Today we’d like to introduce you to Jenna Morello
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
Art is something that’s just always been there. It’s with me since birth. But I assume that’s the story of most creative people. You don’t really know where it comes from, it just is. My brain doesn’t naturally understand most things as easily as it understands art. Or I should say using art as an outlet. So I think my life has just been an evolution of that starting from when I was really little. My family and the environment I grew up in definitely did a good job at encouraging me with whatever I wanted to do. My mother was an educator, my father was a graphic artist. The combination of that as well as having two sisters that book ended and believed in me really built a strong internal confidence. In the sense of not being afraid to fail because I got that’s how you learn things. When I was in my 20s I moved from Jersey to Brooklyn. That began the start of trial, error, and connections. About 9 years ago I got a mural jump start when I was on a show that opened a lot of doors for me. But it was my job to walk through them and utilize the opportunities. I say this like I have a clear idea of what I’m doing still, I definitely don’t because it’s a journey that is constantly changing and evolving. But I think it’s about how strong your passion for continuously showing up and pushing yourself is.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
There’s definitely been some tougher chapters. I lost my best friend a few years ago, that was a hard one. Since first grade she was my biggest cheerleader, so to have to become used to her absence and the loss of that type of pillar was a lot. It really altered my view on priorities and how I live my life.
There was also a point in my career where I had to learn the lesson of removing the wrong people to make room for the right ones. Especially if you want to grow and elevate. Energy is a real thing, and low vibrational people can drag down everything. You become the sum of who you keep around you, and I’m really proud of my inner circle because they operate at such a high level. There’s a lot of moving parts to what I do, and I’m so lucky that they allow me to be able to do that.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I bounce around alot because my work depends on what time of year it is. Living in Brooklyn, it’s cold half of the time. So I travel around and do a lot of large scale, nature based murals when it’s warm. If it’s too cold to paint, I’ll switch it up to sculpture and other mediums. I’m not sure I’ve created the work I’m most proud of yet, but I do enjoy completing a project with my team to where I feel the task was handled to the best of my ability. I think what sets me apart from others is I’ve taught myself a lot of different skills so I have a more eclectic arsenal in my Swiss Army knife. Different mediums work different parts of your brain and I like to crop rotate in that way to sort of keep myself on my toes.
Is there any advice you’d like to share with our readers who might just be starting out?
I’d say for me, the biggest thing is to make work for yourself. That you would make even if you weren’t getting paid or because you need to sort out something inside. I feel like your work is a diary, even if only you know what it means. And if you’re constantly chasing trends or recreating someone else’s style or characters, when you look back in 50 years you’re going to question whose diary you were writing. I think failing, experimenting and collaborating are also very vital in expanding your work and helping your brain think in different ways. There’s all those quotes that talk about pushing yourself past your limit, or going out into the water a little past where you’re comfortable, and I think it’s absolutely true. Because that space is where you discover so many new things.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://Jennamorello.com
- Instagram: https://Instagram.com/jennamorello
- Facebook: https://Facebook.com/jenna.morello
Image Credits
All shots are my own