We recently connected with Jessie Keylon and have shared our conversation below.
Jessie, thank you so much for joining us. You are such a positive person and it’s something we really admire and so we wanted to start by asking you where you think your optimism comes from?
I’m a realist, and I think that’s where my sense of optimism comes from. Things are the way they are. Humans are the complicated dichotomy of tragedy and comedy, of love and hate. Having no expectations helps me not become fully deflated when someone or something doesnt follow through. I have standards and boundaries, but the ability to take action and not put up with disrespectful situations fuels a bit of personal optimism. It has taken many years and experiences, including meditation retreats, living off grid, running my own business and divorcing out of abuse, to sort of “level up” to a tolerable balance of putting in the work, relying on the right people and disciplining the stubborn negativity that still resides in my head. This balance gives me a sense of a realist point of view, which seems like the closest to optimism one can have in today’s world.
Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?
I somehow shaped a life where I get to hang out in the surreal landscape of the desert and paint and draw and make music and collaborate with my favorite people. I create and sell magical paintings and gifts in my studio/shop on Mane Street in Pioneertown, CA on most Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, and the rest of the week I am working in my handbuilt home studio, nestled amongst the boulders in the quietest place I’ve ever known. Most of my paintings have a desert theme, whether it’s of the landscape, critters or flora, and the magical things that do or could happen out here. Lately my art has become more figurative, with humans and human-like characters frozen in poigniant moments of their lives.
My partner and I started collaborating years ago when we were just friends. He is an animator, and I created the characters. We made a few super short pieces to get my brain used to the movement of my art, and in 2020, when Covid hit, we hunkered down and started our first animated film. It was our way of handling the chaos of the news and stress of not being around our loved ones. We were inspired by the musician Lukas Nelson, who was recording live acoustic versions of his songs during quarantine. “Can You Hear Me Love You” struck a chord in our hearts, and we knew our film had a soundtrack.
By focusing on making our film about love and connection, we were able to navigate the pandemic a little bit easier. After three years of work, the film was finished and we were able to share it with the people we made it for. It’s now open to the world on YouTube, and on a journey of it’s own. We have since begun preparations for our next animated film, as focusing on another collaborative project together helps us stay present and not get lost in the fear from the chaos of the outside world.
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
I think experience can shape a person more than traditional schooling or learning from other’s experiences. I was advised to not go to art school, and I think that has been a huge help with my art career. Not having someone else’s version of what art can and cannot be has helped me develop a unique style and color palette of my own. I’ve always had a decent habit of drawing and painting and playing piano and writing regularly, especially during intense life circumstances, and I think through those regular sessions of meticulous focus on defining emotions and situations into a snapshot or a melody helps me understand my voice and perspective and has developed my craft further than I ever imagined. I am a very sensitive person, so this has also been helpful in organizing all of the input I receive into colors and shapes and sounds that make more sense to me.
I believe the practice of being present has shaped my art and way of living. Studying the literature and information about the benefits of meditation and mindfullness has been helpful, but going on a couple of meditation retreats was an opportunity to experience firsthand the power of the mind and body connection. These courses I did over a decade or so ago, but the experiences have shaped the way I deal with my day to day life. Whether it’s physical pain, or a hormonal shift, or dealing with a difficult person, it gave me the skills to be able to identify the facts from the feelings, and not make any situation bigger or worse than it needs to be.
I’ve been going to Physical Therapy for a year and a half now. It’s a specialized team of amazing ladies that focus on strengthening the body whilst living with a connective tissue disorder. This daily practice of simple exercises has been one of the most difficult things I’ve done. I’m about half way through a program that would normally take six months. At this pace it will take me around three years to get through the program, but being persistent and patient with it and not giving up has been groundbreaking, especially being able to see the progress I have made and to remember the amount of joint and muscle pain I was in years ago, versus the minimal pain I feel now. Even with all of the ups and downs and flare ups and disappointments I face with my daily exercises, somehow I still am doing better. I’m okay. I’m doing it. Some days it feels pointless and everything hurts and feels weak, but the next day things are a little better. The tiniest little steps still count. This gentle approach to life in general has helped me physically, emotionally and artistically. Knowing that not every day is going to be productive, but the next day or so I still will pick up the brush or the marker, or sit down at the piano, or write down some thoughts. This is the process: A little bit every day; some days more; some days less.
Any advice for folks feeling overwhelmed?
There are days when everything is too overwhelming. Being a very sensitive person has helped me fuel creative endeavors, but has also lead to many moments of overwhelm. It seems like it picked up since Covid, and all of the politics and wars and availability of internet and other people’s opinions can leave me dissociating and not creating. Since I live remotely, my internet is not the most reliable. This has helped me in moments of overwhelm because I cannot numb myself by doomscrolling or getting lost in someone else’s ideal portrail of life. It helps to disconnect and connect to nature, to the moment. The quiet of living out here in nature and watching the quail at the pond, or watching the light shift on the boulders in the evening, or watching the sun shimmer for a moment on a plane as it slowly streaks across the orange sky at sunset; it all helps me be present, and in the present, life usually seems a bit more simplified and more at ease.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://jessiekeylon.com
- Instagram: @jessiekeylon
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@JessieKeylon
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