Interview with Jessica

I have a set of questions that I came up with that are a little bit Krista Tippett, a little bit Danielle Krysa, and a lot bit my own curiosity. I think talking about our creative stories is a way to bind us together and encourage us to keep going on our own creative path. I’m excited to be asking these questions and to be sharing these creatives’ answers with you.

Tell my readers a little bit about you.

Hi! I’m Jessica. I currently live in Madison, AL with my spouse, a couple of teenagers, a dog, and a cat.  I have an engineering degree that I used for a number of years, but quit my day job several years ago after suffering major burnout. Currently I spend my days carting kids around, and squeezing in bits of creativity whenever I can in this busy phase of life. I like to crochet in the evenings while we watch tv, so historically that’s been my most prolific creative outlet. I also love playing around with mixed media art journaling, typically with watercolors, acrylics, paper and fabric scraps, and pretty much anything I see laying around that could be glued down.

I’m constantly learning new techniques and mediums to play with, though.  My spouse tells me I need to focus on one thing, but nah. There are just too many creative mediums to play around with! I love using recycled or repurposed materials as much as possible. Saving an old shirt from the landfill by turning it into a bag or something else useful is incredibly satisfying to me. I plan to spend more time figuring out how to creatively reuse things that may still have some life in it in some form or another. 

What is your first memory of creativity?

Gosh. I can remember watching family members create. I remember my grandmother making plastic canvas creations. My mom cross stitched for a while, which could be fascinating. And I remember watching my aunt crochet blankets when I was a kid.  One summer she taught me how to crochet a chain.  I created a chain that was probably three times the length of the house. I never got the hang of stitching into those chains that summer, and never tried to learn again until I was an adult searching for a creative outlet. But that memory is pretty dear to me.  

I loved, too, that these women, and many more in my extended family, spent time making things to then give to loved ones. It was a lesson that I’ve tried to hold onto, especially with my crocheted items.  Very little sparks more joy for me than to have a gifted handmade item received with excitement and love. 

Misty: You crocheted a toy elephant for my youngest when they were born that I spotted in a magazine and showed you. I thought it was amazing that you just made it! This was before I could crochet and probably one of the drivers for having you teach me how to crochet.

What did you love to make as a kid and are you still making some variation of that now?

I remember cutting out the models and clothing from JC Penney catalogs to make my own, sort of awkward, paper dolls. I guess the spark to cut things up to give them at least a bit more life started fairly early! 

Another time, when I was probably a preteen or early teen, I remember taking a dress I didn’t like, and hand sewed it into a skirt that was decidedly better. I didn’t experiment with altering clothes too much, but can remember that being one that I was pretty proud of! 

What is your favorite creative supply and why can’t you live without it?

Oof. I am a collector of supplies, always looking for something new to play with! I’m gonna have to answer yarn, I think.  I love being creative in so many ways, but crochet is probably one of the only ones that I can just sit with and go without much thought. It’s always my go to for anytime I know I will be sitting around for awhile! 

Misty: I will never have enough yarn! There’s just something so satisfying about giving it a big squeeze!

What is a creative question you ask over and over?

What if? 

What if I used this tool? What if I try that technique? What if I use this yarn with this stitch? What if I do xyz instead of abc? Etc. I enjoy experimentation in all the things, and “What if?” questions are pretty central to that. 

What gets you to start a new project?

It changes.  Seeing a pattern that looks fun and/or challenging sometimes. Or learning a new technique, and just spending time experimenting with that. Or sometimes taking a pile of materials and figuring out what to do with it.  My favorite of those was taking backyard weeds this spring and turning it into dye that was then used to dye skeins of yarn! Eventually I’ll grab those dyed skeins and turn those into something unique as well! 

Misty: That dyed yarn you made is scrumptious! I love to do eco dyeing as well but what you did with that project is next level!

What is a book on creativity that you come back to again and again? Why?

I feel like I really haven’t read that much on creativity? I have a collection of crochet stitch guides that I rely on pretty heavily. Not sure I could pick one, but a good stitch guide is pretty indispensable.  

One book I can mention is “The Crafter’s Devotional” by Barbara R. Call. It has a year’s worth of daily creative prompts.  This question just reminded me that I haven’t looked at it in a while! Thanks for the reminder, because I’m gonna flip through that as soon as I’m done here.

Misty: I LOVE THAT BOOK TOO! It is one of two books that got me started on my creative journey in 2003!

How did we meet?

We had a group of mutual friends way back when.  I don’t actually remember the specific event, but I’m sure it was at one of their houses at some get together or another. By the time I moved here, we had a weekly gathering to watch tv shows as a group. I typically came every week with a project in hand to work on while we watched whatever show we were on at the time. 🙂 

You taught me to crochet! So you are very much a part of my creative story. Who are some big influences in your creative story?

Other than family members mentioned in another question, I’m gonna have to reference our crafty group of friends. You’ve been a pretty big influence. I know you’ve introduced me to some workshops, which have led me to other great creators that I now follow online. The online group is ever-expanding, too. 

How can people find you?

Instagram: @kingjrd 
Twitter: @kingjrd
Bluesky is still in Beta but if you are on there: @kingjrd.bsky.social
My Etsy shop is currently on hold, but I’ll announce on my socials when it’s open again!

Jessica, thank you for sharing your creative stories with us! I had so much fun reading your answers to my questions. And I know my readers will enjoy it too. (These photos belong to Jessica. She graciously let me use them in this interview.)

What about you? Are you formulating your answers to these questions? I’d love to know your answers! Catch up with me on socials, email me, or go oldschool and leave a comment on this post to be immortalized for all of time.

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