Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Jessamyn Plotts. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Jessamyn, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Do you feel you or your work has ever been misunderstood or mischaracterized? If so, tell us the story and how/why it happened and if there are any interesting learnings or insights you took from the experience?

I’m often misunderstood as “chaotic” in my practice, though chaos is an aesthetic that I thoughtfully construct to explore ideas of structure, order, and fluidity in consciousness and experience. I used to be upset by this misunderstanding, but now I see it as part of a complex viewing, making and thinking process.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I am an artist and professor at Texas State University. I paint, draw, write, conduct social experiments and whatever else I need to do to explore my ideas. I’m very ok with making people uncomfortable, though I do that kind of work with a spirit of playfulness. Teaching is as important to me as my own practice of art making, because to me it is also a practice of art making. It’s an experimental zone where I learn and get to think with others and read N things out.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

Many.

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

Thinking I needed other’s approval, especially seeking approval or resources from “important” or “well connected “ people.

I was insecure and didn’t realize what I had to offer, that I didn’t need to please anyone.

Contact Info:

• Website: jessamyn plotts.com
• Instagram: @crackedclosetdoor
• Youtube: @jessamynplotts

Image Credits

Jessamyn Plotts