Today we’d like to introduce you to Sirce Z Jasso.
Hi Sirce, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
I was born in Mexico City. My family migrated to the US when I was three years old. I was raised all over LA. I was raised by a single mom. We didn’t have a steady place to call home, so we moved a lot within the Boyle Heights area. My mother had struggles which were heartbreaking to see but also motivational and encouraging. The act of migrating to another country as a single mom takes courage and determination to do. She left everything and everyone behind to start new in a different country where she was indifferent to the culture and—standard. While she did struggle, my mother never gave up, she always moved forward. I grew up seeing this strong and resilient woman and in my culture women like this are referred to as chingonas. My mom is a—chingona!
In order to begin the depth of my story of who I am as a person, I feel it is necessary to explain where I come from since I believe that the root of my entrepreneurship stems from seeing the diligence I grew up seeing. Now let’s fast forward a bit to when I turn 14. Being undocumented really shattered me emotionally at this age. I noticed many of my undocumented family members struggling to find a good job. As an undocumented citizen at the time this discouraged me since I felt I was going to be next in line to the never-ending cycle of hardships undocumented citizen face.
When I was 11, I fell in love with fashion, art, and interior design. I would always rearrange my house and reconstruct my clothing to suit me and my style since most of my clothes were hand-me-downs. These newfound hobbies became the seed of my passion for fashion and creating.
My mother always embedded in my head that college was the key to success and if I wanted to be anything in this world, that I needed to achieve a higher education. So going to college sounded exciting and I was definitely looking forward to it. Little did I know that it would be one of my biggest hurdles. I recall going on a field trip to FIDM and I absolutely fell in love with the campus and the atmosphere — it was something I wanted to be a part of.
Conversations with my school friends were now about the future. Questions like: “Where do you plan to go to college,” “what school are you applying to,” and “what do you want your first job to be?” became reoccurring. All these questions seemed easy to me till I realized that being undocumented came with many struggles and obstacles. I tried to apply to different Universities like all my friends only then to come to the unfortunate realization that I couldn’t get financial aid because of my legal status in the US. I couldn’t really understand it, that is to say, I was raised in this country for the majority of my life. I didn’t know where or whom to turn to.
Consequently, going to a university was going to be extremely expensive and I knew that my mom couldn’t afford it, let alone barely make ends meet. My options were limited insofar as attending a university was concerned, as I would have to pay out of pocket or try to get a full-ride scholarship, and, in all honesty, I wasn’t the brightest in my classes so the prospect of attending a university came to a complete halt. However, despite this drawback, I really wanted to go to school because I felt that was my only opportunity to have a better future for me and my family. It was then when a counselor suggested I attend a community college, but that prospect also came to a halt as this alternative of higher education was something my mother couldn’t afford.
All I wanted was to repay my mother for everything she had done for me and my younger brother. I wanted her to know that risking her life and leaving everything behind was worth it! The reason why I say her life is because she crossed the border through El Serro where hundreds of people die per year. After a couple of attempts, she at long last made it over to the US and we were finally reunited. She says all she could think about was us and that gave her the courage to not give up. My mother’s actions, her decisions, and her trail was the motivational factor which drove me to better myself. There was no way I was going to let the system suppress me from achieving my goals. I started looking for jobs so as to pay for my own education, but that was also another hurdle I needed to cross. Seeking employment proved to be difficult as every employer or job facility asked for my SSN. I recall being in a group interview and the interviewer asked me why your SSN section was marked as blank and I didn’t know what to say or how to react to the situation, so I stood there speechless till I had to tell him, “I don’t have one” so he told me to leave the room. I went to my car and cried because all I wanted was to work. In my perspective, I wasn’t doing anything illegal, and yet, this experience left me feeling discouraged and I felt utterly defeated.
But eventually, I managed to find employment for a few jobs here-and-there and was mainly getting paid under the table, but most of these jobs either took advantage and exploited me due to my lack of citizen’s documentation, or I encountered racism and sexism.
So that’s when I decided to become an entrepreneur at the age of 19. I started making jewelry and selling it at art shows and swap meets. I would also sell vintage clothing and T-shirts. At this point, I had accumulated enough money to get me through community college till DACA came in.
I remember watching the news that evening as the announcement of DACA being implemented meant that classes would be waived and employment opportunities for undocumented individuals would be made legally able to work.
At that very moment, I recall breaking down in tears and being completely overwhelmed with immense happiness; this golden opportunity not only lessen my struggles from here to come, but it also minimized the many obstacles for the hundreds of thousands of undocumented kids raised in this country. The future of new and upcoming generations was a bright one. It was one of the happiest moments of my life. It was like a huge burden was taken off my shoulders. And so, I continued attending LATTC’s Fashion program while still continuing to grow my entrepreneurship portfolio.
