Meet Jama Watts

We recently connected with Jama Watts and have shared our conversation below.

Jama, so excited to have you with us today. So much we can chat about, but one of the questions we are most interested in is how you have managed to keep your creativity alive.
I joke a lot and say that my creations are a result of my ADHD, but I’m only partially joking. My focus for the last decade or so has been on my beadwork, but I don’t like to pigeonhole myself with one medium. I grew up constantly doodling, and my mom taught me to crochet, embroider and sew when I was in grade school. In college, I studied art and I focused on acrylic painting and ceramic sculpture, while also venturing into printmaking, photography, and mixed media sculpture.

Even after college when I wasn’t actively pursuing a career in the arts, I always made sure to have a studio or at least a corner tucked away where I could create.

Additionally, I’ve always made sure to visit galleries and museums, and I’ve found inspiration in literature and music. Since moving to Virginia, I’ve started taking classes at a couple of local galleries, in order to add more techniques to my repertoire. Heck, I’ve even downloaded a couple of CAD programs since adding a laser cutter/engraver and 3D printers to the studio.

Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?
I had just moved to coastal Virginia during the height of COVID when I decided to go back to creating full-time. I knew I wanted to define my business in broad strokes, not focusing on just jewelry. That’s where the name “The Artificer’s Archive” was born – an artificer is a skilled inventor or craft person; an archive is where important information is kept. I’d just left 11 years in public libraries behind, so archive made sense. I’m a big geek, and was creating an artificer for my latest Dungeons and Dragons campaign. Those facts and a love of alliteration meant The Artificer’s Archive was a perfect umbrella name for my creations.

After starting the business, I reached out to local galleries and gift shops. My work is currently in three local retail shops and galleries, and I’ve consistently gotten into local gallery exhibits and art festivals. After finding myself all over the Hampton Roads area in Virginia, I was also recently in a gallery exhibit in Raleigh, NC, and I found out today that I’ll be shipping two works to Albuquerque for the Fiber Arts Festival. I’m still surprised any time my name is called for a ribbon, and I appreciate every kind word spoken at a reception.

I won’t lie and say I haven’t struggled to find a focus for the business. Again, I don’t want to pigeonhole myself, but I do want to have a well-defined goal or path. I recently realized that path is craftivism. Last year, I produced Sunflowers for Ukraine, with proceeds going to World Central Kitchen. I also run a Pride collection, donating proceeds to Hampton Roads Pride in 2023.

Being able to support charities and human rights organizations has brought me genuine joy. As an upcoming project I’m launching products benefiting the Freedom to Read Foundation and the local LGBT Life Center,

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
My mom instilled in me a strong work ethic. My parents divorced when I was younger, and I watched my mom raise two children my herself, working her way up through the ranks in the computer industry. She started as a secretary, was promoted to phone support for on-site technicians, taught herself coding, then left to start her own business while keeping her former employer as a customer. I watched her work hard for what she wanted, all while overcoming rampant sexism in the industry.

My values are important to be – that people are people, that equality is a right, not something to be earned. I’ve worked festivals in some conservative areas, and it brings me such joy to see folks’ faces light up when they see themselves represented by what I create. It might be rainbow earrings or D&D jewelry, but every time a face lights up, I light up. And when people who don’t believe the same way scoff or sneer, I don’t let it dampen that light.

I love to learn, and I’m able channel that into creative pursuits when I find myself unable to continue in a way I’m accustomed or want to. When I was directed to (temporarily) stop painting by my physician, I taught myself to bead. Then I learned wire work, soutache, and other creative ways to express my artistic nature. When I could paint again, I incorporated when I had learned into my work. And this has continued – I’ve started using watercolors, gelatin prints, and graphic design for 3d printing to bring even more versatility to my ever expanding skillset.

Is there a particular challenge you are currently facing?
I recently looked into a grant called “Not Real Art.” It was the first grant that I’ve been really disappointed about missing the deadline. When I told my husband about it, there was a visible wince and an “Oof.” He and I have had many conversations about how jewelry is perceived in the art world. My large beaded creations consistently get into shows, however I sometimes feel like the judges don’t see them as “real” art. And up until recently, that’s weighed upon me.

To combat these feelings, I’m focusing again on what makes me happy. Do I need to win awards? They’re nice, but no, I don’t. (I mean, come on, that prize money is good for a self-employed artist!). What makes me happy are creating works from something that inspires me. Seeing faces of folks that understand what I’m trying to say or get the reference I’m making. Creating those items, not focusing on what a juror wants to see, is what connects me to individuals through my work. And those connections have always driven me.

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