We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Mina a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Mina, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today It’s always helpful to hear about times when someone’s had to take a risk – how did they think through the decision, why did they take the risk, and what ended up happening. We’d love to hear about a risk you’ve taken.

Last year i was invited to be apart of our city’s “Winedown Wednesday”, an event held the third Wednesday of every month. This event showcases some of the amazing talent in our city, and gives them the space and opportunity to shine bright. Prior to this event, i have never been apart of any arts event in town. Nervous was an understatement, and i found myself going back and forth on whether i was actually going to join. I was comfortable with what i was doing at the times, mostly commissions and original pieces when i had the time, but I wanted to grow more as an artist. I do have a full-time job which unfortunately, takes up a lot of my time and energy. But my dream is to be a full time Artist and i knew i would have to push myself past what i know.

I took a chance and when to the introductory meeting, where we got to tour the space, plan out or set-up and connect with the other participants. I don’t even know what i though of that seemed so scary, when i got there the space was full of beautiful art, the other creatives were all so nice, and mutually excited to be apart. I met a few people i had know via social media, and some others that were also displaying their pieces for the first time. I found my spot to set up and agreed to do a live mural for the event. I had a lot of ideas and wasn’t sure if i could do it all.

The night of i had help from my mom and a close friend to get everything set up! I started painting the wall i chose around 5ish and was going all night long. People would come up to talk to me about the mural, get to know me more and to see it all come together! I had an amazing night, and donated one of my pieces to the owners of the space! I am so glad that i pushed myself to do something new, since then I have been in more showings around the city and have made some great connections!

So to my fellow creatives, take that risk. No you may not know what will come, and obstacles are sure to arise, but if you believe in your own potential you would be amazed the places you will go!

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

So my name is Jasmine Louis-Jacques but in the art world i go by Mina. This was actually a childhood name given to me, but i wanted to use it with my art because it feels like the truest version of me, which is the same for my art. I am a visual artist, specializing in portraiture, and contemporary art.

I started drawing and painting gosh in Kindergarten. I don’t think i knew then i would be an artists, but i knew that i liked to draw and that i was pretty good at it (or at least that’s what my kindergarten art teacher told me). Growing up art was always a safe place for me, where i could express myself without fear of judgement. In school i was always making drawings for my friends and as i got out of school i began selling commissioned work.

Art for me is incredibly personal. Every commission I do is made full of love, i always feel so honored to give some one a piece that reflects the beauty within them. It is truly special to be able to capture a moment and make it last forever. My contemporary pieces follow themes of nature, universal principles, and transforming mundane moments or actions into literally a work of art. I do not believe you have to have the most extravagant life for it to be happy one. All you have to do is bring your awareness to where you are right now. Count your blessings and go through life with gratitude and something a seemingly boring as cleaning up your house transforms into a self love ritual.

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

For me, the most rewarding part of being an artist is being able to put my true self onto the canvas.. I grew up as a people pleaser, and a side effect of that is struggling with being my most bold self. In art i don’t have to worry about saying the right things, looking or acting the part. I can come however i am feeling and create from that place. I do not attach myself to such a definitive interpretation of the art i make because i think a beautiful thing about art is that everyone can look at the same piece and each take away something different. Art heals me in ways little other things do.

I would also say that sharing my art with others whether that is in a commissioned piece, a print or even one of my affirmation leaves is so rewarding to me as an artist. Every time it feels like sharing a piece of myself! I don’t get anxious about selling or giving away pieces, i create my art with the intention that it will find its home eventually. Nothing makes me happier than seeing pictures of my painting in my client’s home!

In your view, what can society to do to best support artists, creatives and a thriving creative ecosystem?

The society we live in is built for workers, not creatives, and that can be exhausting for someone trying to live out their creative dreams. I wish firstly, that we are paid our worth. People seem to forget the importance of art. It is how we define our selves in time, add culture and life into the world around us. It strengthens our mind by allowing us to experience different textures, sounds, colors etc. Most creatives i know cannot support themselves from their creative works alone, and require a full time job just to get by. But this kills the creative heart and leads to burn out! I believe we should be able to put our whole heart into our art and realistically speaking that requires a wage that can allow us to do so.

I feel like cities should employ more artists, to beautify the town your in and to help teach others. Access to the arts can keep a lot of people from trouble as well, People need outlets and if healthy ones aren’t available to them people will take the path that they can obtain. Imagine having more craft nights for youth in our city. Or even for different minority groups, such as elderly people, prison inmates, homeless people. And creative outlets do not just have to be doing a paint by numbers, we can have people learn about architecture, to create housing opportunities. We can teach people to cook a beautiful meal, to share with the community. We can teach people how to build a beautiful and functional garden, creating community gardens for us all to share! Creativity leads to new and innovative ideas! And as we continue to move and grow in this life, we can use our creativity to build a more loving, more efficient and fun world for us all!

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @_minasarts