We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Dot Jayei. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Dot below.
Hi Dot, thanks for joining us today. If you could go back in time do you wish you had started your creative career sooner or later?
Prior to this year, my answer would have definitely been sooner. However now, I feel as if my art career started exactly when it was supposed to. I’m wiser and have more life experiences to be able to produce art that has depth. If I had not given myself the grace to grow individually, I don’t believe my work would have been received and respected the way it has been since I’ve debuted.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
I feel as if I have been an artist my entire life. I was exposed to art at a very young age. Most of my childhood gifts were, art kits, bedazzlers, and things of that nature. I realized I had talent when I was about 11 years old. At that age I began to experiment with art mediums as a means of therapy or an escape. I think all artists were told at some point that being an artist meant your life would not be stable. That statement alone allowed me to get caught up in doing things to make ends meet instead of focusing on doing the thing that gave me fulfillment. As a teen mom the only way I saw fit to be successful would be to follow a traditional path. I graduated high school at 15, obtained my bachelor’s degree at 20 and then found myself ditching my pre-law track to pursue tattooing full time. For 10 years I chose to focus on tattooing as “my” art. I say “my” in quotes because it took me some time to realize that the art I was creating was specifically tailored to fit the needs of my client. That art has limits. In order for me to truly make a mark I would have to get back to my roots and into a space where the things I crafted could be limitless and full of all the meaning and passion I intend it to have.
I finally got out of my own way and got back to the canvas. I began to take the feelings and imagery out of my mind and craft them into mixed media pieces. It wasn’t until recently that I closed my eyes to the idea of being critiqued and opened my mind to thought of what my art could do for others. I craft each piece with the hope that the symbolism and textures can help heal, inspire, or communicate a deeper meaning to the viewer. I’m most proud of the fact that I have allowed myself enough time and space to create the type of art that can communicate emotions without words.
Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?
Along my journey I had to unlearn the concept of right and wrong especially when it comes to art. Art is more of a feeling. Yes, there is technical art that requires us to follow certain rules of physics and application. But I personally had to tell myself over and over again that there is not a right or wrong way in art because my perfectionist trait literally would not allow me to create. I cannot count how many times I have fallen in love with a concept just to start it and fall out of love with the creative process all together because something was not “right”. I feel as if that basic premise exists inside any artist’s head it will lead to self-doubt, imposter syndrome, and other things that do nothing but impede the creative process.
What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?
For me the most rewarding aspect of being an artist is being responsible for creating images that uplift people of color. When I was younger, I was picked on about my complexion. Growing up I desperately needed to see people who looked like me in art. Everything I saw that was brown growing up almost always had a negative connotation or was honestly very simple. I was not exposed to the art that made me gasp in awe and smile because it reflected the skin that I’m in. I want, more than anything, for at least one of my pieces to be a part of someone’s core memory when they think of a time they saw black as timeless and beautiful.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.dotjayei.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/_dotjayei
Image Credits
Lance B. Productions (@lancebprod)