We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Jen Spaker. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Jen below.
Hi Jen, thanks for joining us today. Are you happy as a creative professional? Do you sometimes wonder what it would be like to work for someone else?
I am definitely happier as an artist. It’s a challenging job because an artist creates each idea, decides on a design and style and then produces a finished product and hopes the art makes a connection with others. There’s a lot of unseen mental energy that goes into the painting process. There are many paintings that don’t quite work out and that can be frustrating. So, being an artist can look like an easy, just for fun job but it’s actually the hardest job I’ve ever had. The most common question I get asked is “How long did it take you to do that?” And the answer is: It varies widely!
Jen, 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?
I’ve always loved art and painting but I honestly did not think it could be pursued as a career. I went to college for psychology and nursing. And I really liked nursing and working with kids. But I kept circling back to painting. I think most creative people will say that the pull of their art is strong and eventually they return to it in some way. I am a self- taught artist and began painting slowly in my mid 30’s. It got easier as my three daughters got older, but it took me years to be able to devote enough time to art to become a decent painter. Art teachers will often say that you need to paint 100 paintings before you can develop good skills. There were times I thought of quitting but I still felt I had “something to say” with my art and that owed it to myself to keep trying.
Ironically it was two challenging events that forced me to take my art more seriously. First was a series of eye diseases in my 40’s. I had retina detachments in both eyes that required emergency surgery to save my sight. I had a few different surgeries and laser procedures over several years. I had to start wearing trifocal glasses. The eye disease was a complete shock. I assumed my painting career was over. But I kept trying. At first, I had bad depth perception and my brush kept crashing into the canvas and then dropping to the floor. You would think, after the eye surgeries, I should have started with some small projects. But, for some reason I decided to do a huge four foot by six foot painting of the Grand Canyon! It took me several weeks and I did finish it. I had fun with it and got my confidence back to keep trying.
The second challenging event was the covid lockdown. I had just started a part time school nursing job when covid hit. I went through one week of training and worked one day as a nurse in March 2020 when everything shut down. During the early covid uncertainty, one daughter came home from college. Another daughter and her fiancé moved in with us. My husband started to work from home. Like everyone, we didn’t go out much during those first six months. Painting became my daily activity and I worked in my studio about 40 hours a week. With so much uninterrupted time at the easel, my skills improved a lot. I tried some new colors, new ideas, and some new palette knife techniques. I started posting and selling more paintings through Instagram and my website. I also entered some regional and national art shows and was thrilled to get some work accepted.
Do you think there is something that non-creatives might struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can shed some light?
I think many people are mystified by artists and creative people. We all understand the “worth” of doctors, accountants and business people. But the “worth” of creative careers is often questioned because we just don’t see those people on a daily basis. But, when you think about what you do during your free time- listening to music, watching a movie, reading a book, going to a museum, concert or play- that’s all thanks to creative careers. I wish American society would be more open minded about creative careers and creative pursuits. I think some people think artists are weird, or that they just want to be famous like Monet or Picasso. But most artists are very normal people and we just want to do what we love. Yes, it is harder to make a steady living in creative jobs- but you can. And people pursing those interests know that and know they may have to work other jobs too. Growing up I never knew any professional artists, musicians or writers. But my parents both had creative talents and interests. My dad was a short story writer in his free time and had some work published in regional magazines. My mom liked to paint. Neither made a living from their creative pursuits. So, I had some exposure to art growing up. If your child expresses an interest in art or music- do some research, ask for advice, and let them go for it!
What do you find most rewarding about being creative?
The most rewarding part of being an artist is sharing my love of the landscape with others. I like that I can connect with people through my paintings. I live in Charleston, South Carolina which is a beautiful coastal town. I love the marshes and the sunsets and the beach. I love painting these views and sharing them with others.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.jenspaker.com
- Instagram: @jenspaker
- Facebook: jenniferspaker