Maris Jones on Unlocking Your Aesthetic, Retro Fantasy Art, and Chappell Roan Collaborations

Defining Your Aesthetic

• 🎨 Maris Jones describes her art as immersive, painterly worlds rooted in nostalgia, with a dash of medieval fantasy magic and rock and roll infusion.
• 💡 Her creative process is inspired by colors, music (associating colors with sound due to synesthesia), and everyday objects, emphasizing a playful and organic approach over strict storyboarding.
• 📚 Her book, "Unlock Your Aesthetic: A Visual Guide to Finding Your Vibe," is a toolkit for anyone seeking to discover their personal visual style, regardless of their background.

Childhood Influences and Creative Evolution

• 🎬 Jones's fascination with stop-motion animation, sparked by "Clash of the Titans" at age six, led her to create mini-movies with her toys, a practice that continued throughout her life.
• 🧠 Childhood experiences, particularly spending time alone due to a stroke and cerebral palsy, fostered her imagination and ability to curate stories, which later translated into her filmmaking.
• 🚀 Despite her parents being artists, she went through a rebellious phase of not being creative as a teenager, but ultimately returned to her artistic roots after leaving school, which naturally evolved into a career.

The Book: Unlock Your Aesthetic

• 🤔 The book encourages readers to revisit what they loved as children as a blueprint for their adult selves, emphasizing the purity and directness of childhood preferences.
• ❓ Key questions from the book include identifying aesthetics one is drawn to, understanding the emotions an aesthetic evokes (happiness, sadness, warmth), and exploring desired materials, textures, patterns, and themes.
• 🌟 Jones believes everyone is creative to some degree and the book is for anyone looking to explore or develop their creativity, whether for art, home decor, or personal style.

Collaborations and Creative Process

• 🎤 A serendipitous connection through social media and management led to collaborations with pop star Chappell Roan, including designing the set for her Grammy performance.
• 🐴 The vision for the Grammys performance was a "Trojan horse" concept for the "Pink Pony Club," a nod to the song's themes and the artist's persona.
• 📸 As a photographer, Jones prioritizes lighting, color, and atmosphere, considering the