We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Jessica Wrasman a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Jessica, thanks for joining us today. One of the most important things small businesses can do, in our view, is to serve underserved communities that are ignored by giant corporations who often are just creating mass-market, one-size-fits-all solutions. Talk to us about how you serve an underserved community.
When I see a space or community that looks neglected, I am immediately filled with an urge to give it a little love and care. Beauty is such a part of inspiring joy and goodness. It holds people accountable to rise up to the beauty and God-given goodness within themselves.
Power and position have often resulted in a false sense that beauty and design isn’t accessible to those without money and power, but I don’t think this has to be the case. Beauty and design is so much about care for people, just as much as it is about commitment and a creative eye. Good design, I believe, starts with really seeing and loving people. If we think of what a space is—people and their routines and rhythms are at the center of it. The dirty work of cleaning, preparing, painting, curating, purchasing, moving, and so much more that goes into the designing of a space is all done for that moment of “wow,” when people see it and can experience and feel all the love and care that went into it, for it to be enjoyed.
A couple of years ago I had the opportunity to design a church Narthex. There was no money initially for the project. At first, I petitioned the church for $500 to get a couple of used pieces of furniture and paint to do a triage pick-me up of the room. Next thing you know, someone anonymously donated $25,000 for the project and we were able to figure out how to best utilize the space. Our team purchased some beautiful art pieces, brought in a community coffee bar, and three distinct sitting areas and a chandelier. The space was completely transformed and the impact has been great. A couple of months after the project’s completion, a young man sat and enjoyed a cup of coffee in his nice chair after his father’s funeral in that space. That one moment made all the effort and hardship of the project worth it to me. It was a way of comforting and giving a hug to a stranger, in a sense.
I like to work within that space of creating something from nothing, fueled by faith, and love. To me, an artist is a pioneer and innovator, inspired by truth and goodness, to express intuitively. This takes incredible courage and the ability to set aside self-doubt. It takes grit.
When I started a children’s art program four years ago, I wanted to create a space where kids could come and be inspired to learn about famous artists and work with different styles and mediums. I didn’t want it exclusive to a particular group or walk of life. After the community caught the vision, we are now able to offer a full-fledged art program. Seeing a kid come in with anger issues, or from poverty or longstanding illness, who might otherwise not have the opportunity to take part in an after school art program thrive through the arts and even heal through the expressive creativity it provides is really rewarding. Of course there is always the underlay of such a program—there are naysayers, people who don’t get it, people who would rather have you use the space otherwise. There is the fight for budget at times, and people who don’t value what you are doing and people who have no gratitude or understanding of the amount of time, effort, and headspace that goes into the program. If I was fueled by people’s gratitude and applause, I would have stopped long ago and have gotten nowhere. I have learned that community service work is hard work and it has to be deeply personal and spiritual work. It is service work for a reason—serving is the implication of giving. The receiving often comes from a deep inner sense of purpose and power in being able to create a positive ripple effect in society. There is also power and confidence in comes from quietly doing good. The people who I have come to love most in the volunteer work setting are those who quietly (and often independently, and away from the camera), do the dirty work, knowing that something beautiful can only come with hours and hours of dirty work behind the scenes.
The work in our community art program matters because it gets the kids connecting and working through tangible tensions. It allows them to take creative risks without a grade, and to see the results of their work. They collaborate freely, simply for the sake of making something and the enjoyment of it and in being with each other. An art program like ours brings together people of all walks of life, with the creative process and materials being a common language among people of all backgrounds. It’s a very disarming and freeing process. At the end of each year, we have invited the community to see the kids’ work, inviting local artists and venues to also share and show their work and participate alongside.
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.
My primary work is as a freelance editor and private literature and writing tutor. I help clients put their thoughts to paper and then we polish it to make it beautiful. Most of my current clients are college-prep students making sense of their stories in order to write their college-entrance essays. I also help business owners gain clarity about their stories and their brand. What I love about being a story-worker is seeing people empowered as they connect the dots of seemingly haphazard experiences or moments that hold weight. I like to help people articulate their strengths and find the golden nuggets that have come from hardships as they work through various life experiences. Helping people frame their content and make sense of confusion, crafting it into something beautiful is really enjoyable to me. It is such a confidence booster to own one’s story or brand and to be able to articulate it clearly. I see all of the work I do as art that starts with the question- What is the beauty and truth here?
