Jess Novak: The Dreamer that Dared to Create

Jess Novak, author of Dare to Begin: Stop Dreaming and Start Creating, is proof that the saying “do what you love and you’ll never work a day in your life” is how creative minds thrive. 

Jess, the musician

Jess is a musician at heart and has released 11 original albums since 2013. When I asked Jess about her hobbies—what she does in her free time when she’s not in the studio—she admitted that her hobby was music. Her work never really stops, but she wouldn’t have it any other way.

She is living the life that only her childhood self dreamed of, but never thought was possible.

The hurdles that Jess experienced as an artist stemmed from her fear of performing live music. Until she was able to battle her internal saboteur, she was stuck from creating the art that shaped the person she is today. 

Now, Jess can check “performing live” and “writing a book” (plus so many other accomplishments) off of her bucket list. 

Jess, the author

Dare to Begin is committed to honesty and creativity, told through Jess’s real experiences working through doubt. When asked about her motivation behind writing this book, she reinforced the importance of art and the artist.

Jess: I’m a big fan of a book called The Artist's Way by Julia Cameron. I really like the idea of helping other artists become artists and do what they want to do, and that has become my message as a musician and as a person—whatever you wanna do, you can do it.

Jess admits that her writing stems from her love of reading. During COVID, she did lots of reading and found the inspiration to tell her story. This book really turned into her passion project, and she had a lot of fun writing it. 

Jess: It was really fun to write. I really just loved doing it. Editing always takes a long time—so many times just going over and over it—but the actual spitting out what I wanted to say was pretty painless. So, whenever something just comes naturally I take that as a sign that I’m supposed to be doing it. 

Even though Jess’s main form of creation comes through her music, she understands how any artist can battle internal limitations. She has embraced and pushed through this block that artists experience.

Jess: Getting over fear is an internal shift. It’s kind of a double-edged sword. You may be your own worst enemy, but you’re within your own control.                                                                                          

Jess, the artist

After getting to talk to Jess about her motivation and her story, it’s clear that her message stays true to who she is as a person and as an artist. It’s great to see how different forms of art can inspire each other, and produce amazing artists like Jess Novak. Jess took the leap and dared to begin.                                                                                                                                                                                                               

Looking for her book? Click here to buy a copy of Dare to Begin: Stop Dreaming and Start Creating.

If you’re interested in learning more about Jess, check her out here.

Thanks for supporting our authors, Beesties. Let’s hang out again soon.

This article was written by Lexi Smith. Lexi is a student at the University of Mount Union studying Literature and Communication Arts. Her favorite Animal Spirit is the bear.