How one St. Louis artist transforms forgotten materials, creates new worlds, and dreams of building a safe creative space for teenagers
Sometimes creativity begins with seeing what others overlook.
An old music box.
A discarded book.
A forgotten frame.
A blank canvas.
A person who has not yet been given the environment, encouragement, or opportunity to fully grow.
Where some people see something finished, broken, or past its purpose, an artist sees possibility: “What could this become?”
For St. Louis artist Jayla Emmons, that question extends far beyond the artwork itself.
Her creativity is rooted in transformation — taking pieces with existing stories and creating something entirely new.
Through painting, mixed media, collage, and reimagined objects, Jayla creates artwork that reflects imagination, curiosity, and the belief that something beautiful can emerge when someone is willing to look deeper.
But her dream reaches beyond creating artwork.
She hopes to one day create a nonprofit centered around therapeutic art, creative skills, and community — a place where teenagers have access to creativity, support, practical life skills, and a safe environment to express themselves.
Because sometimes art is not only about what we make.
Sometimes art becomes the place where people discover what they are capable of becoming.
Meeting Jayla: Finding Creative Community
One of the things I have learned while exploring St. Louis art resources is that creativity often grows through connection.
You can start by searching for a class, a studio, or a place to create.
But sometimes the greatest thing you find is another person who understands why creating matters.
Jayla has been one of the artists exploring many of these creative spaces alongside me — from creating together at Artists First, touring Marnie's Creative Outlet, searching for materials at creative reuse spaces like Leftovers, etc and Upcycle Treasure Box, and discovering more of the hidden creative resources available throughout St. Louis.
Those experiences have been a reminder of something important: artists need more than supplies.
They need community.
They need encouragement.
They need places where ideas can grow.
Watching Jayla explore these spaces has also shown something that appears throughout her own artwork:
She sees potential everywhere.
Materials that could have been forgotten become something new.
Small discoveries become inspiration.
Creative spaces become opportunities.
That ability to recognize possibility is one of the most powerful things about artists.
They see what exists.
Then they imagine what could exist.
A Creative Journey Beginning at 13
Jayla’s relationship with art began when she was young, but she never expected creativity would become such a powerful part of her life.
At 13 years old, creating started with the simple joy of drawing on paper and watching something from her imagination come to life.
“I realized I could escape into it,” Jayla shares.
Part of that creative spark came through someone important in her life — a brother who was fostered by her parents.
“He loved art. He loved drawing. He taught me a few things. That was our connection.”
While many of her siblings connected through music, Jayla felt like something was missing.
Art became that missing piece.
After her brother passed away, she found herself drawn even deeper into creating.
“All thanks to a brother’s love and passion.”
What began as drawing became something much larger — a way to process emotions, tell stories, and communicate things that words could not always hold.
Giving Forgotten Objects a New Story
Some artwork begins with a blank canvas.
Some begins with something that already has a past.
For Jayla, inspiration can come from objects other people might walk past.
An old music box.
A used book.
A frame waiting for a second life.
A collection of materials that do not look connected yet.
Instead of asking whether something has lost its purpose, she asks what new purpose it could have.
One of Jayla’s favorite creative processes is finding old music boxes and completely transforming their exteriors.
What was once a familiar object becomes something entirely new.
A miniature scene.
A tiny world.
A story waiting to be discovered.
There is something special about artwork that invites people to look closer. From far away, someone may see an object. But when they pause, they notice the details — the textures, the small pieces, the choices that turn ordinary materials into something personal.
Her transformed music boxes capture that feeling of discovery.
They remind us that creativity does not always require starting over.
Sometimes it starts by seeing possibility in what is already there.
For Jayla, transforming forgotten objects is not only about creativity.
It is personal.
“While other people may see junk, broken items, complete trash, I see potential,” Jayla explains. “Everything holds a story.”
An old music box is not only an object.
It may have belonged to someone.
It may have held memories.
It may have been meaningful long before it ever reached her hands.
“I take those things and I bring back its story. I bring back its life.”
That idea connects deeply with Jayla’s own journey.
“Taking broken things and making them new is my way of telling myself and others that see my art that even though you may look and feel broken, you have so much potential. You have a story.”
And maybe that is why her artwork feels different.
She is not only decorating objects.
She is honoring the possibility still inside them.
The Magic of Creative Reuse
One of the things I love about creative reuse is that it challenges the way we see materials.
So often, we are taught to categorize things:
Useful or useless.
Valuable or worthless.
New or old.
Worth keeping or ready to throw away.
But artists have always been people who question those categories.
