We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Jackie Sanders. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Jackie below.
Jackie, 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.
Creative inspiration can come from anywhere but often it is found in the simplest moments. For me, I feel the most connected when experiencing the vibrant colors of a sunrise, the slow movement of crisp shadows, and when allowing myself to experiment and play in my studio without a plan or expectations of what will happen.
A continuous theme in all of these experiences boil down to embracing joy and following curiosity in my creative process. But that experience is just for me. Once a project is complete, it no longer becomes a creative act for me, but rather it transforms into a creative experience for others to have – the energy is transferred from myself, through the work, and to the viewer.
For this reason, when my artwork is complete, my mission is to transform life’s mundane moments into memorable experiences and help people slow down to become more present to the moment that they are in.
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
As an abstract geometric artist, my intentionally immersive creative spaces have been at the core of my creative process for the past 10+ years. With a Masters in Material Culture and Public Humanities, a curatorial focus in Exhibition Design, and a childhood curiosity rooted in my family’s architecture firm, space and community interaction are top-of-mind in my art making practice. As my creative spaces have evolved over the years, displaying sketches, inspiration images and creative studies has been a reoccurring common practice for me. For this reason, the idea of displaying “products of the creative process” as an exhibition idea began in 2016 and is now brought to life through my latest project, the Jackie Sanders Micro Gallery.
This project is a purely joy-first creative outlet both for myself and the individuals who are following along the adventure on Instagram (@JackieSanders_MicroGallery) !
Located in downtown Raleigh (201 E. Davie Street – Artspace Studio 220), the Jackie Sanders Micro Gallery highlights products of the creative process from my art studio (J Sanders Studio).
Mimicking the “fish bowl” experience of being an artist with a public facing art studio, this micro gallery (16”x11”x12”) is ever evolving as visitors observe, experience, and “tour” the space and its rotating exhibitions and displays.
The mission of this space has 3 layers…
1 – To bring joy, laughter, and light to the art making process.
Yes on the surface, this space may seem silly to some. Playing on the childhood experience of creating miniature worlds, this gallery was intentionally founded to bring a playfulness back into the creative practice as a reminder that, although the work itself may be exploring and unpacking deep and emotionally charged themes, the creative process should, at some level, still remain fun and joyfully therapeutic!
2 – To explore the power of exhibition design as passive materials become precious objects.
Diving into a decades-long obsessive curiosity with the organization of creative spaces and materials, this gallery will not only “remove” those materials from their passive habitat but also put a spotlight on them.
This gallery explores the power of exhibition design and the transition of energy, as passive objects (the byproduct of the creative process) become precious objects (an effect often only associated with “completed” artwork).
3 – To facilitate community conversations on a range of complex philosophical and sociological questions.
These questions include but are not limited to…
– What defines art and the value we place on it?
– How does scale factor into perceived value of art?
– Where is the line between art, object, craft, and trash?
– In our technology driven world, what defines the reality of a physical space?
– If one were to only see the products of the creative process, what would they suspect the “end artwork” to look like?
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?
For those early in their creative journey my best advice would be to connect with other artists in your community who either have similar goals to you or who have already hit milestones that you want to hit. These goals could be career wise, project based, or mastery of a specific medium, but it is important to surround yourself with people who share similar values as you and who can push you toward the work that you want to be making. Also, if you feel as though you don’t have those people to connect to, finding virtual mentors through YouTube or Podcasts is a great way to build a community too!
There are also a few qualities that, looking back, have helped me get to where I am and that still push me forward in my practice.
The first would be, staying curious. By questioning what is around you, questioning observations that you perceive as truths, and questioning the accepted ways of solving a problem, you are able to become more present in your experience which allows you to think and see the world more creatively.
The second would be to plan ahead with your art business, but to follow what feels good in your artmaking practice. By following what feels good, what brings you joy, and what makes you curious, you are able to fully explore an idea before logic, planning, and your inner critic alter your vision before you fully see it out!
Finally, the third quality I would say an emerging artist should have would be the ability to trust yourself. There will inevitably be critics and moments where it is easy to play the comparison game with other artists, but trusting your own creative vision, voice, and message will become your biggest strength as the noise of the world gets louder around you.
What is the number one obstacle or challenge you are currently facing and what are you doing to try to resolve or overcome this challenge?
As a career minded artist, my creative work takes the form of several outlets, all of which have their own mission and vision in my larger body of work.
From original paintings and art products, to murals and public art projects, to teaching and artist mentorship, to podcast hosting and more, the list of creative hats that I give myself permission to wear is ever growing!
But most recently I have been excited to add to the list my role as gallery owner, curator, and exhibition designer, through the Jackie Sanders Micro Gallery (@JackieSanders_MicroGallery).
These new roles, however, have brought to the surface new and returning questions and problems that I am excited to tackle. Ranging from the larger questions of what I want this gallery to stand for and represent to the simple logistics of micro gallery hanging hardware, diving into these questions have definitely energized my creative practice in a new way.
With our inaugural exhibition “Make More Art = Be More Human” that opened on August 4, 2023, each monthly exhibition will showcase a different element, idea, or concept of my creative process.
If readers want to follow along, with the many shows to come, they can follow our Instagram account: @JackieSanders_MicroGallery or sign up for our email newsletter at: https://www.jaclynsanders.com/newsletter
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.jaclynsanders.com/micro-gallery
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jsandersstudio | https://www.instagram.com/jackiesanders_microgallery/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jsandersstudio
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sandersjaclyn/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHEfWvmFXZZ6Z_SW2lMSwCg
Image Credits
Images from the featured artist (Jackie Sanders). 2023.
