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 hands, and swinging paint-filled bottles for example. I hope that the journals will offer a safe place to scribble, offload and free the mind, while the journal covers will create further conversation about art for wellbeing and inspire others to give it a try. Ultimately, the aim is to encourage cathartic self-expression in others.