Today we’d like to introduce you to Jordaine Pollard.
Hi Jordaine, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Hey, It’s me. I’m Jordaine (said Jordan). I do the Human Crow Magic Show. The idea is to make more crows, help people see the “shiny,” and share how to make more independently. It’s a way to find joy, make magic in the mundane, and consciously connect thoughts to action. I’m a longtime crafter, forever hesitant to call myself an artist. I affectionately refer to myself as an ADHD creator with twenty different hobbies. Sometimes I dye, sometimes I draw, sometimes I do soap, and sometimes I do everything in between. This, plus an “I bet I can make that” type of attitude, has (and continues to) taken me through many creations.
In short, I’m a maker. At length, I sketch and paint, and I love the tactile sensations of many mixed media. Occasionally, I undertake magic soap making, with ingredients so intentional the effort behind the concoction is the real artistry. I work with fabrics and dyes, experimenting with folds and saturation. I work with things I find in nature, like mossy bits on display with gemstones or fashioning sticks into stars for holiday celebrations. I often craft to gift and celebrate life, and it is in that mindset that the “Magic Show” was born. I wanted to open up my craft cabinet, share the things I knew, and eagerly learn anything I didn’t. It started as an idea for kits and zoom meetings creating together, but the concept was more than making art to buy or even view; it was making art in everything you do.
So, I started sharing. Guided by words wiser than myself, I hoped to be the change I wished to see, leading by example and sharing ways I choose joy and welcome it into my life. I’ve been blessed with complexities to help me grow, and more and more, I have learned happiness is a habit we choose and can show. It’s encouraged me to pursue my degree in Psychology to expand my ability to help others reclaim their own joy. With a tactile focus on my psychological studies, I appreciate the layered benefits associated with art therapies. They’ve undoubtedly helped me as a form of expression, and I look forward to sharing the various art forms I meddle in and the words of wisdom that have helped me thus far.
Can you talk to us about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned? Looking back, has it been easy or smooth in retrospect?
No, the road hasn’t always been smooth; thankfully, the bumpy parts are some of the most educational and transformative. Some of the biggest struggles have been consistency and health, balancing what I’m physically able to do with a never-ending idea list. Having these many artistic interests and the desire to share them all translates into big bursts of creating with long gaps in between. And most of us experienced health-related challenges from 2020 on. Mine just started a little earlier, with the birth of my daughter in 2018. My body didn’t like it, and I’ve been on a path of discovery health-wise ever since. This Human Crow idea came to me when I was admittedly very low, joy was in short supply in the pandemic months as I was processing not only the world around me but the passing of my distant father. At the time of his passing in April, I had stoically been mourning the connection lost and the restraints preventing me from attending his services. It was on a new moon camping trip, stargazing the focus, that I would fondly recall him and his influences. Jokingly referring to it as my “Lion King” moment, I remembered he lived in me. His love of the Beatles, his love of country living, his love of science and space, and his love of creating with his hands; and then I heard a phrase from a song he sang to me as a child, “take these broken wings and learn to fly, all your life you were only waiting for this moment to arise.” And I had been. Ten years before the birth of HCMS in 2020, I was hosting events in the park to raise funds for arts in schools. I had been attending and participating in craft fairs for just as long. Always a new craft and a new treasure to share with the community. I was even lucky enough to join the ranks of an artist cooperative with my dye work. Through the exposure at that gallery, I was able to host workshops that only further invigorated my love of shared creative spaces and the ways encouragement can inspire us to do more.
Let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I hope more than anything, I’m known for being generous and kind, albeit a bit odd. I always try to stay true to my old soul and gentle heart. I’m happy connecting over music, food, gemstones, and endless creation forms. Likewise, I’m here for all the community networks that help lighten our collective load. I’ve even been called Mrs. Frizzle before teaching workshops and hosting events, a badge I wear with honor. I want to share happiness, knowledge, and skills that might provide novelty to the story you lead. Whatever method to the madness, life’s too short! So, try everything once and do the things that excite you! When we’re ready to learn, wisdom can find us.
The crisis has affected us all in different ways. How has it affected you, and are any important lessons or epiphanies you can share with us?
More than anything, the Covid-19 crisis taught me adaptability, especially regarding my health. Though it was undoubtedly some of the most anxiety-inducing times to be alive, I’m thankful for the time inside that taught me more about myself and how I wanted to show up. Forced introspection is only sometimes comfortable, but the best growth opportunities rarely are.
Pricing:
- Crystal Intention S0aps $5-20
- Dye & Fabric Arts $10-50
- Craft Parties & Workshops $40 & up
- 1 on 1 Sessions $50 & up
- 1 on 1 Half-Hours $30
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/humancrowmagicshow/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/humancrowmagicshow
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@humancrowmagicshow
