Hello!
I am so glad that you decided to stop by and visit this site. I hope that you can find here content that inspires you to take the next right step in the direction of your best creative life.
Allow me to begin by telling you a little bit about who I am and why I do what I do.
I am an Afro-Caribbean islander learning to live life in the Midwest for the past 13 years. I am a wife and also an momma of two. My son is 11 and my daughter is 16 years old. Yep, you read that right. I am realizing that I am getting several layers of gray hair… and the teen years had just begun. Ha! This would be a good time to also say that I am also a believer, a woman who is in constant need of receiving God’s grace, love and mercy for everyday life.
Among all of these precious roles and parts of who I am, I am also a maker; a self-taught mixed media artist. I absolutely love playing with colors and multiple mediums to create layers and layers of texture on any surface I can get my hands on, but that did not happen overnight
Being born and raised in the Dominican Republic added a great layer of passion for color, visual and expressive art and all sorts of creativity. However, growing in a small town with limited opportunities, I had to depend on a great deal of imagination to be able to express myself creatively. Once I discovered how to do that, creativity became a natural practice and integral part of me.
I was able to use creativity to help other young girls and women to experience creativity as a tool that can use, just like in my personal journey, to help us sort through very difficult and painful experiences. However, though I engaged in creativity early on in life, there was a time where lots of things happened and I walked away from all my creative endeavors.
When I first moved to this country with our little daughter and shortly after our arrival the country entered into The Great Recession of 2008, I felt lost and confused. Trying to adjust to a new culture while grieving all that I’ve left behind; especially my community, made it a tough transition. Job losses, among other stressors were draining me physically and emotionally.
Reconnecting again with my creative self, slowly began to help me feel a bit more centered and calm. I went back slowly to paper crafts and did that for a little while.
Eventually, I discovered Mixed Media and a whole new world of possibilities opened up right in front of me! I can say that along with faith and a few friends; art was able to keep me sane during a very stressful season of life. I could see how with each layer of paint I was moving towards joy and started rediscovering myself all over again.
Through my experience, I have come to strongly believe that creativity plays an utterly important role in our entire well-being. When we become intentional about exploring our creative process, we can actually develop a deeper sense of awareness.
Reason why, one of the joys of my heart is to provide a space where people can gather and enjoy a sacred time of connection, as they embark in the adventure of exploring their personal creative process.I do this by facilitating creative play groups at various events, retreats and women gatherings. I love when people share with me that my work and my creative play groups has inspired them to reconnect with their creative heart. I am so grateful that I get to play a small part in their healing and their creative journey.
In addition to that, though my Etsy Shop, you can find some of my original Mixed Media pieces, handmade art journals, handmade cards, paper packs, prints and other products created to assist those who want to explore the creative process. Please feel free to explore all the tabs on this site to get familiar with my offerings, my blog and social media platforms. Also I hope you can visit the shop to see some of my products by clicking on Etsy link at the top of this page.
Thank you so much for being here and for your support.
Jannette Simmons 