“I’m burning out again.”
The words hung in the air.
I thought I should feel embarrassed. I’d tried so many things. Surely this time should’ve been different.
But there wasn’t any embarrassment. Instead, all I felt was relief. Because I could finally admit that things weren't working.
Here's the story so far:
For 9 years, I’d worked hard to build a career as a marketing writer for both huge brands and small businesses. I’d operated as both a business owner and an employee. I'd found some kind of success.
I was chasing a career path I’d fallen into when I was barely out of my teen years. Meanwhile, I was spending my weekends writing, drawing, sewing costumes, and constantly fiddling with my website.
My career was focused on being creative for others. But I craved being creative for myself.
In October 2021, it all came to a head. My latest job was feeling heavy. We were about to move to a new house. My husband was facing some serious knee problems, leaving him barely able to walk.
And a little blue test line showed that our tiny family was about to grow.
So I did the only thing that felt right: I quit. And in the ashes of that decision, I've begun to find something in me a bit deeper, a bit truer.
If we haven't met yet, welcome.
I'm Jessie.
I’m a writer, artist, and recovering marketer. And now a mom.
I'm still not sure how to be all of these things at once. But dammit, I'm gonna try.
I've been keeping a blog since the early days. In it, you can find some of the lessons I’ve learned over the years—about work, creativity, making tough decisions, and human stuff like that.
But these days, I'm focused on writing my Substack newsletter, The Jumble. It's new, but it's already my favorite place on the internet.
It’s lovely to have you here.
Just the facts
Home base: The sunny American Southwest (though I’m always scheming to get to the forest)
Strengths: making vegetables taste delicious, winning debates about word definitions, having 3 songs stuck in my head at any given time
Weaknesses: late night snacks, video games, overthinking everything
Supporting cast:
Rick (the husband)
Kylo (the whiny dog)
Thane (the needy cat)
And introducing... Baby Lewis! (the One Who Screams)
