do, right? Yeah.
00:30:46
Speaker
Yeah, she does. ah yeah Yeah, I think that having um a partner who is able to not only be there for you when the things are good, but also push you a little bit and ask you to critically think a little bit about decisions or you know just like life in general, I think that is where the growth is. Absolutely. I think that's why my wife and I have been married for a while now and I think once we've realized, or I think once I realized that what she was doing was like pushing me and making me think quickly about things, that's where I felt like I was growing the most as well. Because of course, they're gonna be your number one cheerleader regardless. Yeah. Right? But they also are there to give you the tough love when, you know, when we need to be kicked in the butt or whatever the case may be. So like yeah, shout out to all the partners who are, you know, just being good partners.
00:31:45
Speaker
as well. yeah Yeah, because not everyone has one. I agree. No, yeah not everyone has one. Just I want to just before we leave, is there certain projects that you are currently working on or that you have worked on that has really left like a long lasting like, um you know, um what's the word, a long lasting like impression on you or just like have really something that you remember doing? Hmm.
00:32:14
Speaker
I mean, I would have to say it's projects that I'm currently doing that have really impacted me. um So I'll name two. So one is um my series of the Negro Leagues baseball paintings and collages. Yeah, I'm working on a painting now for the um Chicago American Giants.
00:32:39
Speaker
Um, and I think that has left an impression on me because it exposed me to a side of history that wasn't taught. To me, to me, baseball, you know, was a ah white dude sport. Yep. Right. yeah know it's Especially growing up, you know, I mean, I had a few folks that I could see playing, um, like Kim Griffey Jr. I remember him, you know, growing up, but not as much as I see now, you know black folks playing baseball. And so going back and learning that history of these different leagues that were just for us, you know and and like how much they were supported and and what that that did for black communities really has left an impact on me. And I'm a person who who minored in history and studied a lot of African-American history in college and never knew
00:33:39
Speaker
about um the Negro Leagues. And I can't even remember how I stumbled upon it, to be honest, how I learned about it. um But I just remember since learning about them, it sparked something in me and I wanted to create a representation of what their sports cards might have looked like.
00:34:01
Speaker
like god You know, and yeah thank you um so, so yeah, that has left an impression on
Symbolism in Art
00:34:10
Speaker
me. And I would say like this new series that I just started, um, ah about Oak Bluffs and its role in our history of leisure and vacationing. Okay. Um, and I'm focusing right now on, you know, this fictional golf club.
00:34:31
Speaker
called ah oh Oak Bluffs Golf Club. And I have a whole cast of characters that I'm going to build stories around to talk about Black leisure and yeah um our also our connection to sport in general, but also to golf as well. Because similar to baseball, growing up, like that was something you know white dudes did on the weekends or or made business deals you know playing golf. And also tennis. I had the same impression about tennis.
00:35:00
Speaker
um And so in the future, I hope to do a series um around tennis as well. um But yeah, so so this, the Oak Bluffs series is leaving an impression on me because it's really talking about black people do rest, you know, and and we do enjoy.
00:35:21
Speaker
going to the beach and and having leisure time. And you know there's a role for the story of Black folks' struggles and things that we have overcome in art. right But I feel that my role is to also talk about things that we do to care for ourselves, things that we do to connect with others, things that we do to connect with nature.
00:35:43
Speaker
Um, and so, uh, this new series talks about that, our connection to golf, our connection to vacationing and leisure and creating spaces of our own in order to, you know, let down the mask, let down the shields that protect us, you know, you know, in a white dominant society and in order to connect to ourselves and with ourselves, um, in nature. That's incredible. That's incredible. Thank you. Yeah. I love that you are.
00:36:13
Speaker
learning through your own process while you're creating. I think that's such a powerful way of just like being so immersed in the work. And you almost forget that it's work because you're like learning about something as well. So I think that is, I think that's so cool. I appreciate you so much. ah Just where can people find you online? Well, I didn't talk about the flowers. Oh my god, the flowers. We forgot about the flowers. Yeah.
00:36:43
Speaker
Talk about the flowers. Yeah, let me tell folks about the flowers. And also the glasses. So flowers and glasses are repeating motifs in my art. They're repeating images in my art. um Flowers really represent um our own blooming, our own blossoming. You could cut about the flowers. yeah I didn't. So it's important for me to include flowers in my art Um, because I remember, I don't know if I read something or if I heard it. but I remember somebody talking about, um, like a black person painting still life or painting flowers or something like that. And, and somebody asked them, like, why are you painting flowers when like we have all, all this going on, you know, against us. So talking about oppression and things like that. And like, I remember with the person saying like,
00:37:42
Speaker
we have joy and beauty too. You know, it's not just always about oppression. Um, and so the flowers represent the joy and beauty in our lives. And it also represents a promise fulfilled. Um, one of my pieces, um, it's title, like, uh, a bloom is a, is a promise fulfilled. And that's because, you know, you plant a seed in the earth.
