Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Jessica Tawczynski. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Hi Jessica, thanks for joining us today. I’m sure there have been days where the challenges of being an artist or creative force you to think about what it would be like to just have a regular job. When’s the last time you felt that way? Did you have any insights from the experience?
In my artistic career so far I’ve spent a lot of time alone. Alone in the studio making work- I think it’s something a lot of creatives can relate to. Most often when I think of other jobs I’ve had professionally working as an art handler, teaching or waiting tables I miss the daily connections I had with others in those places. However as a maker, I think I’ve been able to connect with people on a deeper level in some cases emotionally or inspired. In those instances I’m grateful to be a creative person and it makes me extremely happy to make new connections in that way, forming a community. Another way of thinking of this for me, is that I often research topics in different fields of science for my work. So I think if I had to choose another career path for myself, it would be something related to Astrophysics or Geology. I have always held ‘regular jobs’ though along side making my work. And am happy in my current position working as an Administrator for an artist estate. In the future I’d like to continue teaching as well.
Jessica, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
I’m a Visual Artist based in Boston and NYC. I was a pretty curious, creative and resourceful kid growing up and once I got to college I changed my major many times within the scope of the arts before settling on painting. I got my undergraduate degree from Umass Lowell and eventually received an MFA in 2D Fine Art from MassArt. My work has grown in a lot of different directions from small sculpture to landscape painting, printmaking and collage. These days I’m making large paper-based works that are painted, cut up and collaged together, and installed with various material on the walls and floor. I’m an artist who holds many philosophies that I’ve catalogued over the years and that help me in my studio. Self-rules such as draw a bit every day and take risks with the work are some. I’ve kept journals throughout the last 15 years that detail every part of my process. Being able to use them as a resource is something I’m proud to have accomplished. I use all of that collected material to get out of a rut in the studio, and it helps me stay on track of the goals I have in the process. I still try to be as curious as possible.
We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?
Something I have struggled with for a while and have had to unlearn is rigidity. I had to re-learn how to trust my intuition and my own abilities. I wanted to see my strengths and learn that certain “weaknesses” can be used as positives when creating work. I have spent a lot of time over the years creating processes for different bodies of work that capture forms of ambiguity and uncontrolled material. For example, in many series of works I make monotypes of the ground and paint into them. These monotypes I take are completely up to the will of the landscape or space I’ve documented. Manipulation of it comes in the steps I take afterwards. In art school programs before, an artist is taught to learn the rules before they break them. Intuition is something to be skeptical of because you’re learning to hone it. After my schooling I was left with this huge toolbox full of potential. It felt great but I’m still skeptical and learning to trust it. I’m always trying to fill that toolbox to the brim and learn more so that I can move forward and break into new processes I create for myself.
Are there any books, videos, essays or other resources that have significantly impacted your management and entrepreneurial thinking and philosophy?
I listen to a lot of podcasts in the studio and in grad school I read a lot. I have go-to stacks of books in my studio that help me in a pinch when I’m desperate for a spark, and an ongoing list at home. My favorite books recently have been “Independent People” by Halldór Laxness and “From the Mouth of the Whale” by Sjón, both Icelandic authors. Other staples I have on hand are “The Poetics of Space” by Gaston Bachelard, and a few by James Elkins. On my way into the studio I listen to I Like Your Work Podcast with Erika B. Hess and at the studio my favorites are stories from other people’s lives like the ones in Beautiful Anonymous or The Moth. By listening to others stories and experiences, I frequently gain new perspectives about my own. And that’s been especially critical for me while I’ve been working on my latest series of map-based works. All these resources and more have significantly impacted the way I position my work within larger concepts while helping me reflect on my own identity as a maker.
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Jessica Tawczynski