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

Alright, Jessica thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Was there a defining moment in your professional career? A moment that changed the trajectory of your career?

I have always been an artist as a child. I won a city wide award for an art contest in La Mirada when I was in preschool. My interests spread to reading and writing as I grew up. I found these all ways to escape the difficulties of reality growing up, but more than that, I realized sharing art is a way to share experiences. I began to cosplay in my 20s, and loved being able to transform into someone else, and take on their stories. Though I soon realized the power that came from reclaiming your own story. I used face paint and make up as a way to give shape to my innermost emotions, as a way to process and sort through my experiences. This art interpretation was a way for me to claim ownership of my hardships and traumas, instead of letting it take control of me. Fortunately, with the help of a few photographers, we were able to bring these concepts of mental well being and trauma to life, specifically sexual trauma I have experienced. I would have people reach out to me regarding their own experiences and what spoke and helped them in their own healing journey. I want to create a safe place for people to relate to stigmatized topics of trauma and mental health, and normalize that it is okay to speak and heal from theses.

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

I have a mixture of interests and aspirations I would like to start, as well as continue. I would like to create more mental health related content, via photos, reels, and YouTube videos to help reach more people and to help de stigmatize. This can be providing personal and educational content of mental health, both from personal experience and as a mental health professional. I think it’s important to facilitate these conversations and have thought of the possibility of doing a podcast for mental health as well. But aside from the mental health focus, I do like to also include content of cosplay and fashion, as these are other forms of creativity for me.

Do you think you’d choose a different profession or specialty if you were starting now?

I say I would. I love working in the mental health field as a professional, and supervising and aiding the growth of other mental health professionals. It is always something I have advocated for and educated myself about, since it was never normalized in our Mexican household. In searching for answers to help myself, I was able to learn and help others now.

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

In my early 20s, I volunteered at Peace over Violence, an organization that specialized in Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault treatment and intervention. At the time, with my own personal experiences, and my desire to help others, I took on this role. However, I realized being in the training was too triggering for me, as I had not fully healed from my own experiences to be able to help someone on their own journey. This is where I recognized my own boundaries, and focused on myself and my own healing rather than pushing through with the program. Several years later, I returned to complete my graduate internship here at the same program and was able to complete and participate in this agency. I remember being disappointment in myself for not being able to finish but in retrospect, I am glad I took the time for myself to be the better version of myself for others.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: crimsonroseinbloom

Image Credits
Jose Rodríguez – window image with beanie Daniel Taylor- black and white and butterfly image Jose Paz- mad hatter image Rolando Mcfarlane – glass on face image Diana Teo Cardoso – “shame” SA image Gus Mejia- dark crown image Starrchez- rain image and black teardrop image