We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Jess Peoples a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Jess, appreciate you joining us today. Are you happier as a creative? Do you sometimes think about what it would be like to just have a regular job? Can you talk to us about how you think through these emotions?

I really love the wonder that comes with being an artist. The idea that I can continue to shape the world I live in and also pay attention to the small things and stop and document them. I feel incredibly blessed to pursue this path and am thankful to continue learning and growing. Yes, there are so many unknowns, but also because of that, I see things differently than other people and continue to build the unknown territory as something to continue through with possibility.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

Its always evolving. Right now, I’m live painting at events and also doing commissions for people. The stories and the things that bring them joy excite me. I even live painted at a few people’s homes this winter while they did their own creative thing next to me and we had a blast. I am doing some group collaborations with the Nashville Artist Circle as well as Nashville Painters Salon. And, I’m finding that people want more human experiences tied to art so am iterating on what could go next. I just did some murals downtown with my friend and artist Sarah Clinton. I’d love to do more.

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative?

Everyone thinks I paint everyday. I love to paint, but actually running my own creative business requires a lot of planning and forethought. It also requires sitting in ambiguity and being ok with not knowing the outcomes. Many times, I have to preplan long periods of time when I actually paint because other times are spent with all other business aspects as well as paying attention to my family, a huge priority of mine. I’ve found that doing the work also encourages others to do their own work.

Have any books or other resources had a big impact on you?

When I worked for Emma, our CEO gifted us “Small Giants” one year. I loved the premise on rejecting the endless growth and everything needs to be ridiculously optimized. Be great instead of big. Don’t lose your soul. And it stuck with me.

I also loved reading “This is the Story of a Happy Marriage” by local Nashvillian Ann Patchett. Her part about just going with her gut and creating Parnassus (our local bookstore) when all the book stores were going out of business really inspired me to just keep going with my wild idea that I could be an artist in this big city, too.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://jesspeoples.com
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/jesspeoplesart
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessica-peoples-a78a243