Today we’d like to introduce you to Jada Bailey.
Hi Jada, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
Art has always been my safe haven. Growing up in a military family and constantly changing schools, the art room was the one place I always felt at home. I even started college at 17 to become an art teacher. Life eventually led me to start a family, and when I tried to return to school, an advisor told me I was “too optimistic” to graduate with two toddlers. I went back anyway. A year and a half later, I handed in my final exam with my baby on my hip. Today, I have three college diplomas on my wall and three beautiful children who inspire me daily. My kids never held me back, they pushed me forward. Now, I run a custom cookie business that allows me to express my creativity every day while staying home to raise my family.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
The road was definitely not smooth. Because I was only 17 when I started college, I wasn’t legally allowed into the studios with nude models, which set me back in my realism skills. Then, UMKC cut my art education program entirely, leading to my break from school. When I finally returned to school with two babies at home, taking 15 credit hours a semester was incredibly difficult. It meant endless late nights, a strong support system, and pumping milk halfway through my classes just to make it work. But crossing that finish line with my family by my side was worth it all. Still to this day I have to pull all nighters just to get cookie orders done while all of my children are sleeping.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I’m an artist who loves diving into every medium possible! From working in an art gallery and assisting a professional painter to throwing pottery, teaching paint parties, and shooting photography. I even combined my love for art and motherhood by designing a monthly milestone and log coloring book for breastfeeding moms. Right now, I’m channeling all of that creative energy into my custom sugar cookie business, making art you can eat!
We love surprises, fun facts and unexpected stories. Is there something you can share that might surprise us?
A fun twist in my story is that despite moving all over the country as a military child, I’ve known my husband since we were babies! Our parents were friends before we were born and set us up on a date when my family finally moved back to the area when I was a teenager. We even have baby pictures together that we love sharing with our three kids now.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thebailey_collective?utm_source=qr
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheBaileyCollective?