They look at scraps, leftovers, and forgotten things and see potential.
Jayla’s work reflects that mindset.
When describing her own style, Jayla jokingly calls herself “a junk collector” — always searching for forgotten materials she can transform into something new.
“I honestly would call it [my art style] ‘a junk collector.’ I am always finding useless trash and turning it into something new.”
Through exploring places like Leftovers, etc. and the Upcycle Treasure Box, we have seen firsthand how many creative possibilities exist when materials are given another chance.
A piece of paper can become part of a collage.
A small object can become the perfect detail in a miniature world.
Something sitting unused on a shelf can become the missing piece of someone’s artwork.
Creative reuse is not only about saving materials.
It is about imagination.
It is the ability to look at something and say: “There is still something here.”
Exploring the Light and Dark Sides of Creativity
Another thing that stands out about Jayla’s artwork is her willingness to explore different creative directions.
Some pieces feel whimsical and nostalgic.
Some capture peaceful landscapes.
Some enter darker, mysterious worlds through horror-inspired collage and mixed media.
And that range matters.
Sometimes people expect artists to choose one thing:
One medium.
One style.
One subject.
One version of themselves.
But creativity is bigger than that.
People are complex, and artwork can reflect all the different pieces that make someone who they are.
Joy.
Curiosity.
Mystery.
Reflection.
Imagination.
Experimentation.
Jayla’s willingness to explore different materials and themes is a reminder that creativity does not have to stay inside one box.
Sometimes the most interesting discoveries happen when artists allow themselves to ask: “What happens if I try?”
When Art Speaks Louder Than Words
For Jayla, art has never been only about creating something beautiful.
It has been a language.
“Art is a story,” she explains. “It’s a way of expressing emotions and going deep into the subconscious.”
Sometimes creativity allows people to communicate things they struggle to say out loud.
For Jayla, art became that place.
“With art I can say the things I cannot express with mere words. It’s my safe place. A refuge.”
One of the moments where Jayla recognized the true power of her artistic voice came in 2022.
After losing her father and struggling through a painful season, she created a piece called BROKEN.
Using a broken whiskey bottle, resin, and pieces of shattered glass, she transformed something connected to pain into artwork.
“When I sobered up and looked at the creation, I knew I had a voice that spoke louder than words themselves.”
That moment revealed something important: her art was not only something she made.
It was something that helped her speak; a shattered object became the very thing that helped reveal her voice.
“Art gives me a desire to speak.
Art gives me a will to live.
Art gives me confidence.
Art gives me a new community.”
Creating Artwork That Tells a Story
Because Jayla’s artwork is so personal, her hope is not simply that someone looks at a piece and thinks it is beautiful.
She hopes they feel something.
“I hope people feel me,” Jayla explains. “I want people to see a story and have that urge to know more.”
Every transformed object, painting, and mixed media piece carries a piece of the journey behind it.
The goal is connection.
A reminder that people are not alone in their own experiences, struggles, dreams, and transformations.
“I want my story to influence others to become the best person that they can. I want them to feel passion, feel a desire, and most important feel so much hope.”
Sharing Creativity With the World
Creating something is one kind of courage.
Sharing it is another.
Many artists understand the vulnerable moment between finishing a piece and allowing someone else to see it.
The questions can start appearing:
- “Will people understand it?”
- “Is it good enough?”
- “Does my work matter?”
But every artist who has ever inspired someone had to take that step — the step from creating privately to allowing their creativity to reach others.
Through In His Image Arts, Jayla has started sharing more of her creative journey with the world.
For a long time, Jayla did not know what to call her artwork until family friends suggested “In His Image.”
At first, the name existed before she fully understood its meaning.
“As my life continued and as I grew, the realization dawned on me...”
Jayla realized the uncertainty she feels during creation connects deeply with her faith: “I don’t know what story is unfolding until halfway through a project. God does.”
For Jayla, creating is connected to her belief that she herself is created in God’s image.
Her artwork shows the many directions creativity can travel:
- A peaceful painted landscape
- A transformed music box
- A miniature scene
- A mysterious collage
- An experiment with materials that becomes something unexpected
Each piece represents time, imagination, problem-solving, and a willingness to create something that did not exist before.
And that matters.
Because every piece of artwork carries a small piece of the person who created it.
Finding Her Place in the St. Louis Creative Community
One of the amazing things about creativity is that it has a way of opening doors.
Sometimes literally.
Jayla also took another step in her creative journey when she opened her own shop space at Painted Tree Boutiques in Maplewood, Missouri before its nationwide closure in 2026.
