Artists In Jackson: Jessica Leeland

Hello there, and hope you’re staying warm today.

For the latest Artists In Jackson 2 profile, I talk with artist and educator Jessica Leeland about her creative background, her almost-career in art therapy, and what kids need today.

Rather than waiting years to complete the clinical requirements for art therapy, Jessica chose to step directly into teaching (at our kids’ school!) and advocate for arts education where she felt it was missing. 

“Kids need the tools now, in elementary,” she says. 

Jessica also makes time for her own artistic process - a must, she says, or else she starts to get bitter.

That’s why her Art 634 studio is essential. We met there this summer and had a great chat while we made photos.

Read her story:

Artists In Jackson 2: Jessica Leeland

Jessica was the last of my 2025 profiles.

Now it’s a new year, with new conversations and new artist stories.

Recent Blog Posts

• Costa de Caparica, Portugal: The first of several photo essays from our trip to Lisbon, Portugal, last fall. Feels (and looks) like California. I miss it already.

• Christmas Wrapped: I use the warehouse mezzanine at work to take a walk during my lunch hour. Last spring, I saw these holiday figures and packages wrapped in plastic while walking. It was such a striking scene that I had to grab my camera to grab some behind-the-scenes photos.

• Austin City Limits: I went to a conference in Austin, Texas, in November, and hit downtown at night for some street photography.

Things I’m Into Lately

• As time goes on, everything gets more expensive - especially post COVID. To help, we started grocery shopping at Aldi, and it didn’t take long for me to become a huge fan. Turns out, I’m not alone.

• Alex Street shares a photo that serves as a “summary of 2025. A year of looking without always seeing the same thing. A year of closeness without guaranteed connection. A year that felt physical, heavy, noisy, human.”

• Have a spare five hours? The Fall of Civilizations covers the rise and fall of the Persian Empire (also great in podcast form, for my commute).

New year, new ideas that I’m working on, and I’m inviting you to join me for the ride.

Quick programming note: after a productive year, I’m moving from Beehive to Substack for my email newsletters. You’re already subscribed, but if something goes haywire, check out my new Substack page.

Anything new you’re working on this year? Let me know.

Stay safe out there,

Dave Lawrence