Today we’d like to introduce you to Jessica Mercier.
Hi Jessica, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I have always been a creative. Since childhood, I knew in my soul that some type of art and design would be part of my life. After a move to Houston three years ago, I had a door open to finally start a creative business. My husband, two daughters, and I embarked on a journey and moved halfway across the country to a place I had never even visited, and now am proud to call Houston our home. I am a special needs mom, and wanted the opportunity to start a business that would give me the flexibility to be home with our girls. I started making shirts as a hobby, designing everything myself.
Friends started asking for the designs, then others from online groups that I was a part of, then people started inquiring about more. “Can you make a logo?” Sure! I learned on the go, and immersed myself in education. Adobe Illustrator and I became really good friends. I applied color theory, that I learned in my time at art school in Boston, to everything that I did. I followed my intuition and design principles. Some things came easily to me, others I have practiced and researched.
In all of this, I found my why. I have an intense passion for using my artistic gifts to help others grow their own businesses. Now I am strategically building full brands for small businesses and entrepreneurs, helping them find the style and voice that will represent their business and attract their perfect clients.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
I really don’t think that a smooth road in business actually exists. However, the thing that I have learned is that there is no such thing as failure. You make a mistake, you learn from it. You move forward. You keep growing no matter what. Every challenge that we are given is an opportunity to better ourselves. Some of the struggles that I have come across include balancing work from home life and parenting small humans. I don’t believe that true even balance is a reality, I do believe in harmony. There are days that there will be more work than others, which means that you will make up the quality family time in other ways.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I have two different sides to me, the branding strategist and designer, and the artist. The designer creates custom brands, logos, typography, and color palettes for my clients. The whole tool kit that you will need to build your social media and online presence and also your website. Your brand is the visual elements that define who you are as a company. I work on attaching emotions to all of these choices, Why will a client choose you? I work through a process that gets to know you and your company’s core values and I make the connection between that and what your ideal clients will connect with and be attracted to. It is all about intuitive energy and telling a story. It is about connection.
The artist is emotional, and intuitive as well. It is about an energy movement across a canvas. I use mixed media, mostly paint and collage to show my soul in a finished piece. My art is abstract in composition and design and is meant to make the viewer feel. My pieces are heavy in contrasting textures and colors, and involve organic patterns and shapes.
How do you think about happiness?
True connection with my higher self and with like minded people. We are all energy. We thrive off of the positivity of thoughts, movement, and actions. Whether I am designing, painting, playing with my daughters, spending time with my husband, collaborating with other business owners, or working with a client, I am connecting to their energy. I love to surround myself in these moments. These are the times when I am most happy. I love the place where I stop thinking about the details and I let my soul take over. These are the happiness, the joy in my existence.
Contact Info:
- Email: jmmartistdesigner@gmail.com
- Website: jmmartistdesigner.com
- Instagram: Instagram.com/jmmartistdesigner
- Facebook: Facebook.com/jmmartistdesigner
Image Credits
Natalie J. Photography
