Today, I had the pleasure of chatting with Jess Greenleaf, the artist behind Greenleaf and Blueberry, over Zoom. Here’s the recording (both video and audio format), and a quick recap!
You can watch the video above; or, if you prefer to listen to the talk, podcast-style, feel free to press “play” on the audio file below:
Something magical happens when you get the chance to sit down with someone who speaks your creative language. That was absolutely the case this morning when my friend Jess of Greenleaf & Blueberry joined me for a live Zoom chat with TPK Premium members. We covered a lot of ground—from the quirks of watercolor pigments to the pull of analog art in a digital world—and I left the conversation feeling grounded, inspired, and ready to make something. I have a feeling you will, too.
Jess is an artist and entrepreneur who makes some of the most beautiful handmade watercolors available. But her real superpower might be how she talks about creativity with honesty and depth. During our conversation, she shared how her journey into making watercolors started with a curiosity about pigments and a desire to connect more deeply with her art. Like all of us, she balances a full plate: creative work, parenting, and all the day-to-day responsibilities of life. Despite all of that, she makes it a priority to protect space for making things and experimenting.
One of my favorite parts of the conversation was when we talked about drawing and sketching as a way to relive memories. Jess described how flipping through a sketchbook can bring her right back to a specific moment or place. There’s something so powerful about that, especially in a time when most of our memories live in phone photo albums instead of on paper.
If you’re looking for sketchbook inspiration, feel free to browse the links below:
We also traded favorite books and sources of inspiration. Jess recommended anything by Samantha Dion Baker (especially for teens getting into sketchbooking), and I gushed about The Gift of Calligraphy by Maybelle Imasa-Stukuls—a book I love for its expressive imperfection. I also mentioned Sabrina Ward Harrison’s Spilling Open, which is a great book for creative teenagers and adults in their early 20’s. Jess shared a vintage gem called Calligraphy: A Book of Contemporary Inspiration by Denise Lach, which is full of stunning visuals.
Throughout the course of our chat, I also mentioned Do Nothing: How to Break Away from Overworking, Overdoing, and Underliving by Celeste Headlee. I think it’s an important book because it underlines the importance of finding joy in life (something I explore more in the 8 Calligraphy Myths That Might Be Holding You Back article).
Of course, we couldn’t resist nerding out a bit about supplies. Jess walked us through the properties of watercolor pigments—how they granulate, disperse, and interact depending on their makeup—and emphasized the value of understanding your materials. That goes for everything from brushes (synthetic vs. squirrel vs. sable) to paper types (hot press, cold press, rough—Jess likes Arches and Hahnemüle).
We ended the chat reflecting on what it means to make art in a digital society. Jess made a strong case for analog art as a form of grounding, a reset for your attention, and a necessary balance to our screen-filled days. She emphasized focusing on high-quality inputs—like nature, art, and books—and to make time for creative outputs, no matter how small.
If you were there for the live session, thank you so much for joining us! And if you missed it, I hope this recap gives you a spark of inspiration to start your next project. Jess and I both really enjoyed this chat, and we agreed that we’d love to do another one again in a couple of weeks. Hopefully, you can join us again next time!
Warmly,
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