Ever wondered what it’s like to see the world through another pair of eyes? We have. Particularly when those eyes view life through a creative lens: where art meets workaday routines, pigment pops up in unexpected places – and every day presents an opportunity for self-expression.
With this in mind, we asked artist and educator Jamie-Lee Wainman to walk us through her nine-to-five (and the five-to-nine that follows!). As one of the artist's we're sponsoring from Create’s Nurturing Talent Programme – alongside printmaker George R. Murphy (we caught up with them here last month) – Jamie divides her time between the studio and hosting workshops for young people and students.
Here, she blends play and creativity to express and process, explore and inspire: drawing on her neurodiversity to help others see themselves, others, and their surroundings in new ways.
And in her downtime? The artist’s life is every bit as colourful as you might expect…
“I always have music on in the morning to wake me up. After breakfast, I get dressed – I’ve got nine pairs of dungarees in all the colours of the rainbow; they’ve become my uniform!
My studio is only a five-minute walk from my house. When I arrive, I like to play Lo-Fi in the background to get me into work mode.”
My studio is only a five-minute walk from my house. When I arrive, I like to play Lo-Fi in the background to get me into work mode.”
“I spend most of my time facilitating workshops with neurodiverse artists, teaching 3D printing or designing interactive art installations. I love exploring how 3D printing and craft can be intertwined to create bespoke outcomes.”
“Sustainability is important to me, too. I like to work with recycled plastics and bioplastics. That way, I’m able to melt down any scraps I produce to create materials for future workshops.
I’m also an advocate for focusing on the process rather than the outcome. I always ask myself: what would my younger self have benefitted from? It’s why I love working with young people and students, to broaden the idea of what it means to ‘be creative’ and show how different this looks for each individual.”
“Sustainability is important to me, too. I like to work with recycled plastics and bioplastics. That way, I’m able to melt down any scraps I produce to create materials for future workshops.
I’m also an advocate for focusing on the process rather than the outcome. I always ask myself: what would my younger self have benefitted from? It’s why I love working with young people and students, to broaden the idea of what it means to ‘be creative’ and show how different this looks for each individual.”
“I feel very lucky that, as a freelancer, I can get up and go for a walk to change the creative direction of my day. It helps refresh my brain!”
“Being able to work in response to my needs supports my mental health. My neurodiversity has enabled me to create tools that use colour, shape, and connections to instigate metaphors. I like to think they get people talking, opening up, learning new subjects – or just meeting others, maybe for the first time.”
“I’ve found that I use a lot of mental energy in my work, but I’ve still got so much physical energy left by the end of the day,” Jamie-Lee explains. “Rather than feeling restless in the evenings, I’ve started running, going to the gym, or playing team sports. It’s a really nice way of separating myself from work. (Or just watching Bake Off. That’s another classic!)”
We're proud to support Nurturing Talent, a programme offering six emerging artists the opportunity to gain workshop experience and apply their practice in a community setting. To find out more about our ongoing charity partnership with Create – and how we're sponsoring artists like Jamie-Lee – click here.