Meet Jae Cee | Artist, Designer, and Entrepreneur

We had the good fortune of connecting with Jae Cee and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Jae, what led you to pursuing a creative path professionally?
I chose to pursue an artist career because it is healing. I learned that I express myself through my actions. It was difficult for me to find words to describe how I feel, so I started painting. Through art I found my voice, I found my confidence, and I found myself. Art has allowed me to discover who I really am and what my purpose in life is.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
My art is inspired by many things, specifically life itself. My art is my way of expressing myself so it really shows what space I was in while creating. I am excited to see where my art takes me, how it transforms, and what illustrations of my journey I will create. Although it hasn’t been extremely difficult, there have been moments where I really wanted to give up because I was lost. I didn’t know what direction to go in, I was trying to please everyone, and I wasn’t happy with what I was creating. I didn’t love it. It wasn’t until a wise woman told me that I should create whatever I want, create what makes me happy, and my tribe would come. Boy, was she right!

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I’m still exploring the city of Nashville myself, but I do have a few favorite spots at the moment. A few places I like to go eat at are Juicy Seafood, Best of India, and Avo. To relax I like going to the park and a local cafe, Neighborlily. My friends and I like to hang out at Thirsty turtle for some fun karaoke, The Lipstick Lounge for some nice drinks, and go dancing at Cë Gallery for Foxy Brown Live. We also enjoy going on hikes at Stone Door or any trails in the area.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
My lovely group of friends and family have been very supportive of my journey since the beginning. My oldest sister, Samiyah, has been my biggest cheerleader and I truly appreciate the uplifting words received from her. I’d also like to give thanks to my mentor, Arreic, for believing in me since the day we met. She saw my potential and always encouraged me to push past the fear and put myself out there. To all, I say thank you. I couldn’t have asked for a better community.

Website: https://valenah.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/innerg.creationz?igsh=MTdoNHI3ZGl5amN1aQ%3D%3D&utm_source=qr

Other: https://www.patreon.com/VALENAH