This episode of the Knowledge Seeker Podcast takes you deep into the creative world of an artist who doesn’t just make art—she is art. Our guest, Kea Jones, known professionally as Jacob Bari, shares a powerful and intimate look into her life, her gift, and the way creativity shaped every part of who she is. From the very beginning of the conversation, you can feel her energy. She talks about art the way some people talk about breathing. For her, it’s not a profession or a passion—it’s her identity.

Kea traces her artistic journey all the way back to the age of seven, when she confidently told her mother she would one day be a millionaire. But even then, what she truly meant was that she would be free. Growing up in a home filled with creativity, she absorbed her mother’s decorating talent and her father’s drawing skills. She describes it as being “born into royalty”—a lineage of natural artists that shaped her destiny before she even understood it.

From a young age, art became her safe place. Whenever she felt angry or overwhelmed, she didn’t react outwardly—she went straight to her pencils and brushes. She says art wasn’t something she learned; it was something that lived inside her. Over time she realized each piece wasn’t created—it was born. Her art comes from a deep intuitive place, and she never paints the same thing twice. Every new piece must teach her something, whether it’s a new line, a new style, or a new way of seeing.

Kea shares the incredible story of how she painted and personally delivered portraits to legendary artists like Rick Ross, Boosie, and Grammy-winning gospel icon Vickie Winans. Her portrait of Rick Ross took 14 days—not just to paint, but to build a custom briefcase-like frame designed from colors inspired by one of his cars. She describes being spiritually guided to create it at a painful time in her life, shortly after learning she wouldn’t be able to have children. In her darkest moments, a new piece of art was “born.”

With nothing but faith and determination, she traveled to Atlanta for Rick Ross’s massive car show, where she stood in the heat for seven hours holding her painting. Everything that could’ve gone wrong did, yet the painting opened doors—literally. She was let onto the property because of it, and within minutes her work was broadcast worldwide. When Rick Ross finally saw the portrait, his reaction reminded her why she creates: the childlike joy, the spark in someone’s eyes, the moment a person feels seen.

Kea also talks about painting windows for businesses—63 of them—and how none of her clients tell her what to paint. She arrives, feels the energy, and creates whatever the moment inspires. Whether she’s painting windows, celebrities, landscapes, or abstract pieces, she has one rule: it must be new, it must be true, and it must come from Source.

This episode is a beautiful reminder that some people don’t choose their calling—the calling chooses them. For Kea, art isn’t a skill. It’s her way of existing in the world.