Synesthesia and Art: Jessica Anne Schwartz Pushes the Envelope

Routine correspondence and everyday bureaucracy doesn’t have to be business as usual, but rather a chance to share some original artwork.

Jessica Anne Schwartz experiences the world differently than most. The artist has a rare form of synesthesia, a condition in which stimulation of one of the senses automatically triggers sensations in another. For Schwartz, this phenomenon is constant and affects all of her senses. “Colors register a mouth-feel and a sound. Sound registers a visual. Smell is both sound and sight,” she says. “Even my emotions have sounds and visuals to them. All of my senses are cross-wired.” She learned, as a child, that making art was one way to try to make sense of all the stimuli. The artist’s artistic output is incredibly diverse, which she attributes to the “population of artists” who reside inside her mind. As a result, she tends to work in series as her explorations are continuously ongoing and evolving. See two examples of Schwartz’s art, below; one shows several pieces from her “Beeing” series; another is an abstract from her “Mathilda” series. You can find out more about the artist and her work in an article in the September/October issue of Artists Magazine. And read on to learn about one of her ongoing creative practices—spreading joy via the U.S. Postal Service.

Art has also been transformational for Schwartz as a way to work through grief and other struggles in life. At some point, the artist decided she was going to squeeze as much joy out of this life as she could. “I try to cultivate joy and give as much away as I can,” she says. “So that’s a big part of my art. I want people to feel light in their heart when they see it.” As an example, Schwartz has, for the last six years, painted on every envelope she has mailed for her studio and apartment rent, as well as quarterly federal and New York State tax payments. Eager to work the joy of art into everyday life, Schwartz is determined that even routine financial correspondence can be a creative experience and an opportunity to recognize the human beings on the other side of the transaction. She includes a personal note and a self-addressed stamped envelope, and has received grateful letters in return.

Enjoy these examples of the artist’s creative correspondence. Perhaps you’ll be inspired to share your artistry in a similar way!

Meet the Artist

Jessica Anne Schwartz (jessicaanneschwartz.com) is a multi-disciplinary artist, who lives and works in New York City and Paris. Her work is held in private and public collections and has been a part of numerous exhibitions in New York City and San Francisco.