Today we’d like to introduce you to Jessica Greiner
Hi Jessica, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I have enjoyed creating art since high school. Although I pursued a career in psychology, I am still an artist at heart and have enjoyed merging my two passions. When I began working as a Mental Health Case Management Clinician in SBCM with the County, many of my clients were natural artists, using art to quiet their voices or calm their anxiety. They wanted more supplies, some searched for ways to sell their work, while others looked for affordable art classes. Over the years, it was difficult to find consistent programs to offer all of these options. A coworker suggested we start our own Art Shows. Taking this idea to heart, I organized and hosted five art shows within the County SBCM program since 2021. This ignited a passion in me and I fell in love with the idea of running my own art program for this population. Hearing people share how their anxiety is lowered when they’re painting or how making ceramics out of clay grounds them, this brings me joy. I knew this was what I needed to do. I put ideas together and decided to go for it. In May of 2023, I founded Artful Mind. I am so excited to see how this blossoms over the next few years! I enjoy seeing people learn ways to express themselves through art, seeing how art helps clients cope, witnessing their joy when others appreciate their artwork or relate to the stories their art tells of their life journeys.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Yes and no. While this endeavor feels comfortable, enjoyable and fulfilling, I’ve faced significant struggles around time and funding. I do work full-time during the day with the County; therefore, my nights and weekends are dedicated to my nonprofit, all while being a very busy mom! Marketing my nonprofit to the right people and programs who can support this cause has been, and continues to be, a challenging learning process. My goal is to have my own art studio within the first year. I am grateful to our partnership with the City of San Diego for allowing us to host our weekly art classes in their Recreation Center on Landis St.
I believe our upcoming fundraiser this July will generate funding, allowing us to secure an art studio, which will open the doors to hosting regular Art Shows, classes, workshops as we continue to apply for grants and explore funding opportunities. What has been easy is doing the art with my clients! Teaching art techniques and exploring art they’ve never tried before truly brings me joy. It’s fun to see their excitement or share how certain methods are relaxing or calming, this is genuinely rewarding in so many ways.
As you know, we’re big fans of Artful Mind. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
Artful Mind is a 501c3 nonprofit established in May 2023. Artful Mind provides free therapeutic art services to adults living with mental illness who have income restrictions and cannot afford to purchase art supplies, take quality art classes, or know how to get their work in art shows. Oftentimes, programs in San Diego offer art groups or art classes, but funding runs out, the classes aren’t consistent, or the programs end. We are unique in that we offer free art classes weekly, free art supplies, and host Art Shows where artists in our program can share their work, sell it or not, and have a platform to share their journeys. As we are currently a pop up style program until we have our own studio, we can only offer the art classes at this stage. What we want readers to know is that as we grow, our art studio will be a gallery, studio, host to therapeutic art groups, and open art drop-in hours for this population. We will not be a clubhouse, but more of an artistic center to create art freely, join a class to enhance current skill sets or just to engage in the creative process. We want to collaborate with the community by offering memberships to the general public in efforts to build relationships and hopefully, reduce stigmas around mental health. Everyone deserves mental wellness and art can be a fun way to get there! Artful Mind is hoping to bring that to everyone.
We’d love to hear about how you think about risk taking?
Well, I suppose single handedly starting a nonprofit as a single mom while working full-time is taking a risk. Majority of the art supplies come from my small fundraising efforts and my own pocket. It is a risk not knowing how this will pan out with no business background but I’m learning what I can and try to consult with those who specialize in areas I lack. I have a desire and passion to make my vision a reality. When I begin to fear the unknown or doubt what I am doing, I remind myself I love this nonprofit, I’m committed to its success, and naturally, as I release those fears, I find everything begins falling into place, at the right time.
Our fundraiser is coming up on July 15 at The Mingei International Museum. This is a risk in many ways. I have no experience hosting a big event like this, and I’m learning ways to be creative. I know it is going to be successful. Because Artful Mind is my passion, it feels right!
Pricing:
- Summer Soirée Premier Tickets on sale for $125 until May 31, 2024
- Summer Soirée General Admission tickets on sale for $195 starting 6/1/2024
- Summer Soirée workshop 3-4:30 tickets are $95
- Donations always welcome
Contact Info:
- Website: https://ArtfulMind.org
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/artfulmindsd
Image Credits
Hanyi Wang
Jessica Greiner
