Saturday in the Studio – Jesselyn Helms
In the Studio with
Jesselyn Helms
How did you start making art?
I’ve been making art since I was a kid. I think that painting really started to stand out as both a therapeutic and truly enjoyable art form for me when I was in high school, where I participated in different art courses over the span of four years. I took a break from painting for a number of years afterwards, only occasionally picking up a paint brush. I started to make time for it again in 2018, and I was instantly reminded of why I enjoy painting and expressing myself creatively.
Why do you create and what need does it satisfy?
I create as a way to express experiences, emotions, feelings, and ideas that are difficult to put into words. I live with chronic pain and invisible illnesses. The impact of these parts of me is often challenging to fully explain in words. Through brush strokes, color, texture, etc. I find it easier to show my loved ones what I am experiencing, and how it affects my outlook on daily living. By expressing these experiences on canvas, in a way, I get to honor the most difficult parts of myself, which ultimately leads to more forgiveness towards my body.
As an artist, what is your most important tool?
My attitude! In order to create, I have to be willing to take down my walls and look deeply at myself, my experiences, reality, and abstractions. I have to be in a place where I am willing to get vulnerable and be honest about what I am trying to say through this medium.
What is something that you can’t live without in your studio and why?
Definitely music. I find that listening to music while painting is the quickest way to let my guard down, and get out of my head. It can also help shape and guide my painting cadence, which ultimately leads to different textures and outcomes.
What is your least favorite part of your process?
My least favorite part of the process is waiting for background layers to dry. I can grow a little impatient at times and try to rush this process, and each time I am reminded again why it is a purposeful part of my process.
What is your favorite part?
My favorite part of the process is sharing a finished piece with someone, and receiving feedback on how it made them feel, what it made them think of, etc. That type of connection and reach is something special that you can’t recreate!