Having her artwork displayed in a physical space was an important milestone — a moment of allowing her creations to exist beyond her own home and reach new people.
As Jayla continues building her artistic journey, following In His Image Arts is one of the best ways to see her newest creations, upcoming opportunities, and where her artwork may appear next.
For artists, having your work exist somewhere outside of your own home can be a huge milestone.
It is saying: “This thing I created deserves space.”
It allows someone walking by to stop, connect, wonder, smile, or feel something unexpected.
That is one of the beautiful mysteries of art.
You never fully know who your work will reach.
A piece you almost did not share might become exactly what someone else needed to find.
The People’s Artist Competition
Jayla has also taken another step in sharing her artwork by participating in The People’s Artist competition.
Presented by Johnny Depp and powered by Colossal, The People’s Artist gives creators an opportunity to share their artwork with a wider audience while supporting creative expression and social impact.
For Jayla, opportunities like this are another way to continue growing as an artist, sharing her creations, and working toward her larger dreams.
Because while recognition can be exciting, the deeper purpose behind Jayla’s creative journey extends beyond any single competition.
Her artwork is part of a much bigger vision.
A vision built around creativity, encouragement, and creating a place where others can discover their own potential, too.
More Than Artwork: Building Something Bigger
After spending time creating with Jayla and exploring different art spaces around St. Louis, something becomes clear: her excitement is not only about making art; it is about what art can do.
The conversations are not only about: “What should I create next?”
They become:
- “How could creativity help someone?”
- “How could a space like this support people?”
- “What do young people need that they are not receiving?”
That shift — from artist to community builder — is powerful.
Because many meaningful spaces begin the same way:
Someone experiences something.
Someone notices something missing.
Someone says: “What if there was another way?”
And then they decide to build it.
Creating the Space She Wishes Existed
Sometimes the dreams people carry are connected to the things they once needed themselves.
A person who struggled to find belonging may become the person who creates community.
Someone who knows what it feels like to need guidance may become the person offering encouragement.
Someone who understands how hard it can be to navigate something alone may decide: “No one else should have to figure this out by themselves.”
For Jayla, her biggest creative dream reaches beyond individual artwork.
She hopes to one day create a nonprofit where teenagers can come to create, learn, express themselves, and receive support.
A place where creativity opens the door.
But the support does not stop there.
“The second someone walks into the door of my nonprofit organization I want the immediate feelings of safety. When they come in they will feel safe. They will feel like they belong. It will be the overwhelming urge to come back because it will be HOME. They will WANT to express themselves. WANT to learn. A DESIRE will be placed in their hearts. They will be surrounded by pure love.”
More Than Art Supplies
Art can be powerful.
It can help people express emotions they do not have words for.
It can create confidence.
It can provide a place to experiment, make decisions, problem-solve, and discover your own voice.
But Jayla’s vision recognizes something else: young people often need more than a place to create.
They need people willing to walk beside them.
They need guidance.
They need encouragement.
They need opportunities to learn things they may never have been taught.
After moving out at 18, Jayla experienced firsthand how overwhelming adulthood can be when you are suddenly responsible for things you were never fully prepared for.
Managing finances.
Understanding responsibilities.
Making major decisions.
Learning through trial and error.
Like many young adults, she discovered that independence is not only about age.
It is about having the knowledge, resources, and support needed to navigate life.
And now, instead of letting those experiences stop with her, she wants to turn them into something that helps others.
Building a Bridge for the Next Generation
When asked what she wishes teenagers knew, Jayla’s answer reaches beyond art skills.
She wants young people to know they are heard, that their feelings matter, and that there are different ways to express themselves.
Most importantly, she wants them to know they have value: “They matter and are worth more than gold.”
The goal behind Jayla’s future nonprofit is not simply teaching someone how to paint.
It is creating a place where teenagers can grow.
A space where they can:
🌱 discover creative outlets
🌱 learn new skills
🌱 express themselves safely
🌱 build confidence
🌱 ask questions
🌱 prepare for adulthood
🌱 feel supported
Because sometimes a young person does not need someone telling them they should already have everything figured out.
Sometimes they need someone saying: “Let’s figure this out together.”
Creativity as a Starting Point
One of the beautiful things about creativity is that it naturally teaches skills beyond the artwork itself.
When someone creates, they practice:
- Problem-solving
- Patience
- Trying again
- Making choices
- Trusting themselves
- Seeing possibilities
A blank canvas teaches you that beginnings are possible.
A mistake teaches you that things can change.
A discarded object teaches you that something can have another chapter.
