We recently connected with Jimmy Peña and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, Jimmy thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. What were some of the most unexpected problems you’ve faced in your career and how did you resolve those issues?
The most unexpected issue I had to deal with was being diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis in 1988 at the age of 28 . At that point I was working as a bellman at a hotel in Corpus Christi , Texas . The doctor informed me that in ten years time , I would be in a wheelchair with limited mobility . Because of the aggressive nature of my condition , my rheumatologist recommended that I get aggressive treatment to counter my condition . Mostly , steroids and other toxic medications . It did not work . During this period I pursued getting gigs painting murals with help from my friend , Ben Wright , at restaurants and one at our local Museum of Science and History . That is where I met a young artist , Raychelle Schaudies , who would later offer me a lifeline . Six years later , she and her husband , Erick , offered me a guest-artist spot at their recently acquired cooperative artists studio space called K- Space Art Studios . This was in 1997 . A few weeks later , I became a member . I have been pursuing my professional career , ever since .
Jimmy, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
The best way to describe my interest in art is to say that , I’ve been drawing since I was a child . Even then , I remember not wanting to draw what the other kids were drawing . It never occurred to me that it was anything special (that’s not to say that I am special . Ha ha !)I thought everyone could draw . Drawing was fun and it’s all I wanted to do besides being an athlete , which was just as fun . I actually wanted to be a professional athlete but , in high school I had two serious knee injuries which prevented me from going down that path . After high school , I joined the army and was trained as a radio operator . I somehow talked my way into painting murals at my duty stations . One was in Gunzberg , Germany and the other in Junction City , Kansas . After my three year stint in the army , I came back to my hometown , Corpus Christi , Texas . A year later I married the love of my life , Linda . We recently celebrated our 37th wedding anniversary . I had difficulty finding art gigs but managed to get a few now and then . I didn’t know anyone in the local art community . Eventually , I got work at a fancy hotel as a bellman . Luckily , the hotel had a thing where employees could participate in a “on your own time” competition that the city was promoting for local businesses in the downtown area . I entered the competition and won “best of show” . That’s when I met others in the art community , Ben and Yolanda Wright , Ricardo Ruiz and many others who are still friends to this day . For the record , I’m self taught . I dropped out of school in my senior year and did not attend college . I regret that to this day .
Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can provide some insight – you never know who might benefit from the enlightenment.
Compulsion is one way to describe my need to make art and tell a story . To do that , is to give it my best effort .
Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?
I truly believe that making art saved my life . Before I had a studio , I spent a lot of time dwelling on my condition and feeling sorry for myself . I haven’t felt like that for over 26 years , now .
Contact Info:
- Instagram: My Instagram account is – jmypenaart
- Facebook: My Facebook account is – Jimmy Pena
- Youtube: My YouTube channel is – Jimmy Pena
Image Credits
I took the photo- Jimmy Peña