Meet Me at the Table: Kandyce Jackson of KandyAppleTree

Sep 17

5 min read

When art becomes more than something you create, it becomes a way to bring people together.

I didn't meet Kandyce Jackson for the first time at the Black Girl Art Show.

I've actually been watching pieces of her story unfold for years.

Kandyce is the artist and creative mind behind KandyAppleTree, but to me, she's also a reminder of what can happen when you keep showing up for something that once existed only as an idea.

She once created the logo for my women's group, and now today, I have four pieces of her artwork in my home. So when I walked into the Black Girl Art Show in Los Angeles and saw her work represented there, there was something special about being able to witness that moment.

Because I remember when this was just a thought for her.

An idea she was trying.

And then life happened.

I stepped away from social media for about a year. When I came back, Kandyce had moved, gotten married, started her business, and was building something that looked very different from that original idea I remembered.

And what stood out to me wasn't just that she had grown.

It was how she had grown.

With consistency. With grace. With humility. And with a willingness to keep creating.

When I asked Kandyce where her creativity comes from, her answer reminded me that you don't always have to look far to find inspiration.

“A lot of my creativity comes from just paying attention to everyday life,” she shared.

She's inspired by color, nature, nostalgia, and the little moments that might seem ordinary but actually mean a lot.

Her work takes those seemingly ordinary things and makes them feel vibrant, beautiful, and worth celebrating.

At the heart of her art is something I think we can all connect with: finding beauty in who we are and in the lives we're already living.

For Kandyce, being part of the Black Girl Art Show in Los Angeles wasn't just another event.

It was personal.

She's from Los Angeles, and as she explained, so much of who she is and who she's become as an artist started here.

But there was another layer to the moment.

The Black Girl Art Show was actually the first art show Kandyce ever participated in, back in Dallas in 2023.

Three years later, she returned with that same show but this time in her hometown of Los Angeles.

Full circle.

There's something powerful about that.

Sometimes we don't recognize the significance of where we're headed until we look back at where we started.

One of the things I admire most about Kandyce is that her creativity doesn't stop with the artwork.

She creates experiences.

Through her art workshops, including Paint & Sip and Paint & Plant experiences, she creates spaces where people can come together, try something new, and simply have a good time.

And I love that she doesn't make creativity feel exclusive.

You don't have to consider yourself an artist.

You don't have to make something perfect.

You just have to be willing to come together and create.

Kandyce told me:

“I love bringing people together through creativity. It’s not about everyone being an artist or making something perfect, it’s about coming together, trying something creative, and having a good time.”

That is exactly what I witnessed in her work.

People aren't just showing up to paint.

They're showing up to connect.

They may walk in not knowing anyone and leave having met someone new. They may walk in thinking they're not creative and leave holding something they created with their own hands.

And they take a piece of that experience home with them.

To me, that's so much more than a workshop.

That's community.

What Would You Tell the Woman You Used to Be?

I always love asking this question because there's something about looking backward that allows us to recognize just how far we've come.

I asked Kandyce what she would say to the woman she was when she first began.

Her answer was simple, but powerful:

“Don't let other people's doubts make her doubt herself.”

She explained that not everyone will understand your vision, especially in the beginning, and that's okay.

You have to believe in what you're building before other people can see it.

Keep going.

Trust yourself.

And don't allow someone else's idea of what's possible to determine what's possible for you.

I think that's a message a lot of us need to hear.

Because sometimes the hardest part of building something isn't creating it.

It's continuing to believe in it while other people are still trying to figure out what they see.

And Because I'm One Foodie Mama…

Of course I couldn't interview an artist without bringing food into the conversation. 😂

I asked Kandyce What dish do you consider a work of art, not just because it tastes good, but because of the way it looks, the creativity behind it, or the experience of eating it?

Her answer?

A really good charcuterie board.

And honestly, I can see it.

The colors.

The textures.

The shapes.

The arrangement.

Everything working together visually, and then you get to eat it.

As Kandyce put it, “You’re thinking about how everything works together visually, but then you also get to eat it, which makes it even better!”

I couldn't agree more. 😂

There are some people you meet and you simply know that what they're building deserves to be seen.

Kandyce is one of those people for me.

I've watched her go from an idea to a business. I've watched her continue creating, continue showing up, and continue making room for other people to discover their own creativity.

And now, seeing her work represented at the Black Girl Art Show in Los Angeles felt like more than seeing my friend's artwork on a wall.

It felt like witnessing a piece of the journey.

I'm a big believer in community.

I'm a big believer in supporting people while they're building.

And I'm an even bigger believer in sharing someone's name in rooms they haven't entered yet.

So I'll always support Kandyce.

I'll always encourage her.

And I'll always mention her name in rooms she hasn't even entered yet.

Because I believe when you recognize something special in someone, you don't keep it to yourself.

You share it.

You make the introduction.

You pull up a chair.