We recently connected with Jana Rahimian and have shared our conversation below.

Jana, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Earning a full time living from one’s creative career can be incredibly difficult. Have you been able to do so and if so, can you share some of the key parts of your journey and any important advice or lessons that might help creatives who haven’t been able to yet?

I proudly would say I have been able to earn a full-time living from my job. The biggest question I have actually been asked by people whether it be clients, people in passing or within friendly banter is “What do you do for work?”, “Is this your only job?”. It really amazes me that to this day there is still a bit of a run on stereotype that jobs in the creative world and realm are “not real” or “not good enough/practical”.
In the beginning of my practice, it was for sure not a job, it was a hobby that I knew i would want to turn into a job but had no means to star it up. It took over seven years to be where I am at now.
I’d say the pandemic was a major step/ tool that i utilized to help me get to where I’m at now. I was pretty much confined to the inside of my parent’s house at the time and I used technology and my abundance of time to the fullest extent possible not even knowing what I was doing or what to expect.
I don’t necessarily think this is a process that can be sped up, I think that yes everyone does have different walks of life and different paths so it really does vary. I would say maybe if i found my niche or art style sooner it would’ve made the process of getting into editorial work and fashion work a bit faster, but everything else for sure is a process that takes years of practice and patience.

Jana, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

My name is Jana, and I’m a licensed nail artist who has been in the industry since 2019. What initially started as a creative outlet and hobby soon turned into a passion and eventually a career that I genuinely love. Over the years, I’ve had the opportunity to work with incredible clients, collaborate with brands, and build a little bit of online a following being able to share my nail art and experience as a nail artist.

What I love most about being a nail artist is that no two appointments are ever the same. Every client comes in with their own style, personality, and vision, and I love creating something that feels unique to them. Nails truly aren’t just a one size fits all situation . Each appointment is tailored to the the client, and sometimes the nail appt is can also be a collaborative effort where we work together to bring their ideas to life. Whether someone comes in with a detailed inspiration photo or only a general idea, my goal is to create something that feels personal and special to them and the occasion the nails are for but also making sure every set is unique in its own way.

I am a nail artist that specializes in nail art and custom designs, but more than anything, I would like to think that I am also creating an experience where clients feel comfortable, and are able to be fully expressive of themselves and have the chance to show it through their nails.
What sets me apart is that I truly believe every set should be unique like I mentioned earlier, Even when I’m recreating a design it will in some way be different. Every service is annd will always be always tailored to the client sitting in my chair. No two sets will ever be exactly the same because no two people are the same. I also love taking the time to get to know my clients, their style, their preferences, and what makes them feel confident so that every design feels personal to them.
I also see my clients as more than just appointments on my schedule. Over the years, many of them have become like friends and family, and I hope the experience I provide makes them feel the same way. Creating beautiful nails is important to me, but creating a welcoming and comfortable environment where people feel valued and cared for is just as important. I want every client to feel like they can chill, be fully themselves, and leave feeling excited to wear their new nails lol.

One thing I’m especially proud of is being able to build my career through consistency, hard work, and staying true to my own style and most importantly being able to be100% myself. Social media has allowed me to connect with people from all over the world, and it’s beyond rewarding to see my work recreated / inspire others and open doors I never imagined could be opened when I first started.

Any resources you can share with us that might be helpful to other creatives?

Yes, oh my God I wish TikTok was a thing back in the day. When I first started learning how to do nails and practicing nail art there was Google and YouTube and Pinterest however none of the nail art and styles and tutorials that we have today were present when I first started doing nails so to this day, I’ve had to dissect nail art and figure out how to do different designs through trial and error almost like a guessing game.

We’d love to hear the story of how you built up your social media audience?

Yessssss I honestly built my audience by complete accident during the pandemic. Toward the end of lockdown, I finally made a TikTok account and started playing around with recording videos. At the time, I was just sitting at home painting press-ons because I was bored and needed a creative outlet. I would post my designs on Twitter and never really thought much of it. Keep in mind I had no idea how to make videos because to be quite honest I’m not too tech savvy.

Posting everytime I made a design I liked, one day randomly , one of my Twitter posts blew up. The next day, I posted a TikTok of the same design and that blew up too. Seeing this gave me the motivation to keep posting and take content creation more seriously.it was pretty cool to see because I have never experienced anything like that before.

From there, I just kept posting my content my way with music I liked instead of trending sounds. . I kept creating designs I loved, sharing my work, and letting people follow along with my journey if you will. There is absolutely no secret formula for social media. In my opinion the biggest tool you can use is yourself. Be 100% you.
I think the biggest thing however was staying somewhat consistent with the type of content I put out and making nail vids with my favorite songs I thought went well with the vids.

If I could give any advice to someone starting out, it would be to just post.Post no matter what anyone thinks. The content that changed everything for me was something I posted with zero expectations. You never know what’s going to resonate with people, or be the next biggest trend so legit just post, you really never know until one day it randomly happens

Contact Info:

• Website: https://Acuity.com/jaynaildit
• Instagram: https://Instagram.com/jaynaildit
• Other: TikTok @jaynaildit