"At that time, I was several years into an unplanned career as an artist, already had a solo exhibit and created a home décor brand"

During the pandemic in 2020, many people decided to start projects and write books. Sometimes detours create opportunity, and many capitalized on that opportunity by being forced to spend more time being “still.” I, however, learned that lesson many years ago.

I remember being interviewed for an article in Guideposts magazine a few years ago. The article centered around my personal journey as an artist. At that time, I was several years into an unplanned career as an artist, already had a solo exhibit and created a home décor brand using prints from my original artwork. I always referred to myself as an “accidental artist,” but it really was me on a detour.

Rewinding back to 2012, I was at a pivotal moment in my life. I was getting divorced, my father had succumbed to a terminal illness, and I was completely dissatisfied with my job. I spent the first half of the year, just surviving. However, once my mind, body and soul were absolutely exhausted, I took time off from work. Taking this time proved to be the best detour from a path I had already paved for myself.

"Calm During the Storm" by Phnesha Marchette Jefferson

It all started with long walks on the beach. I was fortunate enough to move within blocks of a beautiful beach in Southern California. These walks provided me with an opportunity to enjoy natural beauty that I never took advantage of for the first half of the year because I was too busy hustling and bustling through life.

One of the first things I noticed during these walks was the color blue. I recall reading articles in the past about the color blue and its calming effects. Blue ended up being a dominant color in my artwork when I began painting in the summer of 2012. 

At first, I just painted for myself. Having this creative outlet benefitted me in so many ways. I saw instant returns on my time at the easel whether it was helping with insomnia, or just feeling a sense of accomplishment. 

 "I was getting divorced, my father had succumbed to a terminal illness, and I was completely dissatisfied with my job. I spent the first half of the year, just surviving."

There is something completely gratifying about walking into your home and seeing YOUR artwork. The added bonus is that my two young daughters, Gabby and Gigi, began telling people, “Our mommy is an artist.” They never before touted my career choice, but now they had such a sense of pride when they shared with friends.

One of my daughters told me that I needed to sign my paintings, but that was a bit complicated at the time because I was in the middle of a divorce, and didn’t know what name to use.  That is when I made the decision to make my go-by name Phnesha Marchette; my first and middle name.

 "Clarity" by Phnesha Marchette Jefferson

After I ran out of wall space in my two-level home, I realized I could actually host an exhibit. I connected with a gallery owner that I soon became very skeptical of. My initial plan did not work out, but a missed meeting resulted in me stumbling upon a gallery in Redondo Beach where I walked in with a pitch and walked out with my first solo exhibit, Synchronicity, in 2014.

Almost seven years later, Synchronicity still seems so surreal to me. The event itself was never in my plan.

I had never imagined standing in a gallery full of family, friends and strangers with the sound system blasting my favorite singer, Jason Mraz. I ended up selling a record number of original pieces for the gallery that night. The gallery owners, admittedly, were shocked simply because I was relatively unknown at the time. I could not believe that people would hang my colorful labors of love in their homes.

Phnesha Marchette Jefferson at her solo exhibit in 2014

When I embarked on my artistic journey, Gabby and Gigi also embarked on theirs. They were very young, but children often emulate their parents. I bought them little easels and art supplies. We spent countless hours painting and drawing pictures of things they like to do at the dining room table. 

"Having the girls so intimately involved in the creative process has proven to be a fruitful approach."

One evening, Gabby said, “Mommy, this looks like a book.” I chuckled because, once again, I found myself contemplating an idea that was never in my plan. I received spiritual confirmation soon after, and that was the birth of the Gabby and Gigi book series.

The first book took quite a while to pull together. I had to educate myself on publishing options. I eventually chose to self-publish because I wanted full creative control over my series, particularly because it was reflective of my daughters. I did my homework and realized that with social media and other resources in place, there was no better option for me.

"Meet Gabby and Gigi" book cover

In December 2016, we were ready! We released the first book of the series, “Meet Gabby and Gigi.” The first book was all about Gabby, Gigi, and their dogs Coffee and Daisy. It featured things the girls liked to do; just like the pictures drawn at the dining room table.

The first book was an immediate success and the demand for more Gabby and Gigi became very high. The girls and I had so many funny experiences and they were very active in creating content for the second book, which also happens to be my favorite of the series so far, “Daisy Did It!” It was after the second book in August 2019, that we realized we were on to something. Two months later, at an appearance, I connected with a representative from Reading is Fundamental of Southern California (RIF SoCal) and our book series was picked up within three days of that initial contact. Two months after that, we released book number three, “The Big Big Secret.”

Having the girls so intimately involved in the creative process has proven to be a fruitful approach. Every decision we have made has been thoughtful and deliberate. The latest venture, our plush dolls, was the most well thought-out decision we made.

We thought it would be cool to have dolls, and during the initial thought, we were leaning in the direction of 18-inch plastic dolls. However, the girls began collecting plush dolls and I just knew that those would be the better option. See, most of the feedback we received from parents was that their kids loved having them read the books to them at night. We thought, what better way to add to the Gabby and Gigi experience than to have soft toys to hold and fall asleep with during bedtime.

Once I settled on a doll designer, the pandemic hit. What was supposed to be less than a six month process turned into well over a year-long effort. We were patient. We did not settle. I went back and forth several times about the girls’ hair and skin color because I knew that creating dolls of African American girls required a standard that I was not willing to compromise.

"While we waited, we made lemonade out of lemons in 2020. We were selected as Featured Authors for RIF SoCal, and were requested for a number of virtual appearances."

While we waited, we made lemonade out of lemons in 2020. We were selected as Featured Authors for RIF SoCal, and were requested for a number of virtual appearances. In addition, I was contacted several times over the year by aspiring authors for advice and guidance. I shared every single thing I learned from day one of the process because I believe in helping and empowering others.

Finally! In February 2021, we received our first bulk shipment of dolls and we launched for sale at gabby-gigi.myshopify.com. As I look back to nine years ago, I pinch myself because none of this was planned. There were many lessons learned from changing courses.

Unexpected events do not have to be viewed as derailments. Instead, they can create opportunities for creativity through taking detours. Our detour has been a colorful and rewarding one, and we cannot wait to watch more of our ideas come to fruition.