Some Serious Business presents #FiftyQuestions to highlight folks who are creating, presenting, questioning and critiquing. Each featured artist picks a handful of questions to answer.
32- How has your years in artmaking affected or influenced your sense of self?
I recently began to call myself an artist. I didn’t see my creative needs as something that has was solely artistic until I started to be brave and read my poetry. The practice declaring myself as an artist influences my sense of self and has provided me a type of courage I didn’t find anywhere else in my life. In multiple ways it has helped me to stand in my power, naked without the cover other attachments. So through my art I have found a freedom from what pains me, wounds I have yet to heal. But it is also a part of me which allows me a type of energy to dive into the work of trying to reach those hurts.
27- What is your artistic relationship to loss? Either personal loss, or lost works of art, or other kinds of loss?
I owe loss so much. Monumental shifts in my life have created periods of great sharing of my poetic voice. In death, heartbreak, shedding of old selves, I have learned so much about my practice and being. Loss of poems I write also helps me to embrace the ephemeral. I am such a big “keeper”. I love saving cards, tchotchkes, so when I lose something physical, it helps me to recognize not everything can be contained, preserved or held forever. Everything has an energy and life cycle of its own.
48- Are you more interested in the universal or the individual? How important is it to you whether you express yourself as a unique person, or rather add your voice to a collective conversation?
I love illustrating through my work how our personal experiences connect us to each other. In Diné culture we speak of K’é. This is a dynamic philosophy of kinship. We recognize in being related to each other, we are responsible to each other. I find there is tremendous power when we wield our voices and perspectives authentically because it allows others to see their connections. In short I believe even the separate is connected.
14- What role does your genetic or cultural background play in your practice?
My culture and being as an asdzaan Diné (Navajo woman) is everything to me. I believe it is my greatest gift and something I share with others through my art because I believe it was never meant for me to hold apart from my community. I incorporate it into my art and my work as an arts producer and creative entrepreneur.
About Jaclyn Roessel
Jaclyn Roessel was born and raised on the Navajo Nation, between the communities of Kayenta, Round Rock and Lukachukai, Arizona. She holds a B.A. in Art History and a Master in Public Administration from Arizona State University. She was the inaugural recipient of the Arizona Humanities Rising Star Award in 2013, which is given to young professionals whose work elevates the importance of humanities in the community. She’s been named one of Phoenix 100 Creatives You Should Know. She is a writer/poet and co-founded the project Schmooze: Lady Connected a platform dedicated to sharing women’s stories in the southwest through multi-media streams. Over the past decade as a museum professional at the Heard Museum, Roessel confirmed her belief in the power of utilizing cultural learning as a tool to engage and build stronger Native communities. She recently shifted her focus to pursuing her entrepreneurial role as the founder of the blog and online community, Grownup Navajo. From her new home base in New Mexico, she aims to expand her work to further inspire Native people to use their traditional knowledge as a catalyst to create change in our communities today.