We were lucky to catch up with Jess Price recently and have shared our conversation below.

Jess, appreciate you joining us today. Are you happy as a creative professional? Do you sometimes wonder what it would be like to work for someone else?

Being an artist is incredibly fulfilling but it can be just as challenging. Trying to balance home and work while taking on all the roles that a profitable business requires, sometimes the grass sure does look greener on the other side. Would I rather have a job where I go to work and come home, where there are parameters and boundaries are clear cut, and I have a visibly separate work-life? It is tempting, sometimes, but this creative work is a gift. I get to pour myself into a piece, and then release it to the world. Many times, I wish I didn’t have to do all the admin parts of the job so I could keep my hands in fiber and yarn all day, playing and creating. That being said, I want to grow my business and craft, which takes consistency and hard work. I love that my two girls see me crafting a business from scratch and creating art that means something to me. It can be difficult being interrupted or switching gears between being a mom, entrepreneur, and artist, but I’m so grateful for this opportunity. In a way, I feel like I’m a steward of something- a craft, a practice that I have the honor of growing. It is a bit of a compulsion for me. I need to create to make sense of things, to play, to let go. Even though it’s hard to balance it all, I genuinely do love it. Though there may be some benefits to a more traditional job, it’s hard to imagine anything else being quite as rewarding.

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

Some of my earliest memories involve creating things with my mom. She always had great ideas, and really instilled in me a sense that art can be made from anything. It was always about finding something creative to do with your time and opening your mind to new possibilities. I also worked a lot with my dad, a woodworker, and remember being in his shop from the time I was able to swing a hammer. My dad started his own business when I was young and really showed me how hard work, flexibility, and curiosity can really help you when it comes to running a business.

I have always kept that creative drive, dabbling in sewing, embroidery, painting, knitting, crocheting, and even paper cutting. In 2016 I was deep in the trenches of motherhood, with two girls at home full-time. I tried to provide that same creative discovery for them, so our days were often filled with lots of paint, yarn, glue, play-doh, and whatever we could get our hands on.

I realized that I needed my own outlet, something for just me. Fiber art became that outlet for me. My husband, also a woodworker, built my first loom for me out of some wood he had lying around. As soon as I started, I felt home. The meditative process of moving the fibers through my fingers, the repetitive nature of it, the freedom in parameters.

All the difficult parts of motherhood seemed to fall away, and I was left with just single moments in time woven together. I was hooked. I started on a lap loom, then moved to circular weaving, and then different frame shapes. In 2021 I started to do punch needle projects and loved finding my own style with unique artisan fibers. My ever-evolving process now includes canvas and watercolor, beads and embroidery, punch needle, and weaving techniques.

I find most of the inspiration for my work in nature. It heals me, and exposes me to new textures and color palettes. Using hand-spun or hand-dyed fibers, created by other artisans who pour themselves into their creations, inspires me to step out, take risks, and try new things. It’s that connection to other artists, the greater cycle of creativity, that makes me feel part of something bigger.

I hope to provide pieces that are different, that make you smile, with pops of color inspired by nature. I hope to bring visions of the life-giving sea, the ever-changing sky, or a moody forest with maybe a little mushroom or texture of bark.
It is always my hope to pass on that wonder and curiosity that is at the heart of creativity.

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

There is a story, some of us tell ourselves, and I’ve accepted in the past. We tell ourselves that there isn’t enough space for us, our work isn’t good enough, and that creating art is a selfish endeavor. I have come to learn that the exact opposite is true. There is room for you at the table. Creating an original piece and putting it into the world is generous, not selfish. Art provides so many things for so many people. it can be pretty, or make you smile, it can make you think, and make you feel understood, it can transport you to a time or place, it can make you cry. That “not good enough” story often keeps us from putting our art out there. It’s so sad to think about how many beautiful and thought-provoking things the world may have missed out on because someone felt their contributions weren’t good enough. We need to tell ourselves new stories- “I am worthy, there is enough space for me, creating art and putting it into the world is generous.”

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

My main goal is twofold- to create art that is authentic and meaningful, and to inspire others to do the same. I have heard so many people say “I don’t have a creative bone in my body”. I don’t believe that is true for anyone, I think you just haven’t found what ignites you. I love leading workshops because I get to experience, firsthand, that spark when creating clicks for someone, and they get in the flow. There is something special when they just get it and you can see the pride and joy on their face. My goal with workshops is always to provide an environment where we can let go, be present, feel the fibers moving in our fingers, and enjoy the tactile nature of making. Adults spend so much time doing what is required of them,being on a schedule, and producing. Very rarely do we just get the opportunity to sit down and play and try something different just for the sake of the process. I tell everyone they are creative, it’s inside you waiting to come out, your own unique brand of creativity. Even if you don’t feel it, stepping out of your comfort zone to explore and discover will always add a little more color to your life.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.vevstol.com
• Instagram: @vevstol

Image Credits
Andrea Coan