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Jessica Laskey

Journalist

About This Author

Jessica Laskey is a freelance writer and professional actress who has lived and worked in Sacramento, San Francisco, Dallas, New York City and Paris. She is also the co-founder of Theater Galatea and Indomita Press.

Articles by this author

Creative Accounting

If Kate Farrall has her way, there will be no more starving artists.

As a visual artist, Farrall knows it’s hard to make a living. But as an experienced marketer and art business coach, she also knows the right tools and skills make all the difference.

“So many artists are so capable,” she says. “We can build walls, put colors together and problem-solve like nobody’s business. All of those skills are very transferrable.”

Farrall built her skills through school and various jobs. She majored in art history and photography in Maryland and worked at a Baltimore art gallery.

After grad school at California College of the Arts, she got a marketing job. A career path quickly came together.

Out & About May 2026

Find out what is happening in Sacramento during the month of May!

Memory Lane

Jeffrey Mason thinks everyone has an amazing life story.

His belief led the Elk Grove resident and retired state employee to build a $12 million-a-year business that started from a personal place.

“I took for granted that my mom and dad would always be in my life,” Mason says. “We would visit a couple times a year and talk on the phone a lot, but distance still happens. I was in my 50s when my dad started feeling the effects of Alzheimer’s.”

Final Bow

Ralph Hughes knew what to choose for his last performance after 40 years as conductor and artistic director of the Sacramento Master Singers.

He picked a new choral commission by Robert Cohen for the group’s “A Season of Gratitude” concert May 14 at the Harris Center in Folsom.

The piece is about “a music conductor appreciating their life in music,” Hughes says.

Community Care

Lauren Dibble doesn’t hold back when charting her success. “Thank God I have ADHD,” she says.

This may sound strange coming from a marriage and family therapist who helps clients deal with attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder, anxiety, autism and other neurodivergence. For Dibble, the way her mind works is a blessing.

“My brain is hardwired to follow niche interests,” she says. “After college, I tried out a bunch of careers to see what I wanted to double down on. I was an AmeriCorps volunteer. I did outreach in Spanish to agricultural workers. I studied Spanish for mental health professionals in Peru. I worked at a record shop. I did babysitting. I did online merchandising while going to grad school part time at night. I was a tech recruiter.”