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

Jessica, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Are you happier as a creative? Do you sometimes think about what it would be like to just have a regular job? Can you talk to us about how you think through these emotions?

Being an artist is not usually a path one chooses or pursues as a means towards “happiness.” I think it is a state at some point one recognizes as imperative/essential to being alive…exisiting and co-exisiting. It is an instrument of communication and a response to the world around you as well as a channel towards self knowledge. Yes, I do often very much enjoy being in my painting studio…it is a world I’ve created for myself that reflects the flow of my thoughts and process both external and internal. I do, however, approach my art making seriously and professionally. I show and occasionally sell my work when I am able to but I have another job to make sure I am able to stay afloat…pay my rent, have benefits etc. so that I am not reliant on sales alone. The job I landed in, after a series of occupations and employment options didn’t fit my longer view, is also art related and one I am able to translate my skill set to. For over 25 years I have been part of Local 829 Union and have worked as a Scenic Artist on film and television productions. As a scenic artist my job is to execute the production designers’ visions with a variety of techniques that range from painting, reproducing surfaces, creating images, while maintaining an ability to work as a team- under pressure and with the understanding that your work is part of a larger project. I am not sure if this constitutes a “regular” job but I am lucky that I found one that suits and supports me. My job as a scenic artist is both creatively challenging and while sometimes exhausting it is never dull. I have for some years now worked on sets for Saturday Night Live which is particularly high paced. Sometimes being a cog in a machine is a welcome relief from the focused work I do in my own studio…it is a good balace and needed source of stability. I do not wonder what it would be like to have a “regular” job because I know I would not be suited for one and I wouldn’t survive it!

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I have always been a creative person and I think this is partly inherited and was partly nurtured – or at least not thwarted. Although I cannot say I had a role model exactly, my father was a very creative person, an art director in advertising in its heyday in NYC and my mother had very sharp design instinct. They and some extended family members were encouraging but also always wary of the insecurities of being an artist and of how I might make a living. This is an understandable concern of course as they both created the life they had and provided for me out of virtually nothing but could not picture how I would support myself. Luckily, I was instilled with a strong work ethic and despite their fears I managed to piece together the life I have now with parallel careers as a scenic artist and a fine artist. I feel that growing up in New York City and my education both in liberal arts and fine arts have informed decisions that I’ve made throughout my life. I have lived and worked in three boroughs in addition to a few different states and travelled to a number of countries (I hope to travel to more) but the early exposure to people from every culture and background in New York I feel is a daily education that I fully appreciate and has shaped me as an individual and an artist. There is no set path to being an artist which makes it complicated to navigate. There are only personal goals and many ways to achieve them. Mostly for me it is a life journey of becoming and not necessarily arriving- which sounds a bit cliché I know but its the truth. I am ambitious but try not to allow this to compromise my more sincere intentions for my own work. At this point in my career as an artist I am focused on distilling my ideas and finding the most direct and engaging way of expressing them. I doubt I will ever feel as though I have completely achieved that but it is the effort and possibility of getting closer that gets me to the studio and pushes me towards the next painting.It is a purposeful life and while a cannot say I chose it exactly I can say I am grateful that I have had both the opportunity and perseverance to pursue my own vision and I only hope to be able to convey it clearly and share it with others

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative?

Making art is not magic…nor is it some sort of gift. Becoming an artist of any substance requires that you “show up” whether inspired or not and work through the problem at hand. Yes, it can be fun , even ecstatic at times, but more often it is an act of dedication. Finding a means of communication that allows for a new understanding of a subject either mundane or esoteric takes a certain sensitivity but also a willingness to be self critical. Knowing when to pursue a direction, push it or trash it takes strength and a release of attachment and conceit. The history of art is a support structure and the history of creativity is cyclical. We build on existing foundations… newness/invention is more about a unique perspective on the meeting of previously existing ideas and not the sprouting of something from nothing. For me the goal is to create something that is in someway universally relatable and not impenetrable. The idea that artists are just playing or that a piece of art that looks like it was made quickly was easy for the artist is a myth. A simple but effective line drawing drawn in two minutes in the hands of an accomplished artist is not a thoughtless gesture but a mark informed by years of study, practice and close observation. I suppose there may be an occasional genius but the rest of us are works in progress…striving to distill our ideas into something that will elicit a response. The viewer does play a significant role…so if you are not an artist but enjoy art, know that artists need you and rely on your response to complete the work.

Any resources you can share with us that might be helpful to other creatives?

There are plenty of resources for artists that include residency opportunities, grants, support for public works…but I think the strongest resource is the relationships with peers who are also in your field. I spent time right out of school working as an artist’s assistant which helped me learn a lot just being a spy in their studios but I also had unreasonable expectations of what those artists might do for me. The people I worked for were not that much older than I was at the time and even though they seemed so professionally advanced to me they were in fact also stuggling at their level to reach their own goals. In retrospect I see clearly that they were not prepared to help me especially because they did not feel particularly stable in their own careers. The people in your life who will most likely advocate for you and that you will in turn advocate for are usually people at the same place as you are in their career. It is important to recognize that your friends are your support system/alies and vise versa. Also, be transparent in your journey and share information, trials…it is a competitive world but it is important to keep your values in sight. Try not to get stuck or bitter. I am technically a mid – career artist but am just now seeking resourses to help me advance and reach my new goals. For example I have a mentor who is sharing her expertise with me in areas where I know I need help and advice and generally a new perspective. It is a constantly changing world out there and the best resource is literally ones own willingness to see that reaching out and researching will lead to more opportunity even if it means admitting at any stage that there are always things to learn.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.jessicanissen.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jessicanissen/

Image Credits

Michael Ginsburg (personal photo)
Patrick Neal
Jessica Nissen
Jessica Nissen
Jessica Nissen
Jessica Nissen
SNL Set : at Stiegelbauer shop in the Brooklyn Navy Yard, NY 2020 with Joe Nerone and John Bjerklie.