A Moment with Jessie Swinford

Art and creativity has played a key role in shaping who I am from a very young age. I used to think that what I ‘did’ made me who I am, and that the art I created somehow formed part of my personhood. Which in part I think is true, but it was always the Creator’s artistry that was marking my life. Once I recognized that, I was able to create from such a place of authenticity, knowing WHO I found my identity in and reflecting that through all that I created. Hi, my name is Jessie (yes that is my full name) and I am 19 years old. I am a dancer and I have worn many other creative hats or ‘titles’; but most importantly I am a daughter, created by the ultimate Artisan, purposed to reveal Him in all that I do and all that I create.

A bit of back story… I was born and experienced my early childhood years in South Africa and I am extremely proud of those roots. I then moved to the Sunshine Coast, Australia and had many of my formative years in that little beach town, which are filled with memories and adventure. I am currently living in Sydney, Australia and have been falling more in love with this city day by day. I was blessed enough to have taken up dancing at the age of three, as well as having the freedom to put my hand to an eclectic range of art forms such as music, acting, painting, photography and in more recent years, writing. I have a deep passion for creative expression as a whole; appreciating that different people can bring something so unique through their own avenue of gifts. I can’t quite put my finger on what it was that kick started my beautiful and imperfect journey with dance. I like to think that there was a predesigned pull within my soul that drew me toward the wonderful world of expression through movement. I owe a lot of my flourishing within dance to my superwoman of a mom. She made so many sacrifices of time, money, energy and simple support for me to do what I loved most. From early morning drives to competitions to late night rehearsals and all the in betweens (sewing point shoe ribbons between shows) she truly made my passions a possibility.

I believe that my family has had a major influence on my art and the way that I create. They are far from perfect, but they hold this beauty and rawness within the way that we persistently love each other through everything. I try to let that flow into my creativity, aiming to bring something that has a raw authentic beauty, something real that can leave a lasting impact on people or help them to see the world from a new angle. I am determined to create things that I am proud of, things of meaning that express my soul and draw others home. What drives me to create is the hope that in some way people may see a glimpse of the Divine Creator; that I might open a window to heaven for someone to peer in and see His goodness and truth. I think that is the one thing that keeps me motivated through every season of busyness and grind, within the tension of balancing multiple creative disciplines as well as being a full time student. I no longer create for myself or for the simple sake of creating; I am committed to the people on the other side of my art, that they may benefit from what is being uncovered or communicated through my expression.

A mountain that I have always had to overcome within my art has been insecurity and perfectionism (said every creative ever). I know that this is not an uncommon obstacle among creatives, we all feel like we aren’t good enough or that we can’t quite live up to the dreams that we have. That being said, a revelation that has changed my perspective entirely is that it’s not actually about being ‘good enough’ or living up to your own, or other people’s standards. It’s not about trying to create something perfect, it is about creating something REAL. Something original, and meaningful. That is what all artists are unknowingly striving towards, the pursuit of drawing purpose, expression and beauty out of this wonderfully chaotic world. There is inspiration lying in every walk you take down the same old street, in each person that you meet and within the seemingly mundane. As artisans, it is our job to open our eyes, to see the wonder and magnify the beauty and truth which others cannot yet see. It is our mandate to inspire with the things that we create. So with these things in your focus, insecurities and self scrutiny just has to take the back seat because what we get the privilege of doing is far greater than ourselves.

Dance has most definitely changed the way that I approach life. The discipline required to master this craft is testing to both your body and your mind. It has taken me to new heights of what I believe I can do and achieve. It pushes me to my limits it has made me truly appreciate how incredible the human body really is. It has given me the mental capacity to push past walls in every area of my life, bringing me to the realization that with a certain measure of tenacity, you can accomplish almost anything. Dance has also brought me an indescribable joy and freedom, it is truly a gift to be able to get lost in the movement and music. It has helped me manage stress and has been a coping strategy through many hard seasons of my life. I like to think that God gave dance to me as both a blessing and a weapon against things that I would face in life. I am completely grateful for the way that I get to create and ultimately glorify God with the gifts that He has entrusted to me.

So I would encourage you as a creative (if you were wondering, yes, you are, everyone is creative), be brave, challenge and push yourself to new places, work towards excellence but don’t settle for perfection. There is far more depths to your art within the flaws and cracks. You have the power to tell stories that matter, to reflect and magnify your Creator and to INSPIRE those around you. I pray that you would push past every mindset of limitation and that you would fearlessly create in the light of the purpose that has been placed on your life.