The Long Journey To Get Here

I have been in business since 2015. Theres been many name changes as I have evolved and grown this past decade. I fisrt started as Intricates with my main focus on jewelry made with wire and beading. I was a single mom of 4 trying to find ways to supplement my income in nursing to be able to homeschool my children. Little did i know that that simple decision would lead me to where i am now.

Once I moved my little family to MO in 2017, I was introduced to the wonderful world of yarn when my youngest daughters wanted to learn to knit comfort dolls fro kids going into surgery. I taught myself to loom knit in order to teach them. Loom knitting wasn't something we gravitated to, unfortunately. Then I saw a video about crochet. I bought my 1st set of hooks, needless to say I was completely hooked. I made my 1st doll and although it was a horrible mess, I absolutely loved it. My children were getting older and more involved with the business so I made the decision to rebrand. We were now Davis Craft Studios. WE worked with yarn and crocheting but I was also introduced to Cricut and added that into our business model.

As Davis Craft Studios we started doing craft shows around the state. This was also the 1st time I placed my jewelry in an art gallery. We worked as a family. We traveled together setting up at these various events. I loved it and finally decided that I would do this full time. I was able to leave my nursing position at the end of 2019. Then COVID hit.

It is now 2020, I had signed up for many craft shows, having a full schedule until mid June. ALL OF THEM WERE CANCELED. During the shut down I was able to use my stimulus checks to grow my business and explore more options. Down the rabbit hole I went. I purchased my first raw fleece to process, learned to weave on a pin loom, purchased my first adjustable 7 ft triangle weaving loom, tried my hand at needle felting, bought my first sewing machine, started a family YouTube channel, and I know I'm leaving things out. I did another re brand at this time as well. We were now 4 Kids and a Mom Studios. My oldest daughter, Niara, designed our 1st original logo. We finally had a brand tag of “A place where family, fun, and fiber meet.” I even rented out a studio space in the art district here. This were really looking up but everything was about to change again.

We are now at the beginning of 2022, things have been going well. I'm doing First Fridays. I’m enjoying my studio space. I’m enjoying the growth I've experienced but the days of making jewelry was still in the back of my mind. The skills I learned during COVID were tugging at me. My main focus at this point was crocheting but those other things were on my creative peripheral. Things really came to a head when I started having dreams from my deceased brother about finding ways of combining all the things Ive loved into single piece and make a move to wall art. I kept putting it off until a spot come open for Orr Streets Artist in Residency program. I applied without ever making my first art piece and just giving a description of what the technique would be. Of course I was denied. I wasn't too surprised at that. One realization I started having at this same time was that my children were growing up and developing into their own person. Soon it would be time for me to seperate myself and my work from my children. Little did I know, that would be happening sooner than later.

Right at the end of 2022, I was contacted by Dawn Warren from Orr Street studios for a show that they were having during Black History Month of all the artists that weren’t accepting into the residency program. I quickly accepted even though at this point I still had yet to finish my first art piece. I got started right away and January 2023, I put an art piece into my very first art show. During the opening reception, I wore a cardigan and jewelry that I crocheted myself. When Dawn saw it, she invited me to be a designer for a fashion show that was taking place the next month. I started the process of developing myself as that artist seperate from my children. My business name was now Jadi’s Fiber Creations, “A PolyFibral Experience”. I put myself at the forefront, finally making myself the face of my company that I started back in 2015. I didn't make but one additional art piece that whole year but really honed in on my crochet work. I went from doing maybe 10 craft fairs a year to doing 30 fairs that years and my first larger art markets. Then I was asked back for 2024 but also to Montminy Gallery as well.

2024 I decided to go all in with art. I signed up and submitted to almost every art exhibition that Columbia Art League had, signed up for a few art shows in other states, South Carolina at the African American Fiber Festival and “For The Culture KS” in Topeka, KS. I went from 2 to 3 art pieces and 30 fairs in 2023 to 25 art pieces and 5 fairs in 2024. And of course another re brand. I want to do more fine art but the name Jadi’s Fiber Creations sounded more craft fair’ish and not like a professional art gallery an studio. I also turned 39 and was really feeling like I was “entering into my grown woman era”. So I started to embrace using my full middle name of Jadielle instead of Jadi then made the decision to use that name to rename my new direction Jadielle Arts. It's more fiber Focused fine art so that also became my tag line. Jadielle Arts, “Fiber Focused Fine Arts”. I have now fully established myself as an artist, on my own path, and separate from my children.

This has been a long decade of learning, growing, reevaluating, exploring, reflecting, and trusting. I’ll be turning 40 in September. I'm really looking forward to what this next decade will be bringing. Thanks if you made it this far. I know this post is long but this has been my journey. My children are now 16, 17, 19, and 20. Its amazing to look back and realize that when I first started my children were 6, 7, 9, and 10. I'm still a single mom to this amazing group of now young adults and almost young adults. It's been a wonderful evolution.