LaJae Essence

Artist Biography:

LaJae Essence, known publicly as Poetry Jackson, is a professional artist who specializes in versatile visual arts and paintings. She is a poet, art instructor, curator and visual artist, also the Founder of Artkive Mural Group (AMG) and holds the Public Relations Chair for the Visual Arts Advancement Collective (VAAC).

LaJae’s collaborative public art installations service the larger movement of introducing creative skills to children and adults through community responsive art projects, enabling them to become responsible leaders.

In addition to her ability to teach and creatively inspire artists around the world, including her Parisian Art Museum Tour, she collaborated with photographers to display expressive Parisian body art. She has also been an honorary guest for many art shows and both private and public events. LaJae continues to aspire to remain purposeful in the art community. Her creative process empowers artists to be inspirational leaders. Her goal is to create work that stimulates dialogue about critical issues and build bridges of connection and understanding. THE ARTIST PRACTICE

I grew up in a household that was very conducive for creativity. My mother was a singer and songwriter and my father was a visual artist who enjoyed working with charcoals and colored pencils. My main interest and passion stemmed from songwriting and poetry. I later fell in love with painting during a time that I was experiencing writer's block while working on an album. Specifically, I fell in love with being able to visually express the ideas that evaded me verbally. This was a new feeling that I explored much more than a hobby. The process became meditative and a reminder to be patient throughout all of the phases.

As both a spoken word and visual artist, I use different spectrums of my artistic voice to heal, inspire and enlighten. My goal is to add value to the world by emphasizing creative processes and inspiring future leaders and creative communities. I firmly believe that when people are able to express the highest versions of themselves in their own unique ways, they can tap into their own spiritual gifts and inspire others. I focus on colors and fine details to reflect the human and spiritual experience and how they coexist. Communities need to truly see each other in order to create a future filled with more expression and connectivity.

THE STUDIO PRACTICE

My daily life gets pretty busy while raising my children and maintaining the business side of the arts. I keep collections of my work all throughout my home for inspiration. In the evenings when the boys are tucked in, all the emails are responded to, and I put that last check on my to-do list, my creative process begins. I have a wardrobe dedicated to painting because I use my body and clothes to blend colors. I change into something more comfortable and free and chose my workspace. I have three places throughout my home designated for creating. Each place has different lighting that evokes different emotions and helps me get into the flow.

My mind has to be free of distractions and worry while creating. I like to meditate and sage my creative space to ensure the purest intentions are captured in my art. Depending on my mood, I listen to audiobooks, R&B or smooth jazz. When I’m really concentrating, I create for hours in silence truly becoming immersed in the art. After setting up my canvas and easel, I like to say "get free". It's symbolic of a higher creative source being channeled through me.

I give myself time and space for each piece. I believe in order to reach mastery, I must focus for extended periods of time. In order to build a consistent practice, I've crafted my own creative process that functions intuitively.