Hey, I’m Jess.

The short about me:

I’m a sticker-loving and planning-obsessed creative based in Sydney. My cluttered and chaotic brain (type 1, type A, neurotic, socially anxious, control-freak INFJ etc etc.) finds solace in creative journalling and helps me keep my perfectionism at bay.

If you like watching people work, I make YouTube vlogs documenting my small business journey. Because I like to talk (too much), I also have a podcast where I talk about common small business struggles and try to help you get out of your own way (talking from personal experience). If a community of like-minded artists and small business owners is your thing, along with monthly printables and stickers, as well as hearing me overshare in my dear diary podcast, then I have a Patreon too. Over on Patreon, I have a small-business-specific tier where I do weekly video updates and workshops on business topics.

I know what you’re thinking (“this wasn’t short at all”) but I told you, I like to talk and I promise, this was short for me. Thank you so much for landing on my page and for even reading this far. <3

For those of you that are still curious/nosy…

The basically-my-life-story about me:

I’ve always been somewhat creative as a kid but I never had sketchbooks, or loved to draw (it never came naturally to me). I used to write my own short stories, complete with terribly painted covers, taught myself how to play guitar, always sang loudly in the shower, read into the late night under covers and carefully collected stickers in my galaxy sticker album (and never used them). And you bet I kept a secret diary, locked with a tiny little flimsy key.

When I was 14, I first discovered the wonders of Photoshop, somehow volunteered to make event posters for my high school (even though no-one actually asked), and made yearbook-style videos for everyone to watch (again, no-one asked but teachers indulged me).

During this time I also discovered my love for photography. I then spent over 10 years working as a photographer, something I thought was a sure thing. Once I was done with high school, I was ready to travel the world and photograph people in really expensive clothes. Spoiler alert: it never happened.

I was always a really good student at school. I was an absolute nerd, loved to study and I was proud of it. I loved Maths, really loved it. I couldn’t “waste” my brain so 6 painful and long years later, I was sitting on an Engineering/Business degree.

Family members were so proud of me for being “an engineer” and were looking forward to me making a lot of money at a typical 9-5 office in the city. But they didn’t know that I never planned on using that degree. That I was working on my own creative pursuits secretly, waiting for the day they finally realised I didn’t have a “real job” (their words) and wasn’t planning on it. Luckily I only had to deal with their expected disappointment and silent judgement that I wasn’t “doing anything worthwhile with my life” (paraphrased).

See, the thing was, up until that point in my life, I did “all the right things”. I got the great grades, I went to a good uni, I did an asian-family-approved-degree. I was a people-pleaser, I did everything that people wanted and I did it with a smile. But once I hit my late twenties, frustrated and exhausted, I realised I was not living my own life and took some drastic (ok, not really) steps to re-discovering myself.

I realised I didn’t like working for or with other people, and that I wanted to spend my days doing what I really loved and was fulfilling - even if I was never going to make as much as I could in a typical corporate job. That seemed to really annoy other people (but why?) but as long as I could pay my bills and live comfortably, living frugally so that I live a life I loved seemed like a fair trade to me.

I wanted to start my own business so I started making planner printables. I set up a little home studio in my mum’s semi-converted garage. I then decided to teach myself how to draw (I always thought you either could draw or you couldn’t) so that I could make stickers. I was so happy working towards a future that felt right and true to me (even though I was making exactly $0 from my shop at that point, I was determined).

One day, I thought to myself in that dark and cold garage, maybe I can finally move out and maybe have my own bright and warm studio space. One day. I didn’t know how it was going to be possible but I was stubbornly hopeful and just kept working.

I posted my first studio vlog on my YouTube channel in April 2019. I can’t even begin to tell you how I felt when I hit 10 subscribers on my channel. Somehow, that was my proof that I could do this. And have been making videos ever since. And I’m currently writing this from my light-filled dedicated home studio. I’m still not making anywhere near what I would as an engineer, but I’m happy and I look forward to work every day (and the not so subtle judgement from others has started to quieten a little bit).

I’ve since replaced my go-to phrase “I can’t even draw a stick figure” with “drawing hands are hard” but most importantly, I proved to myself (and hopefully the world) that there are so many things you can do if you just get out of your own way and stop telling yourself excuses.

And now, it gives me so much joy and purpose to create business and motivational content that helps people do the same. This life and work is unpredictable and stressful and the hours are very long and it’s certainly not for everyone, but I want to help anyone else that wants to take the path that’s not quite so paved and nice and safe.

Thank you so much to everyone who has been part of this journey, and continue to support me even when I’m still trying to figure it all out. So grateful that you’re here. <3