We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Debra Jason. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Debra below.

Debra, thanks for joining us, we are excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. The first dollar you earn is always exciting – it’s like the start of a new chapter and so we’d love to hear about the first time you sold or generated revenue from your creative work?

The first dollar I earned as an alcohol ink artist was indeed the start of a new chapter. It also happened quite by accident as I didn’t set out to start a career as an artist.

In March 2020, when the pandemic hit, an inner artist began to reveal herself. I picked up some alcohol inks that I had stored away two years prior and began painting with this medium. I was pleasantly surprised when, about two months later, after I shared a photo of one of my paintings titled “Ethereal,” someone reached out asking if I was selling the piece.

I was elated because selling my art hadn’t been on my radar at all when I began painting with alcohol inks. It was simply a way for me to step away from a computer monitor and express myself in a new way while spending time isolated at home at the beginning of the pandemic.

That first customer was a speaking colleague of mine and after she received the first piece, she posted a photo on Facebook saying that the original piece was even more beautiful in real life than what she had viewed online. And, she asked about purchasing a second piece. Be still my heart . . . I was becoming a professional artist!

Then, I repurposed my work into earrings, notecards, and holiday ornaments and called my journey, Creative Whispers of the Heart – Imagery to Inspire. In late 2021, I started painting silk scarves with alcohol inks and that was a big hit for the holidays. Some folks ordered custom scarves asking me to use the colors in their business logos. It has all been such an exciting and somewhat accidental journey.

Funny thing is, when I went to college (many moons ago), I started as a fine arts major. I changed my major after a year because I felt I couldn’t draw a person, still life, or a landscape. I was an abstract artist who got an ‘A for effort’ in my high school art class. Today, while I still operate my copywriting business (The Write Direction), the silver lining of the pandemic has definitely been painting with alcohol inks. This medium has opened the door to letting my inner artist out and beginning a “side hustle” (i.e., I opened an Etsy shop at https://www.etsy.com/shop/WhispersoftheHeartUS and made prints available via Fine Art America at https://fineartamerica.com/profiles/debra-jason).

Great,we appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers and how you got to where you are today?

You might say Creative Whispers of the Heart happened by accident. In 2018 I learned about alcohol ink painting. I purchased some inks and tried my hand at it, but didn’t like the results. I judged myself too harshly so I tucked the paints away.

Fast forward to March 2020. With stay-at-home orders in place, due to the pandemic, I pulled the alcohol inks out of their storage box. This time, I decided I wouldn’t judge the results. I would just play and experiment with colors and techniques.

When I began posting photos of my work on my Facebook wall, someone reached out asking if I was selling my work. Then, someone asked if I was making notecards out of my paintings.

As more and more people expressed interest in my art, I decided I should create a web page where folks could go to look at and/or purchase my creations. Then, a fellow artist encouraged me to make prints of my work available through Fine Art America. And, some of my creative colleagues encouraged me to start an Etsy shop where I now offer original art, notecards, pendants, ornaments, and silk scarves – all painted with alcohol inks.

When I decided to take action on those things, I realized I needed a name. Hence, Creative Whispers of the Heart was born.

The icing on the cake was in the summer of 2021 when two of my paintings were selected for an art exhibit at R Gallery in Boulder, CO. What an exciting evening that was – seeing my work on the walls of the gallery AND having all of my friends there to celebrate this achievement with me.

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

I first learned about alcohol inks in 2018 when I saw a friend posting images of paintings she had done. I liked the style, went out and bought some inks of my own and sat down to paint. As I mentioned earlier, I judged my work too harshly. I didn’t like the results so I put the inks away.

Back then, I wish would have known that there were communities of alcohol ink artists online – artists who all shared and supported one another in their creative endeavors. In addition, I don’t know why I didn’t think about it in 2018, but when I returned to painting with alcohol inks in 2020 I also discovered YouTube videos posted by many alcohol ink artists. That’s when I started to learn about different styles and techniques that could be implemented.

These art communities and YouTube videos opened my eyes to new possibilities in the world of alcohol ink. Today, I participate in online paint along sessions with fellow alcohol ink artists. These sessions expose me to new ways of painting with the medium – ways I probably wouldn’t have explored otherwise, certainly not back in 2018 when I first began this artistic journey.

Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

One day I came across this quote from Elsie de Wolfe, “I am going to make everything around me beautiful – that will be my life.” When I first read that I thought “yes, that’s me.” Her words resonated with me so much so that I wrote it down on a sticky note as an ongoing reminder of my mission, or dare I say my purpose. Touching a place inside me, her quotation now serves as inspiration on my creative journey.

This newfound journey exploring art brings joy not only to me, but to others. I’m always honored and humbled when people comment on how they love my work and enjoy seeing this process progress. And of course, when someone reaches out to make a purchase or place a custom order, my heart sings and continues to drive me forward.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://CreativeWhispersoftheHeart.com
• Instagram: https://Instagram.com/creativewhispersoftheheart
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/creativewhispersoftheheart
• Linkedin: https://linkedin.com/in/debrajason
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/debrajason
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/DebraAJason
• Other: Fine Art America: https://fineartamerica.com/profiles/debra-jason

Image Credits
All photos and artwork are copyright of Debra Jason. All rights reserved.