Meet Jessica Anderson

We recently connected with Jessica Anderson and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Jessica, we’re so appreciative of you taking the time to share your nuggets of wisdom with our community. One of the topics we think is most important for folks looking to level up their lives is building up their self-confidence and self-esteem. Can you share how you developed your confidence?

Confidence is built by trying something new, even when it feels uncomfortable. Life is continually presenting us with opportunities for different experiences. The repeated practice of feeling uncertain and going ahead anyway has helped me develop my own confidence. One of my earliest memories is sitting at the kitchen counter with my mom and my sister. My mom would give us drawing lessons and painting lessons. I loved to draw and paint. Both were skills I continued to develop as I grew. When I was a kid, my sister and I took piano lessons. There were recitals and competitions to prepare for. Each time I participated in one of those, I built trust within myself to put in the work of practicing, feel the nervousness of performance and be all right. In middle and high school, I played volleyball and ran track. The same principles of practice and performance applied. Even if I lost a game or a race, I experienced the let down of those, but learned that I could endure a loss and be okay. After college, I was an elementary school teacher. It was quite a different experience than piano or sports. There was a lot of trial and error. I was responsible for a whole classroom of kids! Teaching a child to read is hard and different with each one. Here, I really saw how the perseverance I learned in sports and piano could be applied to another area. I also learned that connecting with my students and their parents was key to success. I was a teacher for 5 years before I got married and had twins. After that, I was a stay home mom. What a change in life! Once I had managed to care for two babies by myself all day, I figured I could do just about anything! Seven years after my twins were born, I had one more kid. Raising a family and managing a home used all the skills I had been developing: practice, perseverance, managing uncertainty, flexibility, knowing I could handle different outcomes, connecting with others. Almost all of the tasks that went into running a household were in service of others. As my children grew and became more independent, I longed to return to myself and do something that was for me. I missed being creative. I began to paint while my kids were at school. It felt good to have something that was just for me. I painted more and more. I started with flowers and then painted more variety. Practice. I wanted to keep going, so I signed up to do an art market and sell my work. Feeling uncomfortable and going ahead anyway. At the art market, I met so many other artists who were full of kindness and encouragement. Connection with others. My first art market was not a big money maker, but it showed me that I could try a completely new thing. I kept doing art markets and tried art calls and met more artists. Perseverance. Now, my art is hanging in some local places. My confidence is still developing. Those things I learned early remain a part of that process. I hope you keep trying new things too!

Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?

I make watercolor paintings. Most of my work is Texas Wildflowers. I also make hand painted greeting cards for all seasons and I have pride-themed artwork. I have put my designs on mugs, magnets, and prints. I sell my work at art markets in Central Texas.

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

Both of my parents were self-disciplined and good at connecting with others. I learned the importance of practicing skills and connecting with others by watching them. My advice for others who want to try something new is to just do it. It will feel a little scary, but it’s worth it. Measure your success by the connections you make, not the money or notoriety. Keep practicing. Be flexible. Give grace to yourself and others.

As we end our chat, is there a book you can leave people with that’s been meaningful to you and your development?

I read “Untamed” by Glennon Doyle during the pandemic. What a time to read such an impactful book! It made me think about listening to the voice inside myself and allowing that internal knowing to be my guide through life. The author spoke about the importance of being quiet and still in order to access that inner voice. It’s easy for the noise of the world to overwhelm us.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @jla.designs.tx

Image Credits

Jessica Anderson