We’re looking forward to introducing you to Jessica Miller. Check out our conversation below.
Hi Jessica , thank you so much for joining us today. We’re thrilled to learn more about your journey, values and what you are currently working on. Let’s start with an ice breaker: What are you most proud of building — that nobody sees?
I’m currently building up my physical health! I don’t share much about it on social media, it’s something I’m proud I took control of but I also keep it very private. I hired a nutrition coach who has been sending me customized meal plans and workouts. I gave up drinking alcohol and have adopted healthy eating habits. I have more energy than I’ve had in years. I truly believe we take our health for granted. Your body is a house you have to live in for 85+ years so it’s important you take care of it.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I’ve always believed art has the power to spark joy and transform the everyday into something magical. Before starting Jess Miller Draws, I spent over a decade designing toy packaging for brands like Disney and Hasbro. That experience taught me how to balance creativity with mass-market appeal, but it wasn’t until 2020 that I picked up digital illustration and began building my creative business.
What started as sharing my illustrations online quickly grew into a thriving brand. Today, my art is recognized for its bold, retro-whimsical style. My work has been licensed and commissioned by brands like Adobe, CASETiFY, The Happy Planner, Penguin Random House, and HarperCollins, and it now lives on everything from phone cases and greeting cards to rugs, planners, and book covers.
But Jess Miller Draws isn’t just about me creating, it’s also about community. I love sharing what I’ve learned with other artists, whether it’s through online courses, art challenges, or simply opening up about my process. Helping other creatives find their voice, grow their business, and feel less alone in the journey is one of the most fulfilling parts of what I do.
In January 2025, my family lost our home and my art studio in the Eaton Fire. Rebuilding from that loss has been one of the hardest and most transformative experiences of my life. It reminded me that creativity isn’t just what I do—it’s how I survive, heal, and connect with others. That resilience and optimism live in every piece of art I make.
At the heart of it all, Jess Miller Draws is my way of celebrating color, storytelling, and imagination and sharing that celebration with as many people as possible.
Great, so let’s dive into your journey a bit more. What’s a moment that really shaped how you see the world?
A moment that forever shaped how I see the world was the morning I lost my home and studio to the Eaton Fire. I was in complete shock and heartbreak, and in a vulnerable state I shared a story on Instagram with a short video of what was left. My inbox filled with kind messages, words of encouragement, and even financial aid from both friends and complete strangers who wanted to help.
In a time when it’s easy to feel disheartened by the selfish or destructive sides of humanity, I was reminded of the opposite: the incredible compassion people are capable of. In my darkest moment, I saw the overwhelming goodness of community, and it gave me a renewed sense of hope, resilience, and gratitude that continues to shape how I move through the world today.
What did suffering teach you that success never could?
Having lost not only my home but my studio AND my childhood home really put things in perspective for me. I lost not only my life work and belongings but my childhood photos and memories. My life from 0-22 has been virtually erased from existence. I don’t have any baby pictures or yearbooks to look back at and I won’t be able to share with them with my daughter.
I realized how much I had been holding onto things I didn’t really need. Before the fire, I had closets full of unworn clothes, expired food in storage, and baby toys my daughter had long outgrown. Losing everything taught me a painful but liberating truth: I can live with less. Now I carry a strange but healthy detachment from material things. Every time I buy something new, I ask myself, “Would I be okay if this disappeared tomorrow?” And most of the time, the answer is yes. Suffering stripped away what was unnecessary and showed me how little I truly need to feel whole.
I think our readers would appreciate hearing more about your values and what you think matters in life and career, etc. So our next question is along those lines. Is the public version of you the real you?
I try to be as authentic as possible on social media, but I’m also running a business, which means I naturally share the highlights. In the beginning, I opened up about the fire and the heartbreak of losing my home and studio, but at some point I had to stop. As justified as my grief and anger were, I realized dwelling in it, especially publicly, wasn’t serving me or my audience. People often don’t know how to respond, and I knew I had to keep moving forward.
The truth is, creating new content and art while navigating profound trauma hasn’t been easy. I’ve gotten good at putting my best foot forward online, but the private version of me is still working through the rollercoaster of emotions that come with such a loss. That pain will never fully disappear, but I’ve learned how to carry it, manage it, and keep creating despite it.
Okay, we’ve made it essentially to the end. One last question before you go. What do you understand deeply that most people don’t?
I understand on a very personal level that everything, our homes, our belongings, even the markers of our memories, can disappear in an instant. After losing both my home and childhood home to fire, I realized how fragile the things we take for granted really are. Most people live as if their world is permanent, but I know firsthand that it isn’t.
That loss also taught me something most people don’t fully grasp until they’re forced to: we don’t actually need as much as we think we do. We live in an age of excess, but when it’s all stripped away, what matters most is community, creativity, and the people we love. Everything else is replaceable. Because of this, I carry a different kind of perspective into my work and my life, I see beauty and meaning not in what I own, but in what I create, what I share, and the connections I build with others.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://jessmillerdraws.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jessmillerdraws/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jesshort/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jessmillerdraws/
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@jessmillerdraws
Image Credits
Julie Shuford Photography