After about a year of hard work, my boyfriend at the time (and now husband) and I opened up a small artist store in DTLA for artists and artistic creators alike. The purpose of the artistic store was a way to provide a space for current or upcoming artists to sell their art. Although it wasn’t as successful as we would have wanted it to be, it definitely taught us much about the world of business and opened many doors and opportunities for us.
Throughout the years in my journey as an entrepreneur, I have tapped into many different businesses and fields.
From fashion designs, photography, hospitality, to marketing, all have definitely taught me great lessons about what one can achieve when putting in the effort.
When I was younger, I had set myself a goal to one day study in Parsons in NY so in 2015 that goal was met. I did a summer program in Parsons, and It was a huge accomplishment for me. Although I felt like a minority in my class because I was the only Latina, I felt accomplished and happy to represent mi cultura.
Not long after, I graduated from LATTC and got a degree in Fine Arts with a certificate in Fashion Design. After completing my degree and certificate, I wanted to pursue further with my higher education but this time, I was thinking of transitioning to just Fine Arts. I wanted to tap into another side of me which was creating installations. So, I checked out the Art Center but as I tried applying, I soon came to realize that my portfolio was all fashion and I needed to increase my knowledge in art, so I decided to take a night crash course to build my portfolio. During that course, I tapped into different types of art and learned so much from my professor who was both an amazing instructor and person.
During the process, I was also trying to find myself as an artist but what I did know was that installations and multimedia art were something I was really interested in. During the whole course, I did a lot of self-exploring. I needed to find my voice as an artist.
For our final, our professor said we had the liberty to do anything related to the subject, and well, I really wanted to do an installation.
I decided to make my first installation ever.
I feel like this was the spark to Picturistik in which I created an installation based on immigration.
A week prior to the final, I had gone down to TJ to feed a group of Central Americans that were seeking asylum in the US but had been stuck in TJ. Myself, my husband and a group of friends made about 150 sandwiches, bought cases of water, crackers, and pizzas, and went out and fed the refugees. This was such a humbling experience and I felt blessed to be able to have the opportunity to participate in aiding those in dire need.
This was the inspiration behind my first Installation.
The following week I presented my installation to the entire class and at first, I didn’t want to bring it out from the car because I felt like it wasn’t good enough and it was such a personal piece.
But shortly after, I presented my professor with my idea and she immediately told me to go and get it.
I brought it up to the classroom and everyone was intrigued by it.
I had a fence with bob wires and images hanging which I had screen pressed to fabric and I also created a video with audio. The previous week I had collected a bunch of images from the border, so I decided to post 5 of these images to my Instagram and asked all my friends to comment what these images made them feel or represented to them.
Using all their comments, I created an installation with what they had written and their take on immigration.
The reception was that of a sentimental-filled and inspirational one, as many who commented were in the same boat I was, and for once I didn’t feel so alone. As I presented my work, I started crying because I had never talked about my struggles in public and some of my classmates related to journeys. I literally had the entire class crying — I guess they really felt my work!
And as for me, it was a new beginning. Somehow or someway, speaking about my endeavors in public gave me so much courage. I felt like I broke all my barriers.
This was the spark that sparked everything I do and am now. Picturistik was just a simple idea that I really didn’t think could or would be a reality, it was just a crazy idea I had. But as I kept thinking about the feeling I had transmitted to my classmates in my first installation, I wanted to keep doing that to the world. I wanted people to feel something with my work whether it is happiness, self-reflection, or sadness, feelings are such a beautiful part of the human body and I think it’s important to embrace each and every one of these emotions.
The end of 2019 came signing the lease to Picturistik after taking three months to obtain all permits and licensing and three more months for construction and to create the installations. In March of 2020, Picturistik was about to launch but unfortunately the global pandemic struck and that is a situation we all can attest to. For an entire year and a half, we didn’t know if Picturistik would even become a reality. It was completely finished and we couldn’t show it to the world and at some point, we thought we wouldn’t be able to make it.
The bills started stacking up and we were faced with the decision to either close Picturistik or hold on tight and ride the wave. Thankfully, we chose the latter. We held on and with the help of our family, friends, and the mall we made it through. When we started this project, we wanted to create a space for artists like myself and a place where you can express yourself through your own art or your own way of seeing life while also collaborating with other artists.
My goal as an artist is to create an experience, stimulate the mind through creativity, imagination, and take you on a journey of self-emotions and inner exploration.
Therefore, we created a different atmosphere in each room to inspire a different emotion and a different connection with art or, even, ourselves.
I think art is a very important factor in our lives. We are all artists in some way shape or form.
Being sustainable is also part of my work. As an artist, I find it super beautiful to bring a new purpose to old or unique items. It’s like a transformation or another chapter in their life and a way to become something new and to serve a new purpose.
