Great and loaded question Canvas.

Thank you for allowing me to share a little piece of me with you all amid this interview today.

The answer, which truly could not be fully articulated in enough written words, I promise to be transparent, vivid and honest  in an effort to explore that question fully.

Now, I can’t give you all my secrets or else I’d have to charge, but seriously, all jokes aside, I have become a source of knowledge and experience, that I would have never fathomed, when I first ventured into this industry, and it’s only growing. I have managed by staying present, humble and open to learn from others whom have  mentored me in some way or another and whom I admire or respect for their successes and achievements.

So, without further ado, have I made a full-time living for my creative work my entire venture into the space, such acting, and standup comedy over the 20 year span, the answer is

N O, heck no!

The truth is, this career path, is a constant test of your dedication, faith and passion for such. The highs being remarkable, rewarding, and meaningful, while the lows being defeating, troubling, confusing and depressing at times.

I am not a woman of religion, yet, a woman of faith, and despite the lows, my faith in myself, my belief in myself have far superseded any low I’ve endured along the way, while keeping me grounded and moving forward. I have had a lengthy career and it’s only getting lengthier, because of my dedication and faith as I’ve so stated. Now, I have at different lengths of time, YES, absolutely, yes, made a full-time living doing just my art and the later being that I’ve had to supplement, shamelessly, as blessed with bigger picture, and potential thinking in doing so.

Again, the idea is to supplement my income and never veer too far away from the goal, while doing things that are aligned with the overall goal, and that do not take away from the goal, yet they enhance the goal and the lifestyle to achieve said goal.

“If the world is not gonna clap for you, you have to clap for yourself” if that makes any hoopla sense… (btw you can use that quote, just respectfully credit me…..wink wink …….

I definitely heard it on the internet somewhere)

To walk you through fully, you’ll be reading a true novel, which I’ll be putting out one day,  soon, but, day one looks like, ambition in motion, like a burning flame that cannot be put out, though it is often put out, because of ones lack of experience, due to newness, then in short you eventually get that first booking, and it’s like you are on cloud nine.

If you’ve read some of my other stories, I have always been passionate about the arts, but having lost both my parents to terminal illness at a very young age, I led a life I thought would make them proud, for sometime, but that life compromised my own happiness, and once I determined that there happiness was simply MY OWN, that’s when my life really started. So, I had shifted gears and put my soul into acting, where my happiness and heart lives today and always. Spending years studying with the Hollywood greats, and being blessed with opportunities to read  for some of the most coveted acting roles set for television and film to date.

Standup Comedy, is its own heartbeat. It’s an extension of me that I’ve developed a more recent passion for in the last six years, and honing in on that craft, having performed upwards of 300 plus shows between California and Arizona, has certainly seasoned me. A craft and pursuit that is ever evolving and one that I am very proud to be part of.

I don’t nor will I ever choose one over the other. I love them both equally and yet so very differently. The dream would be to recur on network television, most of the year, and in my off time tour with Standup Comedy.

I became a mom two years ago, and more recently, a single mom, and that has had an immense impact on my life and my career, in terms of availability, but I won’t say adversely. The challenges that it has presented and will continue to present, have only made me stronger and only inspired me to want to work harder,  so that my daughter has everything she could dream of and more, while standing right by my side.

I have accomplished some pretty amazing things on screen and behind, nothing that made me rich or famous, neither of which have been goals of mine though. I just want to do work that I’m proud of, and that others are inspired by, and hopefully attached to that is greatness, accolades and wealth both internally and externally on a monetary and spiritual level.

So, backtracking a bit here, for those of you who are unfamiliar with my entertainment presence, in front or behind the silver screen.  I am an accomplished performer. I say Performer, over specifically holding a title of say StandUp Comedian or Actor, because, I am so much more. I’ve been a tv host, played characters, recorded voiceover campaigns, shot local and international lifestyle print, I’ve performed on live stages, done stunts, directed, produced, the list goes on and on. Therefore, I identify with “performance artistry,” as a whole. I’m not a one or even two trick pony. If the project is a good fit, and checks all my personal boxes, sign me up.

I became Screen Actors Guild (SAG) eligible when I was cast to play a cheerleader, in a Holiday Inn Express Commercial opposite the late Robbie Knievel, back in 2004, joined the Union shortly after. I became American Federation and Television or (AFTRA) eligible when I shot the pilot and an episode of the first season of Deal or No Deal with Howie Mandel, back in 2005, as a briefcase model, for a brief stint.

Then the Unions merged. So I was SAG- AFTRA since 2005. When I ventured into performance art, in Los Angeles, if you were not a Union Performer, you were not able to get access to the bigger and more noteworthy projects.

