We were lucky to catch up with Jessica Ourisman recently and have shared our conversation below.
Jessica, appreciate you joining us today. Can you take us back in time to the first dollar you earned as a creative – how did it happen? What’s the story?
In The Alchemist, Paulo Coelho writes that every search starts with a sort of beginner’s luck that belies the series of tests that will follow… and this completely resonates with my journey to becoming a professional writer. I was working as a therapist but writing in my free time, knowing full well that I wanted to be a writer (but with no idea where to begin). By some miracle, a personal essay that I submitted to an editor at a large media group ended up running in several large publications. The platform I used to submit it soon closed, but those bylines allowed me to get my first paid, ongoing gig as a contributing editor.
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 am a freelance journalist covering topics about beauty, fashion and wellness for various publications like Harper’s Bazaar, Elle, Allure, Forbes.com, InStyle, PS (formerly POPSUGAR), and more. My favorite types of pieces delve into the science and medicine behind aesthetics and cosmetic dermatology, but I also really enjoy writing pieces that focus on integrative and functional medicine that combines the Western medical model with multiple modalities of healing. I also write passion pieces on animal welfare topics when I can.
Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative?
Living a lifestyle to facilitate creativity can follow a different schedule than the typical 9-to-5. It can be hard to explain the way that my inspiration works to someone that doesn’t experience it. Rather than “force” my writing when it doesn’t flow naturally, I prefer to wait until the moment it comes out effortlessly into my conscious mind. Once I even opened up the notes app on my phone in the middle of a shower in order to outline the bulk of a story I had due. It has also meant canceling social plans to stay in and write because suddenly the piece was ready to be written.
Are there any books, videos, essays or other resources that have significantly impacted your management and entrepreneurial thinking and philosophy?
Writing takes place within, so for me, is a lot of my intentional practices are about cultivating my mindset and shifting from outer-to-inner engagement. Stress-reduction and wellness practices help me “get out of my own way” to put words on the paper. Reading writers’ pieces about writing—like Stephen King, Ernest Hemingway, Joan Didion—is always immensely validating and helpful. I remember how important it was to learn that even Stephen King faced constant rejection early in his career. I also love reading personal essays like those by David Sedaris (and he actually teaches the importance of making time to journal regularly), and I find a lot of inspiration in the writing/work by Carl Jung, books by Paulo Coelho, and Rumi poetry.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.jessicagreyourisman.com
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/jessicagreyourisman
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessicagreyourisman/
- Other: https://linktr.ee/jessicagreyourisman
Image Credits
My portrait is by Robin Black for Sisley Paris