Meet Jessica Cooper | Children’s Book Writer and Illustrator

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

Hi Jessica, can you share a quote or affirmation with us?
There are many quotes about creativity that give me inspiration, and motivate me to work on my craft, but one of my favorites is from acclaimed author Ursula Le Guin, who wrote, “The creative adult is the child who survived.”

There are so many things I love about that sentence, but I think the main piece of wisdom I draw from it, is that creativity is essentially a gift we are each born with. Creativity is such a natural part of childhood, to use one’s imagination, to create and understand the world around you. Sometimes that gift can be lost if we lose touch with that part of ourselves as we grow older. I am always trying to hold onto that part of myself as fiercely as I can. To keep that gift as long as I can, by engaging in creative problem solving and imagination as a part of my daily life.

Another quote I think of often is by Maya Angelou, who said: “You can’t use up creativity. The more you use, the more you have.” She understood that creativity is the gift that keeps on giving.

Working on my craft; using my imagination; continuously growing and developing my creative skill set, is in my mind, ultimately what it means to be human. Writing and illustrating children’s books helps me stay in touch with my childhood memories, helps me hold onto my children’s special childhood moments, and allows me to leave memorable pieces of of myself behind when I’m gone: The art I created.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
As an artist I find it difficult to describe what sets me apart from other artists without sounding full of myself, but I do consider confidence in my abilities to be one of my stand out features. I had the profound weight of being considered somewhat of an artistic prodigy as a child. In some ways that title hindered my ability to produce, and in other ways it has created a stubbornness inside of me to persist in the face of many failures. I am always working towards the goal of being a prolific published Author/ Illustrator, but in the end it’s the journey that is the most important, and the thing that makes each person unique. My story could be unique in some ways, and mundane in others. As a child I was called gifted. My created talents nurtured by those around me, and often squandered by my own undisciplined attitude all through out my early life. Now, as a mother of three, I have found balance in my life, though the never ending multi-tasking of being a mother and perusing personal career goals threatens to overcome my will to give it my all.

My art work tells the story of my life through visual storytelling. I was born in Baton Rouge, Louisiana and lived among a large extended family until the age of ten. It was at that time when my father’s career in the burgeoning field of computer arts took us to Sydney, Australia, and later to Melbourne. I spent the better part of a decade there and my entire middle school and high school years, where my creative talents were further developed by what I now recognize as one of the most immersive arts programs in a high school environment in any country in the world.

Like many others, I experience a difficult teenage life complete with the divorce of my parents. My brothers and I returned to the United States, and moved to California. I received a partial scholarship to The Academy of Art University in San Francisco where I studied Illustration and Fine Art. Again, I experienced immersion in the arts in one of the most rigorous academic arts programs in the world. I worked as a freelance Illustrator for many years after graduation and mostly failed to make a living at it. I then re-tooled with 3-D Texture Art skills under the tutelage of my father, learning to use Maya 3-D software and integrate my art skills in order to work as a Surfacing Artist for film and animation. My beloved career as a Surfacing artist was short lived though, since a few years after working in the field I got married and had children. Like many other women, I made a choice that I was able to make, and decided to be home with my children. That choice has led me to place I am in now, where I can pursue my developing career as a children’s book writer and illustrator. Fortunately, this industry is perfect for late bloomers! Many writers and illustrators don’t start their careers in children’s books until much later in life.

One compliment I have often received from others about what they see when they look at my art, is that I have the ability to capture a person or animal’s soul when I create an image of them. I’ve had many negative reviews of my art, but I hold onto that one positive observation, because just like in the expanses of imagination, I like to believe that I do have the ability to capture a little piece of a person’s soul in their painted image. Hold onto to the positive; let go of the negative. It’s the only way to live as artists, because otherwise you will always be at the mercy of the opinions of others.

If I had any advice for anyone considering moving into a career in writing or illustration for children’s books, it would be, to never give up. Invest in yourself. It’s neve too late to find those stories; those artworks within yourself. Each person’s story is unique, and the world longs to hear all the stories of those different voices. My story is my art, my art is my story. Our life experiences are what makes us unique, and if I have anything of value to give this world, it would be the gift of my own personal creative voice, and the encouragement of creativity for my children, and for all who are open to find their own special creative spirit again. Never let anyone’s bad review, or rejection letter take you down. A true creative can never give in, or give up.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
The best thing about Los Angeles is there is just so much to do! Every area of LA has exciting cultural things to do, nature to explore and famous sites to see. If I had to narrow down my top 3 favorite places, I would have to put them into the category of “family fun” since almost everything I do is with our 3 young children these days. Our favorite places to go are The Los Angeles Zoo, Leo Carrillo State Park Beach and eating delicious Mexican food, and drinking flaming Margaritas at El Compadre on Sunset. We live in Woodland Hills, so as a family we often spend time hanging out at The Village outdoor shopping center and frequenting beautiful parks such as the Juan Bautista de Anza park in Hidden Hills, and picking up food from our favorite local restaurant, Las Fuentes, which has the most scrumptious salsa and chicken tortilla soup ever.

I have taken our girls to the Los Angeles Zoo regularly since they were small babies, and it is still one of our favorite places in LA to visit. The LA Zoo have all kinds of amazing annual events like their Holiday Lights events, special member tours and other fantastic animal lovers activities. Walking through their botanical gardens is especially amazing, and they have a commitment to animal conservation that I love and appreciate.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
The most important organization and group of people that have helped me along in my creative journey as a visual storyteller, is the Society of Children’s Books Writers and Illustrators. The SCBWI have been instrumental in supporting writers and illustrators in this industry for 50 years, and most notably they have greatly contributed to literacy and the well being in the lives of countless children around the world, through the gift of beautifully written and illustrated books. SCBWI Los Angeles has the proud honor of being the birth place of this amazing organization, and I am equally as proud to be a member and play a small part of that important place in history,

I would also like to give a Shoutout to my father, Peter Whiteside, who spent his career as a Visual Effects and Digital Art Generalist. He taught me to draw as a child, and has always encouraged me, and given me confidence in my artistic abilities. I still create artwork with the thought of making him proud. My parents hold the unique distinction of having the largest collection of artworks created by me, put proudly on display on the walls in every room of their home.

I follow in my father’s footsteps both as an artist, and a parent, trying to keep the gift of creativity alive in my own children. My husband I go to great effort to nurture creative problem solving, music, art and using imagination in our house, as a key component of our job as parents to our three young girls. Creativity can often be messy: books piled up, paints and paper lying about, raucous music playing, craft materials and science projects in every corner; plants and gardening materials in a constant state of change; but I feel it’s the most essential part of being human, to be creative.

Website: www.IllustratedByJessica.com

Instagram: @JessCooperIllustration

Twitter: @IllustratedbyJ1

Facebook: @JessicaWCooperArt

Other: Tiktok: @JessicaWCooper