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

Jessica, appreciate you joining us today. Can you open up about a risk you’ve taken – what it was like taking that risk, why you took the risk and how it turned out?

Booking a one-way ticket to Amsterdam, a city I’d never been to before, after a sudden breakup and without a job was the biggest risk I’ve ever taken. I’ve always loved traveling and exploring new places, so when my boyfriend dumped me out of the blue, I thought, “screw it, let’s go.”

The truth is, big risks like this have never felt like risks to me. It’s more like following a neon sign that reads “THIS WAY” with an irresistible pull.

So there I was – an unemployed, recently dumped, over-confident ad lady – in Amsterdam. I expected to find a job within weeks, but it ended up taking a year and a half. During that time, I made it work. I convinced a group of 17 university students to let me illegally live in a tiny room in their flat, and crashed on a friend’s couch in Edinburgh when I had to leave the EU Schengen zone every three months due to passport limitations. It was a sitcom in itself!

It was tough, and I struggled with the fact that I was unemployed for so long. But I never once doubted my vision.

Eventually, I got fed up with applying for jobs and decided to take ownership of my situation. I started to draw a diary in doodles, and before I knew it, Vanillacooldance was born. Transforming the things I found shameful about my situation into empowering and slightly self-deprecating cartoons. Through vanillacooldance, I found thousands of people who could relate to my stories which made me feel less alone and the direction of my life changed forever.

The biggest lessons I learned were: Diving into the unknown is scary and difficult, but on the other side your life will forever be transformed. And do the work you want to see in the world, and the right people will find you. If I hadn’t taken that risk and been unemployed for so long, my greatest passion today would not exist.

Jessica, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

Hi! I’m Jess, the tinder swiping, obviously stunning and clearly humble founder, creative director and cartoonist behind @vanillacooldance.

​I booked a one way ticket to Amsterdam 7 years ago when my boyfriend dumped me out of the blue. Upon arrival I swapped out my breakup tears, for a pen and watercolours, and voila – vanillacooldance was born. Vanillacooldance represents the confident, outspoken and shameless parts within all of us and I have been blown away by the international community of Cool Dancers that have rallied behind her.

Through my art, I am to eliminate shame and open up conversations. Empowering women to feel confident when it comes to life, love & sexuality.

Using comedic illustrations gives me a unique way to distill complicated subjects into relatable and digestible stories. And using a sense of humor brings a lightness to awkward situations and makes it more approachable. The most incredible part is to see the Cool Dancers use my art to make a positive, empowered difference in their lives. Truly embracing their own shameless, vanillacooldance energy. That is an incredible feeling.

In addition to the online cartoons I draw, I also use guerrilla street art campaigns to advocate for female empowerment. Such as a campaign for equality in the bedroom during the Dutch National Holiday – King’s Day where I took over the streets with life-size cartoons of King Willem Alexander performing oral sex on Queen Maxima. And on a more serious note, a campaign for Fourth of July in the United States with Lady Liberty dominating Uncle Sam in the name of women’s reproductive rights.

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

I am on a mission to eliminate shame and empower women. I want to help create a world where women feel confident and empowered in all aspects of their lives, from the boardroom to the bedroom and everywhere in between. By using my art and sense of humor to start conversations and break down stigmas, I hope to make a positive impact and inspire others to embrace their own shameless energy. And I’m doing it in a bold, disruptive way, going after what I want and not waiting for permission to create because that’s how I get things done :)

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

The best part for me is the sense of community that I’ve created and am now a part of. It’s amazing to see my art resonate with people, spark conversations, and make a difference in their lives.

I love when my art takes on a life of its own in the way people respond or react to it. Sometimes it’s surprising to see how a cartoon that I created for one reason can inspire a completely different conversation or reaction in someone else. It’s incredibly humbling to know that my art has the power to connect people and bring them together.

And of course, being a creative is an ultimate high! There is nothing like the feeling of knowing you are onto a brilliant idea and then being able to bring that idea out into the world!

Contact Info:

• Website: vanillacooldance.com
• Instagram: vanillacooldance
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessicastahl/

Image Credits
vanillacooldance