-Jessica, we'd love to hear your story and how you got to where you are today, both personally and as an artist.
I feel that I have wandered through life trying to find who I am and my purpose. I thought that I had decided on a life path with the conclusion of my doctoral program, however, the powers that be had other plans for me. My spiritual awakening happened in my last semester when I was writing my dissertation and planning my graduate art show. After that, I spent the next few years trying to make sense of everything, as well as why I am on earth.
My life changed profoundly in November 2019. It was the beginning of a series of events and descent into silence that would begin to course correct me. I chose to do spiritual coursework and in the long process, I began to unravel who I am not. One of the greatest gifts that I earned through coursework was rediscovering my Divinity. Reconnecting with the highest version of me outside of time and space had been beyond words. The joy and beauty that I saw within myself and for the world was breathtaking. I felt myself begin to stabilize and I questioned what I truly wanted with my life. The answer was that I wanted to once again create art.
Towards the end of 2021, my Divinity asked me to go back into art, something that I had abandoned several years earlier. I was told I had 2022 to create a portfolio and prepare. I didn't understand why, but I felt that by doing this, I would be moving towards something that I have waited for my entire life. Each day is uncertain and is an exercise in faith by moving forward, taking one step at a time. I don't always succeed, but I keep going.
-We love how art can serve as a therapeutic tool for healing. Can you share how your personal experiences have influenced your art and helped you find healing?
I have an academic background in art therapy, so naturally when I began to make art at a professional level, I chose to create from a space of trauma, wanting to process it. When I went through a spiritual awakening and "coming back on line" process, I was told to never create from a trauma space ever again. I didn't understand why until fairly recently. My Divinity has shown me that I am responsible for everything I create. The art that I make and the energy that it contains has an ability to ripple out into the world. If I create from a trauma space, the art can energetically make people sick and throw them off. If that happens, I'm responsible for that. If I create from a space of Divinity, using the highest frequencies that I can handle, that too, will ripple out into the world. The light and the beauty will touch people and create a space for healing. I truly believe beauty can heal. My art contains activations, which I learn through daily spiritual practices and through art creation. The creation process and calling in these activations help me heal. The light codes and activations in my art offer people a choice to heal as well.
-How has your perspective on neurodiversity changed over time, and how has it affected your art?
I have many neurodiversities, and one of which is autism. I used to view autism as a curse or some kind of punishment that God gave me. I used it as a crutch in life because I didn't want to take responsibility for myself. When I began spiritual coursework about three years ago, many aspects within myself shifted and it was almost like a blindfold being removed from my eyes. I learned so much about myself (and still learning) and one of the more important lessons was that I chose my life before I was born. I also learned that many "disorders" are actually spiritual gifts.
Autism is one of the greatest gifts I could have ever chosen for myself. According to my Divinity, without autism, I would not be able to create my art and in the manner that I do. I also think in shapes and colors. When I am receiving energetic codes from my Divinity, this is how it talks to me. It is a kaleidoscope of sacred geometry, light bursts and colors, as well as shapes that are not on earth.
For me, autism is a type of creative template that humanity, as a whole, does not fully understand just yet, but will. When I began to come into acceptance of my autistic template, I felt myself expand and my artwork open up and begin to go to another level. I felt more connected and synchronized with my Divinity and my creation process.
-Is there a message or inspiration that you hope others will take away from your work?
I want people to remember that they are light and go deep within themselves to remember who they are. I want them to remember and reconnect with beauty and true joy. Each person who has the courage to do this, then helps another. This creates a ripple effect out into the world.
-What’s the best way for someone to check out your work and provide support?
My full portfolio is available at
www.kaleido.art/jessicapbraccio. My originals are for sale here.
Reprints are available on my ecommerce site www.jessicapbracciostudio.art.
I'm on Instagram at @jessica_braccio, as well as Facebook.
If people want to connect with me, they can reach me at jessica.braccio44@gmail.com
Statement
My artwork is influenced by my neurodiversity. Being on the spectrum helps me create my artwork and-finally after many years- I see it as my ally, not something that defines and limits me. Art allows me to communicate the beauty and joy that I see and feel, but can't always fully convey in words. Through autism, I see and interpret the world as brilliant, bold color and shapes, almost like a kaleidoscope. Through these colors and shapes I find meaning as well as translate my joy. This is what my artwork is and who I AM.
Autism is the vehicle that helps me create and encode my artwork. My Divinity shows me the codes, colors and shapes to include in each piece, and I act as a translator. The artwork itself is not two dimensional, even though my printed pieces are 2D. Rather, each work acts as a holographic projection, which allows those who are willing and choose to, to accept and learn the codes that were created. The purpose of this is to help reawaken humanity's light, and as such, bring light and beauty back to this world.
Bio
Jessica Patrice Braccio received her PhD. In Humanities in Aesthetics Studies from The University of Texas at Dallas. She is trained as a digital artist and primarily works in Photoshop. When she is not creating art, she is working as a licensed massage therapist and energy practitioner.