About Thrive by Design
We’re all creators. Turning that creativity into healing, growth, and meaningful change is where my work begins.
I’m Jessica Rodriguez, an artist, educator, and art therapist who believes creativity is more than something we make. It is something we can use to better understand ourselves, connect with others, navigate change, and create lives that feel more meaningful.
For more than 20 years, I’ve worked in education and creative spaces, learning firsthand how powerful creativity can be when people are given permission to explore, reflect, and express what words sometimes cannot.
That understanding led me to expand my work beyond the art room. After earning my BFA in Fine Arts and MAT in Art and Education, I earned my MA in Art Therapy and Counseling and continued developing expertise in addiction and emotional wellness. Today, I bring these worlds together through Thrive by Design LLC.
Creativity with purpose.
My work sits at the intersection of creativity, psychology, education, and human connection.
I create experiences that help individuals and groups:
reconnect with themselves and what matters
navigate stress, change, grief, and difficult experiences
build emotional awareness and resilience
strengthen communication and connection
explore healthier ways of living and working
move from simply getting through life to intentionally designing it
Whether I’m facilitating a creative workshop, supporting a group, working with an organization, or providing therapeutic services, my goal is the same: to create space for people to see themselves, their challenges, and their possibilities from a new perspective.
Why Thrive by Design?
I believe creativity is our first language.
You don't have to consider yourself an artist. You don't need artistic experience. And the goal isn't to create something perfect.
The goal is to experience the process.
Through creative experiences, psychoeducation, reflection, and meaningful conversation, I help people slow down, look inward, make connections, and discover new ways forward.
The Heart of Thrive by Design
Take creative control.
Get clear on what matters.
Align your choices with your values.
Turn pain into purpose.
Make space for what matters.
Design a life you love.
For Individuals, Organizations & Communities
Thrive by Design offers creative experiences, workshops, professional development, consulting, and therapeutic services designed around the needs of the people and organizations I serve.
My work may explore topics such as:
Burnout Prevention • Emotional Wellness • Creative Expression • Addiction Awareness • Grief & Loss • Resilience • Emotional Intelligence • Connection & Communication • Purpose & Values
I also develop customized experiences for schools, colleges, businesses, nonprofits, and community organizations.
My Approach
Process over product.
Connection over perfection.
Creativity over conformity.
Humanity always.
I don't believe people need another program telling them how to become better versions of themselves.
I believe they need space to reconnect with the wisdom, creativity, and capacity for change that is already within them.
That is what it means to Thrive by Design.
ATR-P, LCAS-A, LPC-A
Masters Level Licensed NC Educator
MA, MAT, BFA
Education
Masters of Art Therapy and Counseling (MA)
Masters of Art and Education (MAT)
Bachelors of Fine Arts (BFA)
“Art enables us to find ourselves and lose ourselves at the same time.”
– Thomas Merton