Hey, I'm Jessica.

 

I'm 27 years old, I live in my hometown in Lincolnshire, and I have recently started a small business that goes by the name of "ica" (pronounced like Jessica).

 

It is a venture born from a personal self-help project. I was previously working as a print designer in the fashion industry but I was a big ball of stress, struggling with anxiety and depression in a high-pressure environment. I decided to take some time away from work to focus on improving my mental health. It was during this time that I discovered two self-care activities that really made a difference in improving my wellbeing. In the hope that it may help others, I wanted to share what I had learned.

 

So with that in mind, I created an eco-conscious stationery collection inspired by art for wellbeing and journaling for mindfulness. The collection consists of six journaling sets. Their cover artwork was created during a series of therapeutic process art exercises, involving bouncing paint-covered tennis balls, painting with my hands, and swinging paint-filled bottles. I hope that the journals will offer a safe place to scribble, offload and free the mind, while the journal covers will help to create further conversation about art for wellbeing, and inspire others to give it the methods a try. Ultimately, the aim is to encourage cathartic self-expression in others.