We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Jeanna Pappas a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Jeanna thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. What was the most important lesson/experience you had in a job that has helped you in your creative career?

I’m an illustrator that does freelance work, but most of my income is from retail sales of my personal work and original designs.

Student artists are often advised that making good art is only a small part of the formula for being a working artist, and serious effort toward self-promotion and networking is absolutely necessary. But classes don’t often teach those skills in depth.

One often-overlooked way to get that important, lived experience is to work with local retailers. Many indie shops proudly stock goods from local makers, and that includes artists. The shop I worked at as a cashier in college sold vintage video games, toys, comics, and a huge amount of local pop culture fan art. Their program for supporting the local art community was a major game changer for me and many others.

When I finally worked up the courage to ask my boss to sell some of my own designs, it kickstarted a new direction in my career. I was already gaining much-needed confidence by doing regular customer service and making phone calls for the store. Then, seeing my work on display and hearing peoples’ excited reactions as they brought my prints to the counter made me think, “I could actually do this for real.”

Armed with retail experience and insight into which of my drawings speak to people the most, I ordered more art prints, designed stickers and other gifts, and signed up for a table as a vendor at a local comic convention. It was a busy event filled with passionate people interested in my kind of art. The success of this first convention had me hooked, and now I sell my work at shops, art markets and conventions multiple times a year.

Feedback from customers has shaped my art direction for the better, and the skills I learned in retail transferred to the freelance market as well. I now feel confident doing verbal and written correspondence, working with others, and can make an illustration look as eye-catching from afar as it looks up close.

I would invite all artists to try working with local retailers. It’s a fabulous way to establish yourself and build community.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

My name is Jeanna Pappas and I’m a lifelong artist. I half-joke that I could draw before I could speak. While I always knew I wanted to be a professional artist of some kind, I found direction doing original and commercial illustration for books, magazines, apparel, and album art. Working with other passionate people and helping tell stories is what motivates me.

I have an eclectic art process that produces distinct results. In an increasingly digital world, I still draw by hand on paper, and apply mixed media and digital tools to finish my works. I’ve had to accept that my work isn’t for everyone, and that’s great. Niche audiences and adventurous clients are my favorite collaborators. I love to go the extra mile to help a client see their vision come to life.

When creating on my own personal art, I’m motivated by the community of gamers and cat lovers I’ve gotten to know on Facebook and Instagram. In 2019, I started making short comic strips about the surreal humor of living among cats, and was surprised and elated to see that the sentiments I thought were unique, were actually shared by thousands of others. It’s amazing to think that so many of us can have so much in common.

My prevailing aim is to apply my sincerest efforts and best insights to projects I believe in. I want to create art that’s appealing while being completely authentic. I’m always willing to take my time and go the extra mile to make something extra special.

In your view, what can society to do to best support artists, creatives and a thriving creative ecosystem?

I would like see society understand that artwork is work. It’s more than a pastime; it’s a busy industry, a discipline, and a fixture in the human experience. I think schools should encourage it as a serious career option, and businesses should seek out local artists for their visual needs. Employers should expect to pay artists fairly for work that brings them business.

All day, every day, we all consume and appreciate art, whether or not we think of ourselves as “artistic.” Art is everywhere, as images on social media, as branding, as interior design, as movies, and infinitely many more examples. Someone drew the pattern on your dinner plates. It’s someone’s job to design the costumes on your favorite TV show. I hope that artists’ voices and experiences continue to reach more people, so than everyone can appreciate and elevate the creativity and hard work that goes into everything we enjoy as a culture.

Are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?

I wish I knew about the plethora of 3D reference material available on digital programs like Google Sketchup and Clip Studio Paint. Naturalistic artists and commercial illustrators often have to create work that’s original and specific while still being realistic and believable. Using and customizing the 3D models available on these programs makes depicting perspective, form, and lighting accurately so much easier.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.jeannapappas.com
• Instagram: @jeannapappas
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeannapappas