TELL ME EVERYTHING!
BY ELEANORA MORRISON
Jacquin knew she loved art. So she went to law school. Okay, there were a few steps in between, but when she realized that creativity can be a job, not a hobby, she pivoted to a career in interior design. She’s now an award-winning blogger, interior designer, and artist. We asked Jacquin to tell us everything about how creativity is HER currency.
Photography courtesy of Jacquin Headen
1. When you were in law school, how did you know that you needed to pursue a creative outlet?
JH: I was always a painter and artist even before law school. Growing up I participated in many art programs and courses and it was always my favorite outlet. Towards the end of law school I found myself diving into art and design blogs and taking in as much creative content as possible. After seeing all of the great things others were creating, I started to realize that simply following the artistic and design creations of others would not be enough for me. I was just starting to understand that the only thing that would fulfill my creative passion would be to physically create art myself.
One fun fact about my law school experience involves my time working abroad during an international law clinic in Namibia for a semester. I volunteered to lead a project assisting Namibian women artisans, specifically assisting them in becoming business owners. Other law students did not choose the artistic related project as their top choice, but it was the main project I wanted to work on. My involvement helping these women artisans set me on the path I am on today. Believing that I too could become a creative entrepreneur, while encouraging others on a similar path along the way, was truly invigorating.
Photography courtesy of Jacquin Headen
2. Were there any mental roadblocks you had to overcome in order to allow yourself to explore your creativity again?
JH: Absolutely! After years of creating artwork followed by a decade long “break”, I was rusty and discouraged to say the least. When I first started painting again and my attempts didn’t come out as expected, I would mentally beat myself up. I had to really push myself to even try again. However, I pushed my way through and noticed my work improving exponentially day by day until one day I decided, I can really do this! There are many different styles of art in the world, but only one person with my unique creative perspective. It took grit, but pushing through paid off, and I landed my first licensing deal using my artwork on luxury rugs once I finally gained back my confidence.
3. How did you honor and care for your body while you were exploring your creativity?
JH: I do a lot more when it comes to self-care presently than I’ve ever done in my life. Prior to the last few years, I put too much pressure on myself while also neglecting self-care practices. About a year after starting to paint again, I finally started to establish habits that would tend to my body, fitness, and mental health. For me, going on hikes was perfect. There were high incline areas that really pushed my fitness, while the fresh air and beautiful scenery helped refresh me, allowing me a clean mental slate for creating artwork. The perfect combination!
4. What was it about interior design that initially inspired you to learn more about it?
JH: At the end of my time in law school I discovered several interior design blogs and completely got sucked in! I wasn’t aware that these types of blogs existed at the time, and to be fair, there weren’t nearly as many of them as there are now, but it opened a whole new world to me. I could not get enough of browsing the latest design trends and scrolling through home tours. I was hooked and excited to learn more.
Photography courtesy of Jacquin Headen
5. How did your career in interior design lead you back to painting again?
JH: Through my interior design business I was curating the creations of other makers, and becoming incredibly inspired in the process. Eventually, I wanted to contribute to making the creative items displayed in homes rather than just curating them. With each design project I completed, my creative confidence was strengthened. This gave me the courage I needed to start offering my paintings to customers who wanting to add a pop of color to their space.
6. Where do you draw your creative inspiration from?
JH: I am inspired by seeing bright colors in various contexts in my day-to-day life. When I see fashion, home decor products, or even flowers in bold colors, I like to take a picture and save the image to later inspire a painting. I love to incorporate vibrant, cheerful colors in my paintings. My aim is for my artwork to evoke feelings of optimism, energy, and joy!
7. How does self-expression feed your soul?
JH: As an artist, I’m thinking about creating daily. It’s so ingrained into who I am that I simply cannot go long periods of time without creating art. I feel refreshed and I feel like I am operating in my purpose when I am creating and painting. Expressing myself through painting is like fresh air for me, it’s a life necessity. Interestingly, I have come into a phase of life in which I have a lot of other things on my plate. I still have interior design clients and I’m also running for City Council in my city, and so there are many other things pulling at my attention. However, at the end of the day, painting and artwork are my equilibrium and I would not want it any other way.
8. What are your go-to self care practices that nurture your creativity?
JH: I am proud to say that after decades of living on this planet, I FINALLY have an understanding of how important self-care practices are. I never prioritized self-care and certainly could not say that I had a self-care routine until recently. I considered self-care more of an indulgence and I prided myself on working until exhaustion and break down. It was a terrible habit that I had to grow out of in time. My self-care practices involve spending time doing skincare treatments like face masks at home (my favorite!), enjoying essential oils, getting outdoors and going for walks and hikes, and taking breaks when needed, even when faced with deadlines. This type of balance is critical for fostering creativity.
9. Are there any wellness or fitness routines you've found that have become essential to your creative practice?
JH: There is something so cleansing about going for walks outdoors, but when the weather is poor (Texas heat or winter cold snaps), I also enjoy power walking on an incline at the gym. Walking on a steep incline both challenges me and strengthens my body, but I’m not moving so quickly that I lose the opportunity to think things through or clear my mind. It has been a perfect combination for me when it comes to mental wellness and fitness. As far as health wellness, I have been focusing on supplements that reduce internal inflammation, which is so important for many, many reasons. I’ve found that my body functions better when I keep inflammation under control, which allows me to perform better across the board. I especially love the results I’m getting from consuming turmeric and sea moss gel. Combined with eating a lot of raw foods, I’m more energetic and just feel better all around.
10. How important is mind-body connection to your craft?
JH: Mind-body connection is absolutely critical when creating art. If I’m stressed, my creative process is stressed, and the end product is usually a disappointment. If I’m tired, I find that I’m uninspired and unable to push myself creatively. If I’m upset, I often don’t have the patience needed to be gracious with myself as I try new ideas. It’s all connected! The key is being optimistic, energized, and gracious while creating, which is all a part of what I try to convey to the viewers of my artwork. After engaging with my artwork I want my viewers to leave feeling optimistic and ready to take on the world!
Jacquin Headen is an artist and the owner of Interiors by Jacquin interior design company. Her colorful artwork focuses on the creation of bold, abstract paintings from a contemporary design perspective. Connect with her on Instagram @interiorsbyjacquin.
–Eleanora Morrison, Contributor
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