Remember when you were a little kid and people would ask you: What do you want to be when you grow up? I do. I remember saying things like a clown, a teacher, an actress. Yes, naivety ruled my world then however my passion and belief in achieving these things were genuine. So much so that, when I grew older and began to hear things such as, “starving artist” or “what’s your backup plan?” or “that sounds like a hobby… what’s your real job?” I was unfettered and even more determined to succeed.
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And guess what? I am not alone! Recent studies show that “Millennials” (those born in the ’80s and early ’90s) consider personally fulfilling work to be just as important as a high salary. Simply put, ladies nowadays are choosing passion over paper. Does that mean we are happy and broke? No! The best part is, new research also shows that when passion and purpose are your biggest drivers, your bank account often ends up thriving too. So everybody stand up for the Millennial chicks and check out this real life “working” and not “starving” artist!
Millennial Girl: Jessica Scott-Felder
Hometown: Atlanta, GA
Current Playground: Atlanta, GA
Millennial Girl Prep School: Spelman College (BA in Fine Art w/a concentration in Art Education)
Georgia State University (MFA in Drawing, Painting, and Printmaking)
Santa Reparata International School of Art in Italy (Studied experimental drawing and cyanotype printmaking)
Passion Chasing Career: Mixed-Media Visual Artist/Performance Artist
How Her “Passion” Chose Her: Jessica has been drawing on the walls of her home since the age of two, and at an early age went on to winning several statewide contests (such as the Georgia Dogwood Festival). Did she stop there? Nope. After completing her undergraduate studies Jessica had a body of work showcasing life-sized charcoal drawings of her sisters featured in the Mason Murer Fine Art Gallery and the Spruill Art Gallery! Well then. Watch out Michelangelo… here comes Jessica Scott-Felder!
“Drawing has always been an outlet for me. Even as a child it was my way of understanding the world. I was encouraged to draw as a child, which is what made me stick to it as an adult.”
Not Back-Up Plan Gig: Collegiate Art Instructor (Georgia State University and Spelman College)
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How Her Not Back-Up Plan Gig Came About: Jessica has always enjoyed sharing tips and tricks about drawing as she learned to make her own art. Therefore after being accepted to graduate school she chose to teach her second year as opposed to work in a lab or office. Good choice since she was a complete natural! Quickly gaining teaching experience in various art disciplines made Jessica an ideal candidate for future collegiate teaching positions.
“I find that teaching encourages me to improve my own artistic technical skills both personally and professionally.”
Why She Loves Her Dual Passion Infused Career: “Being a young artist provides insight into what the art world is like for many of my students that aspire to be professional artist themselves. As an active artist I can inform students of what events they could attend, refer them to other professional artists for help, and even help them find opportunities to exhibit. I have to be at my best as an artist in order to be able to make a course that is valuable to my students.”
Where can you catch this Millennia Girl? Jessica has work featured in corporate collections in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and Cambridge, Massachusetts. Recent exhibitions include the A.I.R. Gallery in New York and a solo installation exhibition at Atlanta’s Arts Exchange.
Follow Our Millennia Girl:
www.jscottfelder.com, Jessica’s Facebook Page, Jessica’s Twitter
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Sanya Richards-Ross, “I Do Want To Be The Woman Who Has It All”
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