Today we’d like to introduce you to Jamie Bourgeois.
Jamie, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I’m from a small town in Southeast Louisiana. I grew up immersed in nature; surrounded by swamps, running through sugar cane fields and eating garden vegetables and crawfish caught the morning of, but never thought much about “the environment,” until college. I received a BFA in Fibers from the Savannah College of Art and Design in Savannah, GA. It was there that I realized that humans can cause great change and trauma to ecosystems. It was there that I learned that the small town I’m from is in the center of what some call “Cancer Alley.” I began creating illustrated scarves with the hope to spread awareness about the effects humans have on the environment. In dealing with these concepts, I realized that I couldn’t make this work using synthetic dyes, so I switched gears and dove into natural dyes. Today, I locally source and grow a majority of the plants I use for color. A short essay about each scarf and an environmental topic is delivered in each package. My hope is to spread seeds of compassion about the environment though these beautiful handmade utilitarian objects. Because, just as we can cause trauma to our local ecosystems, we can also fight to conserve and protect them.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
The road has definitely had some rocks, but rocks aren’t all that bad. I have some very remarkable friends and mentors in my life who have helped me to re-imagine the rocks. So, my biggest advice is to surround yourself with people who you admire and trust. I’ve learned that it’s important to ask for the opportunities you want and reach out to the people you want to meet. I try to continue putting myself in “intimidating” situations, in that space, there’s always room for growth. Another big one is learning to make the work in ANY place, no matter space or resources.
Please tell us about your business.
I make naturally dyed and printed silk scarves and textiles with the hope to spread compassion and awareness about the earth we inhabit. I grow and locally harvest the majority of the plants I use for color. I’m proud that I’ve continued to stay true to striving to be as environmentally sustainable as possible. I strive to utilize all of the fabric I purchase so that there is little to no waste is produced. I purchase my fabric from a supplier who I feel confident in because of their stance on the environment and ethical practices. I’m always learning, always adapting, always improving.
Who have you been inspired by?
I have had the privilege of connecting with so many inspiring women. There are two artists I call mentors and dear friends, who have helped (and continue to help) shape the person and artist I am today, Nikki Jackson and Katherine Sandoz. Both women are fiercely creative, kind, strong (in every sense of the word), resourceful, patient, witty and wise beyond words. My friend and college roommate, Gabriella Garcia-Pardo, who is a freelance documentary filmmaker, taught me about conservation, being bold, persevering, and taking risks, but not myself too seriously. I’m inspired by Lane Huerta of Lovelane Designs, as I watch her successful small business grow larger and larger, while she continues to hold strong to her mission of empowering children through imagination and play. My mom, my grandmothers, and Dianne Gardner are all resilient and strong women. I’m inspired by the 18th-century entomologist, botanical illustrator, and naturalist, Maria Sibylla Merian, who defied the social and gender constructs of the time by being a successful female entrepreneur, explorer, artist and an insect lover. So, many of the women I know are living life on their own terms and that’s probably the most inspiring.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.jamiebourgeois.com
- Email: jamiebourgeois@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jamiebourgeois/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jamielbourgeois
Image Credit:
Jamie Bourgeois
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