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For multidisciplinary artist Jaylin Whitfield Wiggins, creativity begins with curiosity—and the willingness to work with whatever materials are within reach. His artistic practice moves fluidly across mediums, blending wood, yarn, nails, acrylic paint, oil paint, and even culinary arts into a broader philosophy of creation.

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“I work with anything I can get my hands on,” Wiggins says. “Anything I can create with.”

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That openness defines his work. Rather than limiting himself to a single material or discipline, Wiggins treats creativity as an expansive process—one where different mediums carry different stories, histories, and emotional connections.

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Many of those stories begin within his own family.

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Wiggins traces the roots of his artistic instincts back to his mother, whose hands-on creativity left a lasting impression on him as a child. He remembers watching her build and repair things around the house, including installing a drop ceiling in their basement.

“It was the first time I had ever seen something like that,” he recalls. “That’s where the wood and nails kind of come from.”

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Those early experiences shaped his comfort with physical materials—tools, construction elements, and tactile processes that now appear in his artwork.

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Another foundational influence came from his grandmother. Growing up, she frequently made blankets using yarn, carefully crafting them for family members rather than selling them.

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“She never sold them,” Wiggins explains. “She only gave them to the family.”

One day, his grandmother planned to throw away some leftover yarn. Around that same time, Wiggins found himself searching for a deeper artistic direction—something that would define his voice as a creator.

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“I was looking for a purpose,” he says. “Something that would make my art feel like me.”

He took the yarn home and began experimenting. What started as a simple act of curiosity soon evolved into a defining element of his practice. A mentor who saw the work encouraged him to continue developing the idea.

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“He told me, ‘What you’re doing right here is crazy—just keep going,’” Wiggins recalls.

The material quickly took on deeper meaning. The yarn connected his work to family history, love, and legacy—values that now sit at the center of his artistic message.

Through his pieces, Wiggins aims to evoke feelings of childhood nostalgia, warmth, and emotional memory.

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“The message I want to spread is childhood nostalgia, love, family, and legacy,” he explains.

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In many ways, that message mirrors the influence of the person he credits as his greatest role model: his mother.

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“My mom has always been a superhero to me,” he says.

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She became a parent at just sixteen years old, taking on enormous responsibility at an age when most teenagers are focused on school and growing up themselves. Despite the challenges, Wiggins says she always put him first and remained a constant source of strength in his life.

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“Even today, I’m still her baby,” he says with a smile.

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Her creativity never faded either. In fact, she continues to work with wood and build things even now. When Wiggins prepared for a recent exhibition at Detroit’s Carr Center, his mother helped him construct one of the display frames.

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“I can go to her workshop right now and she’ll be working on something,” he says.

Because of that, Wiggins considers her not only his role model but also one of his favorite artists.

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When asked what advice he would give to someone hoping to pursue a similar path in the arts, Wiggins emphasizes perseverance and authenticity.

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“Never quit. Never give up,” he says.

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He also encourages artists to avoid comparing their lives to the carefully curated images often seen online.

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“A lot of people look at the highlights on Instagram and compare that to their own life,” he explains. “That can make someone feel discouraged.”

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Instead, Wiggins believes artists should stay grounded in the present and trust their own journey.

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“Stand in the present and enjoy your life,” he says.

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Everyone carries unseen struggles, he adds, which makes comparison meaningless. The key is to remain committed to creativity, to continue experimenting, and to stay connected to what genuinely brings joy.

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“Stay creative. Stay true to yourself,” Wiggins says.

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And when an artist finally discovers the thing that feels right—the material, message, or process that resonates deeply—his advice is simple.

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“When you find what you love,” he says, “stay passionate. Breathe it.”