We recently connected with Jessica Figueroa Ruiz and have shared our conversation below.

Jessica , thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Can you talk to us about a project that’s meant a lot to you?

As a small business owner, I get the chance to create a one of a kind custom gift that not only has meaning but it holds value to my customers! A unique gift that they are a part of making and it holds a story that they get to tell through my work.

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?

I was a stay at home mother in 2019 , due to covid restrictions and social distancing protocols all schools went remote and i had no choice but to stay home and home school my two youngest boys. Adjusting to the new norm and trying to keep my boys safe from getting the virus. I decided to show my boys in times like this we thrive in chaos. I decided to sew mask and sell them to help bring income in and help my husband at the time. I sold children mask for $5 and adult mask for $10. I was doing well but I knew i was risking myself so i decided to change paths. I have many skills I acquired as a young child through my mother and father. My husband at the time never gave me a chance ever in our relationship to pursue anything i ever wanted to do. He always felt they were never important enough for him to invest in. I was in a marriage, but had no money to invest into myself. Let that make sense, how was i going to come up with money to purchase a cnc machine and the materials i needed to make this idea in my head to come to life? I received a stimulus check but it still wasn’t enough for what i needed. Oh boy i knew what i was about to do was going to cause some major issues in my marriage. I took my husbands credit card and purchased a cnc machine so I could put my Craftsmanship to use and help bring income in. I opened up an llc and started a little business. My goal was to make custom rolling trays but instead I knew I could do so much more because I’m a very versatile individual. I made some examples of things, posted them on social media and started taking orders. I made custom wine caddys, rolling trays and serving trays to start. I was doing so good with my custom orders. My life took a turn, my husband all of a sudden wanted me to leave and move out in a middle of a pandemic. I just started making orders so I didn’t have enough money to even move out or even afford a place at that. With the stress I faced things got worse on November , 2019 I was infected with covid-19. Here I am at SCL fighting for my life on the covid floor, I had ammonia in my left lug along with a blood clot that became very dangerous to my health. Not only was it restricting my breathing it was passing through and at any given moment I was told if it moved any more I’d collapse and lights out the doctor told me! Just imagine all alone in the hospital not knowing if I was going to make it home to see my children ever again. In this moment my faith, strength and my peace of mind was all distorted. I have always been optimistic so I knew my strength and determination could pull me out of this no matter what the odds were! After two days of being in the hospital I was given the option to go home because there wasn’t enough beds for covid patients being admitted. Imagine that, i told myself at least I’d be home with my children if I passed I was able to be at home with them. With having no strength and not being able to walk and take care of myself. My husband was forced to take care of me. I regained my strength over time. I decided to go back to work part time so I had income to afford all my materials so I could start up again and get back to making custom orders that were on hold due to my situation. Every custom order I made came with a story, I thought to myself how neat is this? We all have a story , some get to tell their’s and some never due! So with that being said, I wanted to create custom personalized gifts that allowed my customers to tell their stories through my art. Let’s just say this is the most humbling experience ever.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

I’d definitely say the most rewarding part about what I do is seeing someone’s custom order come to life and their story begin told through my art! There reaction is heart felt!

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

When I tell you i’ve been dragged through the mud I mean it. No matter what life through at me I kept my strength and faith and kept moving forward.

Contact Info:

• Website: Icacreations.com
• Instagram: @Icacreationsllc