00:38:09
Speaker
a you know you hope that that it grows and like that seed is like a promise that I'm gonna bloom and I'm gonna grow and I'm gonna thrive. um So I include flowers um in my paintings. Usually my paintings, those are oil pastel flowers that I draw on, but in my collages, they're actually um painted paper and I also use hymn paper.
00:38:34
Speaker
And what's the paper? So hymns, hymnals, you know, know yeah. So I got to zoom in more. yeah
00:38:44
Speaker
So yeah, I use hymnals on paper from hymnals ah to include in my flowers because like it, it's a representation of my connection to spirit and to God as well.
Future Plans and Merchandise
00:38:57
Speaker
Um, and I think flowers are beautiful connection to to spirit, the creator, whatever you believe in or don't believe in. um But what I believe in is, you know, and is God as a creator of the universe. um And then my glasses is also a repeating imagery because they had a glasses. I've been wearing glasses since I was like eight. Wow. So that's a way for me to put a little part of myself into every, um,
00:39:31
Speaker
piece that I create. But glasses also represent a way to fix vision, to ensure that we see clearly. And I like to include them on my figures because the way that Black folks, especially Black kids, are viewed, it needs to be be fixed in in the broader media and broader society. I love that. And so the glasses are a representation of challenging and changing the narrative around Black folks.
00:40:02
Speaker
yeah How do I forget about the two? I literally have them at the top of my list, the glasses and flowers. It's all good. We got to it. That's all it man i mean that That's one of the reasons why I was so excited to talk about you because like your work is so... I mean, yeah, you would like you said, it looks childlike, but it has such a powerful message through everything that you do. And i i that's why I appreciate it so much. And I love love i love the way that you you know play with colors, the way that you have like the line strokes. like It's never the same. Never the same. um But I love how you add the classes or the flowers in different ways. It is, again, it's all... you have we havet Did I know you have a t-shirt? Do you have a t-shirt on too? I do have a t-shirt on. Oh my gosh. Yeah, it's one of them.
00:40:55
Speaker
Look at this. give him Is this like a billboard? Because I don't think I've seen these. No, this one's not available. I'm figuring all of that out, right? Like the merch. um So I have stickers and prints on my Etsy shop. And um for now, originals on my Etsy shop, on the how you can collect my originals is about to change. And I'll share all of that on my IG.
00:41:20
Speaker
or on my newsletter, if y'all go to my website and and subscribe. Please. um And i I'll share that in a minute. But yeah, I'm trying to figure out like how to get these shirts to y'all and also like hats, things like that. um But yeah, this is a sample one. So I've been ordering samples. I just want to see proof of concept and make sure I like it. um So I'm hoping that over the next few months, y'all will be able to collect these These t-shirts are amazing. They are absolutely amazing. I mean, I'm older. How do you, I don't want to ask you too many questions, but like, do you have ideas around what ah amount will be on shirts? Like which pictures will be on shirts? Um, how many you are you going to print? I don't know. I have no idea, to be honest. I'm working with some folks. Yep. And you don't have to know. You do not have to know.
00:42:18
Speaker
i I think all those things are amazing. I think that people would, I would hope people would flock to the idea of you having merchandise that people can wear. And I get it specifically because like I said it before, like it is so much for the culture and I ah appreciate the work that you do so much. So I'll be the first one in line if I have to be. So I'm here for it. I'll be sure. Yes. Yeah. Keep folks updated.
00:42:47
Speaker
about that. i I love to have, um especially the the Negro Leagues, baseball, tag teams. I love to have shirts for y'all to collect and and also the um I Read Band Books series. Oh my gosh, like incredible. Yeah. I know people would love and support that so much. So yeah, we'll be waiting. Take your time. Thanks. Your on Instagram, obviously.
00:43:17
Speaker
Yeah, what's your what's your website? So i'm on Instagram at truth of strength. And my web website is Jessica Owens young dot.com. Well, all one word. So just my name, no hyphen. um Yeah, Jessica owns young.com. It needs to be updated, but that's coming and soon. ah Yeah, very active on IG. So if you're on IG, you can follow me there and see.