Picturistik is a minority-owned business for artists by artists. We wanted to build a space for artists and art lovers to create, imagine, and experience. We also wanted to create a welcoming atmosphere for all people. Diversity in art and business is important to us and Picturistik helps us live out that vision. We also wanted to focus on sustainably creating a space, so we repurposed and recycled as often as possible. We created Picturistik to foster a sustainable, collective, and creative environment. We are inclusive of all ages, and we hope to inspire human connection online and IRL. We combine art, activism, and sustainability to transform the ordinary into the extraordinary. At Picturistik, we see beauty all around us! We want to sustain that beauty and place it at the center of your experience with us. That mission means we reuse, reduce, and recycle as much as possible. We value sustainability in our world and in our art, so our goal is to create an experience that reduces our environmental footprint and is in harmony with Mother Earth. We hope to inspire others with this focus on preserving the beauty and integrity of nature.
Me and my husband now own two Tabaco stores four sub-lease property rentals in downtown LA, but my biggest accomplishment so far has been Picturistik.
Around 2016 my husband and I married, and he helped me fix my legal status here in the US. Honestly, he is my biggest supporter; he inspires me and helps me execute all of my vision, Although he doesn’t consider himself an artist, he really is because most of my work would not be possible if it wasn’t for him.
I am now a resident and will soon apply for my citizenship. We have traveled the world over the past six years and all those experiences have been an inspiration to some of my pieces at Picturistik.
I hope my story can inspire some of you and I know we all come from different paths of life, but we all have one thing in common which is the pursuit of happiness. So don’t let your struggle or obstacles bring you down. They are temporary, and they are part of your story so embrace it! Always believe in yourself and remember, where there is rain there is sunshine too.
Para Adelante mi gente!
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
With certainty, I can attest that it has not been a smooth road, but I think that’s the beauty of it. Struggles build character and define us as both business owners and as human beings. I think one of my biggest struggles was being undocumented and unable to participate in certain aspects of society; that and living with the constant fear of facing deportation for both myself and my family was stressful enough. Because of these circumstances, such struggles may often leave a profound impact in one’s road to success — sometimes for better or for worse. What seems like basic accessibility for others, like going to college or having an SSN, seems unreachable by a large handful of individuals seeking to better themselves.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I create art installations for my small business. My goal as an artist is to create an experience, stimulate the mind through creativity, imagination, and take you on a journey of self-emotions and inner exploration. Therefore, I created a different atmosphere in each room to inspire a different emotion and a different connection with art or, even, ourselves.
I think art is a very important factor in our lives. We are all artists in some way shape or form.
Being sustainable is also part of my work. As an artist, I find it super beautiful to bring a new purpose to old or unique items. It’s like a transformation or another chapter in their life and a way to become something new and to serve a new purpose.
Picturistik is a minority-owned business for artists by artists. We wanted to build a space for artists and art lovers to create, imagine, and experience. We also wanted to create a welcoming atmosphere for all people. Diversity in art and business is important to us and Picturistik helps us live out that vision. We also wanted to focus on sustainably creating a space, so we repurposed and recycled as often as possible. We created Picturistik to foster a sustainable, collective, and creative environment. We are inclusive of all ages, and we hope to inspire human connection online and IRL. We combine art, activism, and sustainability to transform the ordinary into the extraordinary. At Picturistik, we see beauty all around us! We want to sustain that beauty and place it at the center of your experience with us. That mission means we reuse, reduce, and recycle as much as possible. We value sustainability in our world and in our art, so our goal is to create an experience that reduces our environmental footprint and is in harmony with Mother Earth. We hope to inspire others with this focus on preserving the beauty and integrity of nature.
We’re always looking for the lessons that can be learned in any situation, including tragic ones like the Covid-19 crisis. Are there any lessons you’ve learned that you can share?
I think my biggest lesson from the crisis was to not panic, to not give up, and, although things definitely seemed uncertain at times, it was important to always think things through with a clear head. Part of being a small business owner is being able to roll with the punches. Always be prepared to shift gears and most importantly always save for a rainy day. As a business owner, there were a handful of lessons I took away from the economic downturn. One lesson in particular which I’ve developed during this crisis was that of learning to adapt, prepare, and endure in times of crisis. I think adapting to change is something extremely important because life happenstances are constantly changing; this is to say, individuals and business owners alike need to accept and understand this inevitable fact of life. Essentially, some business owners get too comfortable or don’t like change and I find that to be troubling. In these trying times when things are changing so rapidly, it is always better to prepare for the worst and strive for the best.
Contact Info:
- Email: Picturistikburbank@gmail.com
- Website: www.Picturistik.com
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/picturistik?utm_medium=copy_link
- @se_fierce
