EarthMilk, Surfboards, and a Lactose Overdose: Meet Jelly

When asked to describe their work to someone discovering it for the first time, Jelly has a two-word answer:

“Lactose overdose.”

Based in Kitty Hawk, Jelly is an artist, writer, and photographer of EarthMilk, creating work influenced by the ocean, milk cartons, and “snow in cartoons.”

The idea behind EarthMilk began with a thought about where we come from and what sustains us as we grow.

“Well, I was thinking about how when humans are born they rely on mother’s milk, but when they grow they survive on the milk of the earth,” Jelly says. “So that was the first time I wanted to create something to communicate a feeling words clearly cannot.”

What Jelly Is Creating Now

Jelly is currently working on a Halloween pumpkin sweatshirt collection while also finishing the last of a series of Sesame Street animated character surfboards and Foam RNNRs.

Those projects are part of what Jelly is creating now, but building a creative career has come with its own challenges.

When asked about the hardest part, Jelly answered with an analogy:

“Probably learning to build things more like a Mayan Temple and less like a Jenga stack so that when the wind comes it doesn’t all crumble to the bottom.”

But Jelly also sees something worthwhile in having to start again.

“Rebuilding Jenga stacks is half the fun, I suppose.”

80% Milk

There are also a few things about Jelly that people might not know.

“I am actually 80% milk, not water, but I still like to think I am more human than Alien.”

We’ll take Jelly’s word for it.

And considering the amount of milk involved in EarthMilk, we had to ask what “Milk Room” means to Jelly.

The answer:

“A walk-in refrigerator that beholds a buffet for each imagination.”

The People and Places Around the Work

Jelly also wanted to shout out several people, businesses, and creative spaces:

Corolla Surf Shop, Uncle Paulies, Shin Ding Board Repair, Hooked Surfboards, Rip City Skates, and The BackCourt Press.

From EarthMilk and milk cartons to the ocean, cartoon snow, pumpkin sweatshirts, Sesame Street surfboards, and rebuilding the occasional Jenga stack, Jelly is continuing to create from Kitty Hawk.

And sometimes the simplest introduction is still the best one:

“Lactose overdose.”

Follow Jelly on Instagram and TikTok at @milkshakebreakfast.