An Inspired Chat with Jama Watts of Hampton

We recently had the chance to connect with Jama Watts and have shared our conversation below.

Jama, really appreciate you sharing your stories and insights with us. The world would have so much more understanding and empathy if we all were a bit more open about our stories and how they have helped shaped our journey and worldview. Let’s jump in with a fun one: What do you think others are secretly struggling with—but never say?
In this day and age of putting our best, shiny, smiling faces forward on social media, I think there are many others that are struggling with imposter syndrome. It wasn’t until I shared a piece that I created called “Not Real Art/Imposter Syndrome” online, along with the story behind it, that I had other artists come forward and admit to those same feelings. We share the productive and successful parts of us online or in gallery shows and markets; we share the the finished pieces, but not the struggle that went into them. We see the artist talking about their piece, but not the anxiety that they might have in talking about the piece. Heck, it’s taken me years to feel like I belong in the gallery space, and that’s even after owning my own gallery years ago!

Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
My name is Jama Watts, and I am the owner and artist behind The Artificer’s Archive. I’ve been an artist my whole life, always carving out studio space in my home, even when I had a small apartment or in my college dorm room. I’ve taken detours in getting to be a full-time artist, from running a small gallery / coffee shop to working in public libraries for over a decade (and even getting my masters in library science along the way!).

When I invite people into my booth space at an art fair or my wall at a gallery, I often start with “welcome to my ADHD.” It’s a funny ice-breaker, but it’s the truth. In fact, I just received my diagnosis! Because of this, I find myself drawn to a plethora of mediums. I stuck to bead embroidered and woven jewelry for years, but have recently allowed myself to throw other mediums into the mix. I’ve brought back my love of traditional embroidery, learned needle felting and gelatin print-making, taken watercolor and encaustic classes, and I keep looking for more to add to my wheel house. I think I allowed myself to get boxed into the “do one thing well” stigma, and realized that picking one thing just isn’t for me. I’d rather let my creativity flow, and I think that is reflected in my work.

Appreciate your sharing that. Let’s talk about your life, growing up and some of topics and learnings around that. What did you believe about yourself as a child that you no longer believe?
I struggled with this question. I’ve been talking about certain aspects of my childhood quite a bit recently with others, and I think that’s when I realized that I’d been battling ADHD and imposter syndrome.

I went to the same small school for most of my youth. I think there were around 500 students K-12. I was labeled “gifted” early on, getting to take part in the self-titled program. I got to work with computers early on, went on a lot of field trips to theaters and museums, and was pulled out of my regular classes a few times a week to meet with other students in the program. I loved the program. I enjoyed experiences that I never would have had otherwise, especially all of the visits to art galleries, museums, and theaters. Those trips help shaped my love and appreciation of all of the arts and made me a more well-rounded individual.

However, the gifted label comes with a lot of pressure. “With great power comes great responsibility” and all that. I believed I had to be the best. Being the best also meant that I felt that I owed it to my teachers and parents to succeed. Anything less than the best was failure. That’s an insane amount of pressure to put on a child. And when you have anxiety like I had, you internalize that. It took me years of self-reflection and therapy to overcome that, and I still struggle with it.

However, I also know that being the best, or even being labeled as the best, can also bring complacency. I think that might be one of the reasons I always strive to learn and do better. I know that I’m the only one I have to listen to when it comes to putting pressure on myself. And I’m getting better about not doing that constantly.

If you could say one kind thing to your younger self, what would it be?
Believe in yourself as an artist. Quit comparing yourself to everyone else. Art doesn’t have to look exactly like a thing – wait until you discover Judy Chicago and Mark Rothko! Create what makes you happy, not what you think others want to see. Don’t judge yourself by your financial gains or the number of ribbons hanging on your artwork. Enjoy the process and don’t let others pigeonhole you.

So a lot of these questions go deep, but if you are open to it, we’ve got a few more questions that we’d love to get your take on. Is the public version of you the real you?
For the most part, yes. I try very hard to be authentic. I think the one thing many people would get wrong (at least what I’ve heard others say) is that I’m an extrovert. I’m definitely an introvert and will keep to myself walking through museums or even at a gallery opening where I don’t know anyone. I’ve even had people tell me after getting to know me that they thought I was stuck up when they met me. Nope, I just don’t naturally talk to people that I don’t know (unless I like your hair or something, that’ll get me to talk).

I’ve also suffered from depression and anxiety my whole life, but am in a better place now than I have been in a while. I think all of that has helped me be more authentic. People just don’t see the days of hibernation I require after a weekend-long art market!

Okay, so before we go, let’s tackle one more area. What will you regret not doing? 
Right now – traveling. I’ve not had the opportunity to travel and I want so desperately to do so. I’d love to be able to travel to all of the places I’ve tracked my ancestry to, as well as places that had an impact on my career as an artist.

Contact Info:

Image Credits
All images taken my me.

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