About Me
Who am I?
Hi! My name is Jessica Gardner, but you can call me Jess. I’m a communication coach who works with creative professionals, like artists and designers. I’ll help you describe your work clearly and advance your career faster by supporting you in your speaking and writing. Together, we’ll prepare better portfolios, interviews, presentations, artist statements, and resumes. This will help you stand out and impress your audience.
Some of my clients need help telling their story or making their writing more concise. Some need to fix grammar mistakes or find the best words to describe what they do. Some want to learn how to speak more confidently, and others just don’t know where to begin. With my bachelor’s degree in Studio Art, many years of design experience, and master’s degree in teaching ESL (English as a second language), I’ll help you describe your work with pride and confidence so you can share your greatness with the world!
What makes me unique?
There are a ton of great coaches out there, but not many have my unique background. Knowing how to talk about art and design is a special skill, and I’ve been involved in that world for twenty-five years. (This is me in 1999 working on a bronze piece in my sculpture program at UMM.)
I understand how hard it can be to convey your ideas to someone else, and I’ve experienced the challenges of the creative process. As a trained university language instructor, I know many strategies and tools to help you express your ideas more effectively, even if your first language isn’t English.
How did I begin my art and design career?
I grew up having adventures in the forests and lakes of Northern Minnesota. Like many of my clients, I was a very creative kid who spent hours working on projects of all kinds – drawings, plays, collages, props for my toys, treasure hunts – you name it. And when I went off to college, I knew I wanted to pursue a career in art.
During my Studio Art program, I discovered that what I really love most about being creative is exploring and problem-solving. I was always trying new artistic mediums, learning new design programs, and really enjoying the process more than the final creation. Finding new and better ways to do things is just fun for me, like solving a puzzle.
Reviews
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Jessica is really easy to work with. She just wants the best for her mentees and communication is definitely one of her strong suits. She was very responsive over email and on Zoom, made me feel excited to work with her!
– Isabel, Standard PSR
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Jessica is very patient, actively encourage trainee to overcome troubles during practices. She is very intelligent, very nice.
– Sean, Private Coaching
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I would absolutely recommend Artglish to friends who want to improve their portfolios in design/art industry because she understands well about self-branding and has helped me think about my design philosophy and how I can stand out from a lot of other designers.
– Sehee, Private Coaching
Why did I pivot to ESL?
Eventually, my desire to solve problems, experience different cultures, and help others led me to pivot to a career in ESL. After grad school, I spent a year teaching abroad in Macau, which was an awesome experience that left me with a lasting love of Asia. I came back to the U.S. and got a job teaching English to art and design university students. I knew it was my destiny, but eventually, I decided to build something for myself.
Developing this coaching business has been a really great experience because I get to surround myself with creative people. I love to see and talk about new art and design work every day and find solutions to help my clients overcome their problems. It’s the ideal combination of my strengths and interests, and it’s given me the opportunity to do workshops and help clients at major art, design, and tech companies all over the San Francisco Bay Area.
What’s my reason?
I started Artglish because I wanted to combine my love of art, design, language, and culture into one perfect career. My goal is to promote equality and empower creative professionals by giving them a voice to describe their work clearly. There are so many talented artists and designers out there who just need a little boost to reach the success they deserve. It gives me great joy to help them move past their frustrations in talking or writing about their work so they can tell their stories confidently. My hope is to build a diverse community of creatives that can help each other grow and succeed together.
What do I do for fun?
When I’m not writing or coaching, I like to explore new creative projects. My other hobbies are cooking delicious food, reading, traveling, and spending time outdoors with my husband, Adam. I live in California, but I also love to visit my family in Minnesota. I have two cats named George and Polly who make regular appearances on my IG Stories. I’ve been to 14 other countries so far, and I hope to add to that list as soon as possible.
Where’s my portfolio?
It’s coming in the next phase of my website redesign project. Check back soon!
Got more questions?
Now you know a bit about me, but I’d like to know about you too. Send me an email to say hi or ask a question!
Got more questions?
Now you know a bit about me, but I’d like to know about you too. Send me an email to say hi or ask a question!