I am a blessed woman, deeply loved by God, my family, and those I am close to. I desire a life full of wonder and adventure with the freedom to live according to my values and to pursue significance. For me, that means I cannot coast through life because I was created for more than mediocrity. I was born to be on the front lines of what God is doing, impacting lives through art, storytelling, and business by leading people into greater levels of freedom.
Ultimately, I am committed to loving God well. In my experience love for God overflows into love for people, which empowers them to pursue lives of significance. Part of how I love people is by connecting them to God and encouraging them through art.
How did I come to this resolve? It began when I was growing up in Anchorage, Alaska. My parents modeled loving God and loving people as they gave their time and resources to bless others. They also allowed me to take private art lessons when they noticed I enjoyed creating things. Through their example, I learned to love God, art, music, storytelling and people.
Ultimately, I am committed to loving God well. In my experience love for God overflows into love for people, which empowers them to pursue lives of significance. Part of how I love people is by connecting them to God and encouraging them through art.
How did I come to this resolve? It began when I was growing up in Anchorage, Alaska. My parents modeled loving God and loving people as they gave their time and resources to bless others. They also allowed me to take private art lessons when they noticed I enjoyed creating things. Through their example, I learned to love God, art, music, storytelling and people.
Finding my path to a new adventure:
In my late teens my world was turned upside down when I discovered God still speaks, and one of the ways He communicates is through pictures. No one told me that in Sunday school. Just like any relationship it took time to learn how He speaks to me. One of the things He taught me early on is that our imaginations are sacred spaces that can produce images inspired by heaven or ones corrupted by darkness. In many ways it depends on what we feed our minds — for example the music we listen to and the images we look at.
Not long after this discovery, I moved to Oregon to attend university. Although I majored in Psychology I chose to take an art class every semester to keep myself sane. Art was supposed to be just for fun but towards the end of my schooling I found myself in two challenging painting course. Frustration eventually blossomed into a desire to paint beyond my class assignments as challenges gave way to creative victories. During this season He also showed me that some of the imagines I had enjoyed since childhood did not belong to His kingdom. It was one of the most important decisions of my life to choose to let go of them and to allow God to purify my imagination.
After college I started dating Aaron, who is also an artist. He is one of the biggest gifts in my life and he is an important part of why you are engaging with my art online today. His wisdom, guidance, love, and encouragement are priceless to me.
Not long after this discovery, I moved to Oregon to attend university. Although I majored in Psychology I chose to take an art class every semester to keep myself sane. Art was supposed to be just for fun but towards the end of my schooling I found myself in two challenging painting course. Frustration eventually blossomed into a desire to paint beyond my class assignments as challenges gave way to creative victories. During this season He also showed me that some of the imagines I had enjoyed since childhood did not belong to His kingdom. It was one of the most important decisions of my life to choose to let go of them and to allow God to purify my imagination.
After college I started dating Aaron, who is also an artist. He is one of the biggest gifts in my life and he is an important part of why you are engaging with my art online today. His wisdom, guidance, love, and encouragement are priceless to me.
Adventures, Risks and Failures:
During the first year of our romance I did not search for a job but poured all my time into painting, church and getting to know Aaron. I also tried my hand at live painting on stage and loved it. At the same time, several people suggested that I try selling my art online as prints. Because I trusted these people I jumped in head first with no knowledge of sales, website creation, or marketing.
It was a complete failure — like a friendship that faded away. I did not know how to ask for help or input and for all the hours I put into my website I sold a grand total of 4 prints. I grew discouraged and stopped paying for the site. Maybe I was only meant to create originals and sell to a few friends and family. Thankfully, I created a lot of paintings during that year, and this helped lay the ground work for a different season farther down the road. |
Time passed. I got an adult job and married the love of my life, Aaron. My painting slowed, and I put my large easel and canvases into storage. But something was happening on the side of our life that was steadily igniting a new fire inside of me. We were blessed to connect with successful entrepreneurs who understood leadership and business. Aaron and I started pursing mentorship with them in a way that was completely foreign to my old way of thinking. Before I struggled asking for help. Now I was being taught how to ask and receive coaching. I also caught the entrepreneur bug, making it difficult to sit behind a desk for my day job.
"Freedom means the opportunity to be what we never thought we would be.”
- Daniel J. Boorstin
Eyes to the Future:
Fast forward several years. I had better people skills and was starting to make friends in the art industry and in marketing. It’s amazing how the right people begin to step into your life when you make an effort to meet new people. Several individuals started whispering to me again that I should build a website and sell prints and originals online.
Oh no I had done that before and failed. Why try again? I wrestled with this question for a few weeks.
The truth was this time was different. I was better equipped, better connected and had more experience as an entrepreneur. More importantly over the years I had watched people have life changing experiences when encountering my art. The desire to love people in this area began to tug at my heart as I envisioned impacting hundreds of people with my art around the world.
This is a vision worth the risk of failing.
-Jessica Broich, Artist and Co-Founder of Artistic Embers
Oh no I had done that before and failed. Why try again? I wrestled with this question for a few weeks.
The truth was this time was different. I was better equipped, better connected and had more experience as an entrepreneur. More importantly over the years I had watched people have life changing experiences when encountering my art. The desire to love people in this area began to tug at my heart as I envisioned impacting hundreds of people with my art around the world.
This is a vision worth the risk of failing.
-Jessica Broich, Artist and Co-Founder of Artistic Embers