Disabilities are an Artistic Asset

Jesi was a military brat growing up and ended up in Ocracoke her freshman year of high school. Prior to moving here, Jesi was diagnosed with Dyslexia, Dyscalculia, and an auditory processing disorder that makes it difficult to understand speech. Jesi says her teachers, prior to coming to Ocracoke, had all but given up on her and often put her in the back of the room to draw. Jesi says the smaller class sizes and attentive teachers at Ocracoke school helped her to recognize her disabilities as a gift. 

Jesi believes that these “disabilities” are what help her think in pictures. She can create entire worlds with very specific details in her mind and then create art based on them. 

Jesi recently won the "Spirit of Ocrafolk” award for the 2020 Ocrafolk t-shirt contest. She cites the inspiration being her involvement in fostering Ocrakittens and her love for the local music culture. Folk music, banjo, big bass, and square dancing are all aspects of Ocracoke music that she wanted to celebrate in this submission.

Jesi’s work has been featured in a Beaufort, NC gallery and she also received a scholarship for half the cost to a month-long college portfolio building program at the Art Academy of Cincinnati.

She would like to thank those who attended her painting parties at the Magic Bean Coffee Bazaar, and Katy Mitchell for helping host, which helped Jesi to raise the other half of tuition.

Jesi would also like to thank the teachers at Ocracoke School for believing in her and seeing her potential. She would specifically like to thank Kitty Mitchell for pushing her to sell her art and to think of art as a career. Jesi’s mother, who as a single mom, raised her and has been her cheerleader the whole time also deserves a big thank you, says Jesi. 

Jesi has been accepted and plans to attend her dream school: Ringling College of Art & Design in Sarasota, Florida. She's on her way there this week for classes to begin. She wants to study Illustration and become a children’s book illustrator and graphic artist. A goal in her career is to use her artistic platform to celebrate the diversity of people of color, disabilities, and religious backgrounds. 

If you would like to support Jesi in her dream of becoming an illustrator, you can purchase her work on etsy (https://www.etsy.com/shop/Jogji) or donate financially to her gofundme (https://www.gofundme.com/f/jesi-franklin039s-dream-school).