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

Jess, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. 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?

I’ve struggled with my mental health for as long as I could remember. I do attribute this to working full time for others, juggling 2-3 jobs almost constantly at one time for atleast a decade of my life.
Creating got me through a lot in my life and to now turn around and be able to create things with my hands- paintings, secondhand gear, clothing, you name it, and then use that money to support myself? It always felt unattainable. Obviously mental health struggles never truly leave us, but I can say I live a happier and more authentic life as a creative.
I made a lot of sacrifices to be where I am now, and it has all been worth it. In 2021 I lived in a 3 bedroom house with 5 people to keep my living costs low- so I could afford to be an artist. I gave up a career I did truly love, gardening, to see what was out there for me.
These days I do work again, I run my solo-owned artist collective, a small 700 sq foot retail store in Boise, Idaho, and I am truly happy going to work each day. I always knew I would need a consistent schedule again one day, and probably another means of income, but I never imagined it being my own store. I love my customers, my artists, my community, and I honestly can’t even imagine going back to a regular job.
Sure, consistent income could be nice, and I do miss that sometimes. But I live a life where I can take 3 days off to sleep in a tent in the back country, paint a giant last minute mural for a client, and take a week off without the guilt.

Jess, 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?

In 2019, living in Alaska, I was gardening on a small organic farm while my partner at the time worked for the local wildlife refuge. My days started earlier and ended earlier, and since we lived in a tiny cabin on the Kenai peninsula, 35 minutes from the nearest town, I spent every single day at a local coffee shop. I sat on the patio and painted. I had always been a creative person, like most artists, but after 2 years spent living out West, all I wanted to do now was paint the mountains that helped shape me into who I am. 2019 was an incredibly hard year and that extended into early 2020. Throughout this time I had one thing that was mine- my art practice.
I didn’t start painting again to be a full time artist or now, shop owner, but it was a catalyst. In late 2019 after painting dozens of ornaments for friends and family, I launched my business. I dove head first into it all- taxes, website building, social media, printing, stickers, ect. I spent all winter learning and painting and then in 2020, at the height of the pandemic, I found myself homeless with a puppy in a place I had never been- Boise, Idaho.
For all of 2020 I found myself gardening in Boise full time, and learning to establish a life and community in Boise. When winter rolled around and I was granted seasonal unemployment, I made a promise to myself to not waste this time and pursue art. And this was the last time I ever worked full time for someone else. I took these difficult times and turned to my art and myself.

I’m entirely self taught as an artist and a business owner. I started from the very very very bottom, and struggled all the way to this middle ground I’m comfortable on now. I cycled through mediums and canvas’ to find my style and voice and what works for me. I fell in love with acrylic paint and gouache paint, and quickly learned what I loved to paint is what connects with others most. I took on murals and projects I didn’t love to grow my portfolio and pay the bills. I dove into instructing classes to teach others to paint and to also find other ways to make income.

Ive used my art to grow community, both on Instagram and in person, which I feel like has directly influenced my success. These days not only am I still a full time artist and muralist, but I also own and run a shop in Boise, Sagebrush Collaborative, an artist collective that helps support over 70 local and regional artists. Without this community, what art would fill these shelves? Without my hard work, would this collective exist?

These days, I’m grateful to spend 4 days a week working at my shop, helping sell others work, and my own. I have time to paint, create, spend time with my dog and my partner, and community. I still paint the mountains I love dearly- but also their flora, and fauna. I paint large and small murals, commercial and residential. I also introduced my love for sustainability into my work, where I sew gear from secondhand materials and screenprint my original illustrations on secondhand clothes. I live an extraordinarily creative life and I am forever grateful for the path my life has taken since 2019.

I try to live a creative, sustainable life in many ways, and I’m grateful to be able to bring these elements into my work and my shop.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

Out of all of the things I love about this journey, having a creative and thriving community around me has truly changed my life. I love art, like most people (who sometimes don’t even realize it!) and to be able to support my friends, and fellow artists? Even right now, I’m wearing rings by 3 different artists, earrings by another, a shirt by another, and I am in my shop surrounded by even more art. The walls of my home art filled with gallery walls full of thrifted treasures and my friends art.
It’s amazing to be immersed in creative energy all of the time. I am constantly inspired and in awe of my fellow creatives.
I tell customers all of the time that one of my favorite things about the shop is being able to hype up my fellow artists!

Have you ever had to pivot?

I mentioned I started my artist collective in 2023 as a pop up shelf within in a coffee shop. In November, the coffee shop was renting a space next door, and I moved into that, expanding the shop from a shelf with 20 artists to a full store of over 70 artists. Weeks spent sourcing secondhand displays, painting the walls, organizing inventory, opening…
just for the coffee shop to close at the end of February 2024.
Back to the community aspect- the support was overwhelming. I had one month to find a new location, switch the business into entirely my own name (as we were co-owned by the coffee shop), move, and remodel a new space.
It was bonkers!! A huge pivot I did not anticipate or want to do, but somehow, with the help of my community, we pulled it off.

Contact Info:

• Website: jesswagnerart.com / sagebrushcollaborative.com
• Instagram: @jesswagnerart @sagebrushcollaborative
• Facebook: facebook.com/jesswagnerart / facebook.com/sagebrushcollaborative