In many ways, Jayla’s artwork already reflects the heart of the space she hopes to create.
Taking what exists.
Recognizing potential.
Adding care.
Creating something new.
Supporting an Artist With a Bigger Vision
Every artist starts somewhere.
A first drawing.
A first experiment.
A first person who believes in them.
A first opportunity to share their work.
Behind every creative journey are moments where someone chooses to encourage another person forward.
Sometimes support looks like purchasing artwork.
Sometimes it looks like sharing someone’s page.
Sometimes it looks like telling someone: “Keep going. What you are creating matters.”
For independent artists, those moments can make a bigger difference than people realize.
They are not only supporting finished pieces.
They are supporting the hours spent learning, experimenting, failing, trying again, and growing.
They are supporting the dreams artists hope to build through their creativity.
Finding Jayla’s Artwork
If you would like to follow Jayla’s creative journey, support her artwork, or see what she creates next, you can find her through In His Image Arts.
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/inhisimagearts/
Through her page, you can see her latest paintings, altered creations, mixed media pieces, and the evolution of her artistic journey.
Jayla had also opened a shop space at Painted Tree Boutiques in Maplewood, Missouri.
Having a physical space where people can discover her artwork is another exciting step toward sharing her creativity with the community.
For anyone local to St. Louis, supporting local art spaces, markets, galleries, and creative events is also a wonderful way to discover independent artists, makers, and small creative businesses.
The Ripple Effect of Supporting Local Artists
One of the things I have learned while exploring the St. Louis creative community is that artists rarely create completely alone.
Behind every artist are:
The people who encourage them.
The spaces that welcome them.
The resources that help them grow.
The communities that remind them they belong.
That is why places like Artists First, Marnie’s Creative Outlet, Perennial, Leftovers, etc., and other creative spaces matter so much.
They do more than provide materials.
They create opportunities.
They create connection.
They create moments where someone realizes: “There is a place for me here.”
And sometimes those moments become the beginning of something much bigger.
Creativity Creates More Creativity
One of the most beautiful things about creativity is that it spreads.
Someone creates a piece of artwork.
That artwork inspires a conversation.
That conversation creates a connection.
That connection sparks a new idea.
A new idea becomes something that did not exist before.
A studio.
A program.
A community.
A dream.
Jayla’s journey is still unfolding, but the heart behind it is already clear.
She believes creativity can make a difference.
She believes art can become a place where people feel supported.
She believes what she creates can become something bigger than herself.
And that is exactly how meaningful change begins.
Seeing What Could Become
The more time I spend around artists, the more I realize creativity is not only about making things.
It is about seeing differently.
An artist can look at a forgotten object and imagine a new story.
A blank canvas and imagine a world.
A collection of unrelated pieces and imagine how they could belong together.
Creativity asks a question: “What could this become?”
And maybe that question is powerful because it does not only apply to art.
It applies to people, too.
Jayla’s artwork reflects that idea again and again.
A music box does not have to stay the way it was originally created.
A discarded material does not have to be the end of its story.
A collection of pieces can become something completely new.
With creativity, patience, and care, transformation happens.
And that same belief is woven into the future she hopes to build.
A space where teenagers can discover creativity.
A space where questions are welcomed.
A space where people can learn, grow, and feel supported.
A space where someone might walk in unsure of themselves and slowly begin discovering: “There is more possible for me than I realized.”
Supporting artists like Jayla is about more than supporting artwork.
It is supporting imagination.
It is supporting ideas.
It is supporting the people who look around at the world, notice something missing, and decide to create something new.
Because artists do not only create paintings.
They create conversations.
They create communities.
They create possibilities.
They remind us that the world around us is not finished.
There is always room to imagine something kinder, brighter, and more beautiful.
Maybe that is why creativity matters so much.
Because at its heart, creativity is hope.
It is believing something new can exist.
A new piece of artwork.
A new opportunity.
A new beginning.
A new door for someone else to walk through.
Jayla’s story is still being created.
There are more pieces to discover, more ideas to explore, and more dreams to build.
But maybe every meaningful creation starts the same way:
Someone looks at what is in front of them… sees possibility… and decides to begin.
Want even more content about creativity and art?
Be sure to check out all of our creative chronicles!
If you'd like to see drawings made with oil pastel and other media, you can find some of my art and creations at Redbubble and Gumroad!
Want to check out other St. Louis art spaces?
Check out some of these articles:
-Hidden Gems for St. Louis Artists
-Perennial Copper Jewelry Class
-Leftovers and Upcycle Treasure Box
Jessica Carey
