Jessica Zanotti

Photo Courtesy Of Jessica Zanotti

WHERE WERE YOU BORN AND RAISED AND WHERE DO YOU PRESENTLY LIVE?
I was born in Orange County, California and am currently living in the OC again temporarily. Taking a break from my 10 years of living in Los Angeles.

WHAT DID YOU WISH TO BE GROWING UP AND WHAT ARE SOME ANECDOTES FROM YOUR CHILDHOOD?
Growing up I was a gymnast and wanted to be in the Olympics. But then I got sick of gymnastics and I honestly can't recall any real dream after that until I went to college. In college, I wanted to become a magazine editor. As a child, I was incredibly stubborn and shy. I recently learned that I told my family that I would not speak a word in pre-school, I would only speak once I got to kindergarten. And apparently, I did just that. I didn’t utter one word the entire year in pre-school. The teachers came to my house because of this and I would speak to them there but not at school. My mom thinks it was a control thing, I didn't like people pushing me. Still don't. Working on it though.

WHY VISUAL ARTIST?
I don't like putting myself in a box, conformity and saying I’m one thing doesn't work for me. I call myself a visual artist now because it’s broad enough to fit a lot of titles under its umbrella. I am a wardrobe stylist, set stylist, art director, and creative director. I’m about to take on an interior design project. I love setting up pretty dinners. I am a creator and love taking on new projects and challenges. I have a feeling I'll be picking up a camera soon. I would love to try costume design someday. The possibilities are endless. Creativity is in my blood and an essential part of my life. My mother is creative and great at drawing and crafting. Her mother was a pattern maker and sewer. And her father had the most beautiful calligraphy.

HOW DID YOU PREPARE FOR YOUR LINE OF WORK?
I went to The Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising and majored in Merchandise Product Development. I worked for two years in clothing production for Elizabeth and James and realized sitting at a desk and creating time and action calendars was absolutely not for me. I quit and started interning for fashion magazines and PR companies. At my internships, I met stylists and started assisting them on jobs (I didn't even know styling was a job at the time so it was a cool discovery). That progressed and I began assisting big stylists full time on all sorts of jobs: fashion editorials, commercials, advertising, celebrity styling. Working with all kinds of stylists and in all realms of styling taught me a lot about organizational skills for shoots, introduced me to PR showrooms and designers, and the logistics/politics behind it all. Something no one can really prepare you for though is finding your own creativity and voice. When I branched off on my own that became my journey. It took a lot of trying new things, exploring, and pushing myself through the doubts. In a way, I’m still on that journey but have become far more confident in my work. I've relaxed into my vision and I’m starting to see the payoff.

HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE A DAY IN THE LIFE OF?
It's always different, every single day. Every couple weeks there’s a new project. If I'm styling a shoot, it's researching and reaching out to designers, setting up pulls, driving around all day doing pulls, being on set, or doing returns. If it's art direction or set design, Im typically scouring thrift stores and Good Will's. I’m always on Pinterest creating mood boards when I concept a shoot, that's the beginning of any project for me- creating a mood board. One day I may be writing for my blog. One week I might be shooting myself for a Pinterest campaign. Always different. Things that are non-negotiable in my days are yoga and meditation. And tea. Lots and lots of tea.

WHO OR WHAT HAS INFLUENCED YOU THE MOST?
Grace Coddington. I have always admired her work and her strong yet playful personality. In “The September Issue”, I love how she talks shit to Anna Wintour and isn't afraid of her. It's amazing. My friends are very inspirational and influential as well. I’m surrounded by so many creatives who continue to make amazing things and fight for their creativity/vision and the life they want. It's so inspiring to be around. Visually what influences me the most are movies, art, and travel. Traveling is so important for my creative growth. I visited Italy for the first time four years ago and it remains to be one of my favorite places in the world. There's something about it that moves me straight to my core. It inspires me more than anywhere else I have traveled to.

DO YOU PURSUE ANY SPECIFIC THEMES THROUGH YOUR IMAGES?
I don't actively pursue specific themes, as much as specific themes are part of who I am or what I’m going through at the moment. Femininity and feminism seems to be a theme that remains consistent throughout my work though.

WHAT MOTIVATES YOU?
Creating the life I love for the wellbeing of myself and those I love.

WHAT DO YOU DO FOR LEISURE AND PLEASURE?
Yoga and meditation. Reading. Journaling. Hiking. Vintage Shopping. Wellness retreats. Travel. Dancing.

ON A FINAL NOTE?
I'll leave you with one of my favorite quotes by Ira Glass. I always look back at this quote when I hit rough patches while growing in my creativity: “Nobody tells this to people who are beginners, I wish someone told me. All of us who do creative work, we get into it because we have good taste. But there is this gap. For the first couple years you make stuff, it’s just not that good. It’s trying to be good, it has potential, but it’s not. But your taste, the thing that got you into the game, is still killer. And your taste is why your work disappoints you. A lot of people never get past this phase, they quit. Most people I know who do interesting, creative work went through years of this. We know our work doesn’t have this special thing that we want it to have. We all go through this. And if you are just starting out or you are still in this phase, you gotta know its normal and the most important thing you can do is do a lot of work. Put yourself on a deadline so that every week you will finish one story. It is only by going through a volume of work that you will close that gap, and your work will be as good as your ambitions. And I took longer to figure out how to do this than anyone I’ve ever met. It’s gonna take awhile. It’s normal to take awhile. You’ve just gotta fight your way through.”