Jessica Awuah

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Reflections Artist Spotlight: Jessica Awuah



Jessica Awuah Ref-Icon-Writing 

Jessica Awuah is a writer from Loudoun PTSA in Virginia.

Her piece “Tpyo” is a creative exploration on how the pressure artists feel to perfect their work can stifle creativity and how embracing mistakes can lead to unexpected clarity and artistic growth.



"Tpyo"

Artist Statement:
"I made this because I think it represents how, especially as artists, mistakes can take over and ruin the process for us. I liked the idea of using a typo to represent this, because as the story progresses, the typo gets away from the main character/narrator and they start feeling out of control. In the end, though, it's the mistakes that help show clarity and bring everything together. This relates to the theme through showing that trying to avoid imperfections and mistakes usually ends up exacerbating them, especially when they can't be easily fixed."


Artist Biography

Hi! My name is Jessica Awuah (no nicknames—they never stick). I’m 16 years old and I live in Virginia, where I attend both Broad Run High School and the Academies of Loudoun in the Academy of Science (AOS). I make art for a lot of reasons, but I think the main one is just that I enjoy it. It’s fun to have a creative outlet that I can go to that doesn’t have a lot of stakes. I think what inspires me is all the other people who make art. I love seeing new independent works come out, because it makes me want to create something.

I’m definitely inspired by people who use their work to speak out on important issues, especially when they use raw emotion. That’s actually how I became so interested in writing. I always really loved reading (especially fiction), and in elementary school, I found a really cool poetry book with poems that felt visceral. Not too long after, I discovered slam poetry, and that only inspired me more to write.

When I make my art, it’s mostly just me sitting in front of my computer with an idea in my mind. I usually type them out, but sometimes I physically write, too—I’m not very picky about the medium. I let the story take shape as I’m writing, and then I go back and fix things that might not make sense after I’ve figured out the direction I want to take my story. It’s how I write my poetry, too. (I remember seeing a question on a test that used a passage describing how accessible poetry was for everyone, and it really stuck with me.)

I have a lot of ideas for writing, and whenever I get them (especially when I’m about to fall asleep), I write them down wherever I can (even if it means fumbling in the dark for a pen and writing on my hand). The ideas themselves make me really excited to form a story, like planting a seed for a tree. I think a lot of the techniques I use come from all the reading I do—I pay attention to writing, especially when I enjoy it, and understand how it works. 

My art is a way for me to express myself and engage in something I really enjoy. I think writing, especially, gives me a chance to create something that I can read and comb through as I figure it out. While I’m not sure if I want to pursue writing as a career by itself, I definitely want to keep it with me, even if that’s in little notes or ideas for stories that I might want to make. Art is really inspiring for me, because it takes the work of people who have something to share, and I think that’s what keeps me coming back. I hope that art—no matter what form it takes—will always be something that people look towards, and something that can show different perspectives.

Jessica Awuah 01


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Artist Spotlight


Meet the Artist




Artist Interview

Jessica shares more about her life, inspirations and the advice she has for other student artists.


Tell Us More About Yourself


"Some of my hobbies outside of school are writing (if it wasn’t clear already), reading, music, and theatre. I like listening to music of all kinds (rap, swing, jazz, pop, Afrobeat—you name it), and I also play the piano. (My favorite composer is Hiromi Uehara. I love her blend of music genres and her energy during performances is really magical to me.) I also like crocheting and sewing. In school, I really love doing theatre. I do my school’s plays and musicals, and I’ll probably try doing them in college, too. My favorite subject in school would probably be math, despite my love for the arts (I’m very multifaceted). I love being able to solve a problem, or figure out how one concept connects to another; I think it’s really interesting, too, especially the higher you go. Honestly, it’s a hard competition, though, because I just like school in general. Fun fact about me: I’ve loved em dashes (if you couldn’t tell) and semicolons ever since I’ve learned about them! (Apparently it’s now a sign of AI writing, though.)"


What Advice Do You Have for Other Artists


"For other artists, I would tell them to let themselves enjoy art. Figure out what you like and what inspires you. Personally, I had a lot of different “art phases” growing up (painting, drawing, photography, etc—I actually still enjoy a lot of them, even though I’m not particularly good at some), and it was through exploration that I figured out what I liked and wanted to do. To get involved in the arts, I look at a lot of different contests and opportunities. I’m fortunate because my school sends out newsletters showing different opportunities, and I usually manage to catch some I’m interested in, but you can also just search some up. Of course, always check to make sure they’re credible and you have the time for them, but I don’t see much harm in looking for new doors to open. Even if it’s not a contest, you can also just try finding environments with people who also share the interests you do. Try joining a club or even talking to the people in your classes. I joined theatre, and while it’s not related to writing, I think it’s helped me refine my performing skills (which I especially use in poetry), but it’s also helped me make a lot of new friends."


Why Students Should Participate in Reflections


"I think students should participate in Reflections because it has a lot of different avenues for you to explore. I actually didn’t know what category I wanted to submit in, because they all seemed really interesting. It gives a lot of different opportunities to figure out how to create new art and help it fit a theme. It can also be a fun way to think more deeply about the messages it sends. I liked coming up with new ideas and processes when creating my work, and even if you don’t win, I think it’s just a positive experience. You don’t have anything to lose from doing it, after all. I also think it gives good exposure; putting your work out there can be a little scary, but this is a good way to start, because it’s pretty low-stakes."



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