As the director of a children’s art program, I bring in artists, teachers, and volunteers together and we offer courses in various mediums of art based upon the kids’ interests. What began four years ago mid-pandemic now serves 25 students and their families. We have been able to gain funding through private donations and grants as well as support from the church where it is held. Each year, we hold a gala, inviting local artists, and we invite the community in to see the kids’ art work. I love the idea of bringing the museum experience to the suburbs, fueled by our local artists. In this way, the community is collectively making the city a more enjoyable place to be. I have seen art act as a great leveler and unifier, a common language among people during unsettling times in our world.
My love for beauty translates to my vintage gallery-wall art and design projects. I see any space as an open canvas, and instantly have ideas about how to transform the space to make it the best it can be. I love timeless pieces that are well-made. I am a (mostly) maximalist designer with a love for old-world antiques and vintage pieces.
I used to be really insecure that I didn’t have one focused passion. I just am not built that way. I am full-blown right brain, and I feel like what happens in the internal world and the external world are inextricably linked. I have several interests- but all of them are related to having a beautiful experience and really seeing and appreciating people and the world around us. I don’t want to take anything for granted. I want to savor everything, whether it be a walk in the woods, nice epsom salt bath, a book on the couch with my cat, or a dinner with my family.
I care about my surroundings and making them beautiful and I also really try to take care of my inner world- my peace of mind. I love my family, and I also love my clients and it’s an honor and privilege to hear and help shape their stories.
What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?
I really like the quote by late American actress turned designer Elsie De Wolfe who said, ““I am going to make everything around me beautiful – that will be my life.” I think we were meant for beauty and expression, and to know others and be known by them. Savoring and delighting in beautiful words, places, and comforts–in our world, within ourselves, and with others– makes for a beautiful life. This is what drives me. I see potential in everything–even the ugliest of situations, and I see what it could be. My friend Jay Simmons has a phrase he says which is to “fill the gaps with hope” and I think this is a goal I have adopted and applied to the way I approach my creative work and as a lifestyle.
I’m comforted by the Scripture, Psalm 23:6, that says, “Surely goodness and beauty will follow you all the days in your life, and you will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.” No matter the circumstance or place, there is always beauty to be found, and I want to know where it is and how to access it and make it central. I think it’s why I love thrifting. You can pass a rack of 300 nonchalant shirts, and then you’ll come across the most gorgeous blouse from 50 years ago just hanging there like it doesn’t matter. That type of thing brings me such delight! I also recently found 6 rolls of pink vintage rose wallpaper at the thrift and I’m still on a high from that. “Diamond in the rough” is kind of where I like to hang my hat, but it also means hanging out in a lot of rubble. Everything beautiful has come from heaps of sifting- through- the- rubble work behind the scenes.
As a story- worker and editor, clients come to me to help them make sense of their story for the college entrance writing process. I also have clients who are simply trying to sift through their journey in order to carve and path forward or to come up with their business tag line. I help people to recognize themes and highlight hope. To me, that is what life is all about–hope in the face of adversity, and the work I do are micro-moments of the whole of that. Life is full of adversity, and every day I want to make sense of my experience, whether it be my physical or inner world, or that of someone else–and use that knowledge to both be present in the moment and as fuel to better my experience or the lives of those around me.
When designing an interior, there isn’t a budget too big or too small. This is because beauty and creativity do not discriminate, and wherever there is a determination to make something beautiful, a little care, love, attention, and time make all the difference. That, and understanding someone’s heart and trying to match their heart and the intention of the use of the space with the reality of what it becomes. In this way, there is such a huge connection between our inner world, and the physical space we inhabit.
We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?
I think I used to be subconsciously waiting for someone to give me permission to make art, or to start something in the community, or to tell me “the work you are doing matters.” I had to finally decide for myself that my contribution matters. Once I realized that I had something to say, and that it mattered enough if only it really mattered to me, doors began to open for me.
I also used to be so afraid of messing up or doing something wrong in the process of growing. But I realized that I am hardest on myself, and nobody actually is shaking a finger at me if something doesn’t work the way it should have or if I made a human mistake.
I recently offered a camp and I went against my gut and charged a higher rate than I thought based upon what I thought was the market trend. When few people signed up, I decided to cancel and redirect my efforts at another opportunity that had more interest. In the past, something like that would have crushed me. I would have taken it as a sign of my personal failure and as evidence that this wasn’t for me. Now, I am gentler on myself. Shit happens. I worked hard on trying to put that together, and I even went against my gut to take a risk and it’s actually something I’m proud of. What’s the harm in trying something and going all-in? Now, I will redirect instead of waste time and energy beating myself up. It’s super refreshing being good to yourself. We have to be our own best friend and cheerleader in this life.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jessicawrasman/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jessica.wrasman
Image Credits
Krystin McRoy