My name is Jessica Malony, and I was drawing on walls and furniture as soon as I could hold a crayon. Whether it was rebellion, or truly the works of a young artist, we may never know; but my childhood antics were a deciding factor in the toys my parents gave me and classes they enrolled me in. Born and raised in Columbus Ohio, I have had the opportunity to establish many creative outlets, be it through school, home, an internship, volunteering, making signs as a barista, or helping kids make Christmas cards for their parents.
While I have yet to give up crayons, I have developed a love for a broader range of mediums including, but not limited to, charcoal/graphite, acrylic paint, gauche, colored pencil, photography, and occasionally 3D work. If I have not tried it, I want to. Beyond being an artist, I am struggling plant parent with passions for social/racial justice, physical and mental health advocacy, and any fluffy or otherwise adorable thing that may cross my path; to name a few things. When not engaging in the arts or doing school work, you can usually find me napping, watching YouTube, or snuggling with one (or more) of my three cats.
Noteworthy:
- I had a 3 year Floristry/Event Planning Internship with the Bloom Shoppe.
- During 2020 I took a gap year and nannied for a family with three kids ages 2, 5, and 9.
- I view life through the lens of chronic illness, which makes me passionate about accessibility to everyone, especially through design.
Design
To me, design is a hybrid of art, psychology, and engineering. It requires artistic elements such as line, shape, color, and pattern, but in order to be design rather than art, it takes those elements and uses them to solve problems both mechanically and emotionally. The effects of design go beyond visual pleasure, more so impacting quality of life and in some cases well being.
Design interests me because it gives my love for art a more practical application, and allows me to positively influence the lives of potential users. I love working with people and feel inclined to pursue a people-centered career, which studying design facilitates. Through a design education, I hope to continuously expand the way I view and interact with my surroundings, improve my art, and explore facets of creativity I have yet to discover.