Let Me Reintroduce Myself

I'm JJ Typography [she/her], a self-taught artist who's been drawing non-stop for the past 31 years.

My journey has been unique and full of unexpected turns. To be honest, I'm still figuring things out as I go. Over the years, I've experimented with various art styles and mediums, exploring my creative boundaries while honing my aesthetic.

From indirectly teaching myself lettering to cope with my dyslexia in elementary school, to drawing on my Vans in middle school with a makeshift airbrush I crafted using a Sharpie, my journey has been anything but ordinary. In high school, I doodled on my classmates' arms during English classes and joined the student government so I could design posters for school events. Later, in college, I designed wooden laser-cut jewelry with an ex and co-founded my first business with them. Unfortunately, due to fundamental differences, we parted ways, which led to the closure of our business. The grief of this transition was intense, but my stubborn nature pushed me to keep drawing, exploring different avenues like stickers, canvases, prints, Snapchat filters, and digital planners.

Today, I'm proud to say I co-authored and illustrated my first workbook, "The Art of Becoming: Self-Loving," and co-founded The Art of Becoming LLC with my mentor and one of my best friends. Throughout my journey, trying new styles and mediums has been what kept me inspired, even when things got tough.

To be honest, I sometimes feel embarrassed when I reflect on my career's seeming lack of direction. But I choose to embrace gratitude and appreciate my younger self for enriching my life with so many experiences and creative projects. I have created so much, and my journey has been one of growth and discovery.

I've been wanting to start this blog for years, but I struggled to figure out where to begin and how to structure my story because my journey has been a beautiful, chaotic ride. The decision paralysis, combined with perfectionism, created the perfect storm that kept me overthinking instead of sharing my story.

However, I'm ready to be brave and step out of my comfort zone to start sharing with those who want to know more about me, my journey, and how I became JJ Typography.

In this new phase of my life, it's becoming increasingly clear that growing old is a privilege—a privilege I refuse to take for granted. At 31, after spending the past five years on my healing journey and getting to know myself on a very intimate level, I feel called to share the wisdom I've gained along the way.

I want this blog to be a place where these lessons can live, accessible to anyone who resonates with them or simply wants to read along.

I promise to challenge myself to be vulnerable and authentically me. Please be patient and know that it won't be perfect—and that's intentional. Perfectionism has often kept me from sharing my art and story. Also, don't be surprised if my grammar isn't perfect; I prefer to write the way I speak because it feels more natural to me.

A big part of my identity as an artist is embracing the beauty in imperfections. I learned that from my Lolo (grandpa), who I'll talk about a lot in these posts. He is a significant part of my journey and one of the reasons I draw today. Lolo is also an artist, and he taught me that life becomes infinitely more beautiful when you shift your perspective on imperfections.

For the sake of accountability, I'm challenging myself to write at least 2 blogs a month. Eventually I want to post weekly but I want to stay realistic with my workload and goals. I'll be taking an intuitive approach to this blog, without overthinking or planning too much—because I have a tendency to get stuck in the planning stage... for years, literally!

If you've made it this far, I just want to say thank you—I appreciate you, no matter who you are or where you're from. I’m glad you’re here :)