I have a whole philosophy where I stand on the matter now, that even to myself is daunting at times, but it’s an interview in itself, I’ll spare you the rant for now.   I’m currently based in Phoenix, Arizona, but I’m still represented by my team in California,  additionally, my team here in Arizona and my team in Colorado, so thankfully, I have access to multiple markets, which is truly a blessing, making my ability to have performance art more so a full-time gig than ever before.

My through line in all of this is truly, as simple as, “there are no shortcuts, just do the work, the work speaks, and those who matter industry wide will notice.” Period ! Stay true, stay humble, stay gracious and focused, but most importantly faithful to the higher power of whatever your belief system is.

Great question. I have had very few reliable mentors, or resources in my early career, but those I have had, have been very instrumental in my life and success at different times, lending their insight and support overall. That being said, I had to navigate a lot of ups and downs, highs and lows, even touch the fire and get burnt a little bit, so to speak. I persevered through it all on my own more often than not, and now twenty years later, I get approached by a lot of newer performers about different resources, experiences, general guidance if you will, especially here in Arizona, an ever growing entertainment market, where the Hollywood actor isn’t the norm.

Consequently, I’ve decided to launch my very first “Performance Art,” skills building program here in Arizona Fall 2023.

There will be online courses available as well, if you are not local, and interested, please follow me on Instagram for updates and stay tuned.

My overall philosophy with my program is to not make false promises or any promise at all really.  You do this or that with me and this will happen, I promise, nope, none of that, I just want performers to leave my doors with more tools than they came in with, and an ability to enter the industry with some direction, ease and confidence. You can do the math, but like I said, I am on my 20th year in this industry, and I’ve never pretended nor will I ever, that I have all the answers, or am even thriving at the level I would aspire to be, but what I will say is 20 years speaks volumes, that’s what you call experience, that is what you call longevity.

I just wanna share the information that took me 20 years to acquire, and that I am consistently and actively adding to daily.

Staying open, humble and eager to learn from others every single day, while never getting comfortable or complacent, is the key. I have actors, performers, friends, colleagues from all walks of life, I ask all sorts of questions and I take it all in with some degree of respect, in and effort to learn perspective outside mine own.

Oh this is a great one. Im gonna flip this one a little. An important lesson I have learned is,  “getting bigger than my britches,” or ahead of myself, big headed, if you will, and unlearning that mentality, and leading with the most valuable lesson of all, which is one that I have stood behind ever since;

If you can do what you love and are passionate about it, while making a comfortable living and not compromise your ethics or morals along the way, DO IT, and never waiver or listen to the white noise. Trust your gut, and go.

This valuable, though tough lesson, I learned and unlearned was in lieu of some career milestones. After having fairly large success as a lifestyle model and commercial actor between 2005-2010, I started getting auditions for film and television.

I’ll never forget the day I got an email from my then manager, about an audition for a lead role in an independent film that was seeking “star name talent.”

At that point I’d done all of two student films, I was very “green,”  in that world, but I was studying a lot and knew I always had a natural gift that I was steadily honing no less. I recall ringing my manager, and she was like “I know what you are going to say Jess, but you are a STAR, I believe in you, you just need a vehicle, so say nothing, get coaching and crush this audition.” Needless to say, I booked it and beat out a lot of “star name talent” the film itself fell apart in post and wasn’t that great, but I did carry the majority of that film, and had a huge chunk of filming and experience I am til this very day proud of.

So coming off that film I was like this is “it”, this is my time, I am going to be a “movie star” no turning back.

About a year after wrapping that production, I was met with an opportunity to recur on a contract role for a soap opera called Young and the Restless. Most of you reading this won’t even remember that or have even heard of that show, but, back when I first started, unfortunately, Soap Operas didn’t have the respect that they should have, it was like doing dancing with the stars at the end of your A-list career trying to revive it or something, I really don’t know how better to explain it, like reality TV stigma, but it wasn’t admired the way it should’ve been or celebrated the way that it should’ve been. Consequently, I turned the role down, because I thought it would interfere with any “better” opportunities for major television or film work. Despite having no regrets, after turning that project down, I did not work theatrically for years. I did book a lot of print. I did a lot of commercials, a lot of things that I am proud of, but I have struggled ever since theatrically. I know there are a lot of factors that are far beyond my control and I do get positive, reassuring feedback, and I have been to producers and up for some big name projects, and so forth, but to have been able to be on set, almost every day, constantly working on my craft, leaving with more than I came in with, making a comfortable, secure living as an actor, I would kill for that opportunity again and I know it’s coming, but as the lesson states, I will never ever get “too big for my britches again,” no matter how many years go by. With that, I thank you all for your support, time, and energy, cliche maybe, but truly never give up, live your dream, live your passion, while you are blessed with an abundance of abilities to do so in the human experience. Namaste friends