We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Jewel D. Pearson. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Jewel D. below.

Jewel D., thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Are you able to earn a full-time living from your creative work? If so, can you walk us through your journey and how you made it happen?

Not yet, but I truly hope to do so soon…

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I am a tiny house dweller, consultant, advocate, speaker and community builder. In 2015, after researching for about two and a half years, I designed and built my tiny house on wheels, as part of a long standing dream and desire to live a lighter and free-er lifestyle. As part of the early beginnings of the tiny house movement I didn’t really see other Black and brown faces represented. Nor were the issues of racism I’ve encountered within the movement and in trying to find parking locations for my home in RV Parks and rural areas or when attending festivals in rural areas being included in the broader conversations.

Additionally and very unfortunately, the “tiny house leaders” were resistant to conversations about and/or actions representing diversity and inclusion. That then meant I had a responsibility to lead the conversations to ensure those concerns and our voices were well represented and heard, and to ensure the movement is also accessible to our community.

I see this work as the intersection of art and activism; the art that is my tiny house and my activism for my community.

Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?

Initially I just started sharing my journey of building a tiny house. In 2014 when I started sharing, tiny houses were a novelty and/or people just thought I was weird so they followed to watch. :) Then shortly after my home was completed the HGTV Episode I was featured in aired so I gained a number of followers from the premier. Many shared it was the first time they’d seen a tiny home they could see themselves living in since my home was big on luxury and decor, while the early movement was very focused on minimalism, the bare minimums and basics AND the first time folks had seen a Black person living in a tiny house. My home has since been featured on HGTV two more times, in an award winning short film by Apartment Therapy, in Essence Magazine and numerous other platforms and media, which has definitely provided exposure.

My advice for someone starting to build their presence would be to be authentic and relatable, people want to follow someone they feel connected to and someone whose story and journey is something that can relate to or aspire to.

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

Tiny houses present an opportunity to challenge the status quo of conventional community and housing, both of which were literally built on inequity and continue to operate as designed. Tiny houses offer opportunities to get to homeownership quicker, as well as opportunities for non-traditional wealth building. I see my work as liberation work- working to disrupt the status quo for the folks who continually, year after year aren’t able to achieve traditional homeownership because of systemic inequity and to build safe and equitable communities, using movable housing and businesses as the infrastructure for change.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://bio.site/msbohemiansoul
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ms.bohemiansoul
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/msjdpearson
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@MsBohemianSoulTV

Image Credits

Glyn Stanley, Glyn A. Stanley Photography