We recently connected with Jena Collins and have shared our conversation below.

Jena, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. We’d love to hear about when you first realized that you wanted to pursue a creative path professionally.

The days of college—bright, full of opportunity. The sublime first taste of adulthood savored by rolling into English Literature five minutes late and getting called out by your professor for your “continued tardiness”. Fall quarter of my sophomore year, I had the plan to conquer my classes by scheduling more hours than what was recommended, which meant not having any time to fit in an art class.

Simple. It was a necessary sacrifice since my degree lead me directly from any path connected to art—a sanctuary I discovered and flourished in during high school. A place where I wasn’t the girl who said “heads will roll” in my freshman JROTC meeting or the one mentored into a leader who became the Vice Wing Commander my senior year. No, art was where I met my inner peace and sank beneath my hardened exterior.

A place where I forgot time existed and all that mattered was the work before me, the strokes of my brush.

I fought to succeed on a path my inner-self chose because it was less risky. At the end of that quarter, I enrolled immediately into another art class. It was there with my B-2 pencil in my hand, drawing Igor Stravinsky’s portrait by Pablo Picasso upside down while listening to my art teacher threaten to take away my eraser to force me to embrace my random marks, I knew I couldn’t live without art.

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

For 19 years, I’v cultivated my passions in the arts from following my youthful pursuits to earning my Bachelors in Fine Arts 2-D Drawing and Painting to achieving my Masters in Art Education K-12 to currently freelancing as an illustrator and book cover designer.

In those nearly two decades, I played the role of novice student, clueless graduate with no definitive ideas of what came next, new wife, teacher, and a mother of two slowly losing myself into the madness of perceived maternal perfection before I finally reclaimed my roots in the arts.

My breakthrough into the illustration and design world came when I was lost on my creative path, beginning to question myself more than ever before.

That big break resulted in a “no”; however, when one door closes, another opens. I took the time to buckle down, further my basic knowledge in Photoshop, and master the use of my Wacom tablet. A month later, I had another cover illustration and design requested, accepted, and sent for publication. I had always known my life was in the field of arts, and after working on my second cover illustration and design, I knew I’d found my niche.

As an Illustrator and Designer, I’m honored to work with my clients and take the time to read their manuscripts. We all know that saying, “don’t judge a book by it’s cover.” Well, let’s be honest– we all do. I love the challenge of making a one-of-a-kind masterpiece that embraces a novels storyline. While my styles are bold in color, I’m able to pivot to meet a clients request, follow market trends, and match similar author-favored styles with my own unique twist. I’m honored everyday when a client wishes to work with me again. So far, I’ve had the fortune of working with numerous indie authors and a small publisher, and I have had cover illustrations featured in the June 2020 Kirkus Review Magazine.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

The moment when a client previews their designs is the most rewarding. They sink into this moment of silent excitement, a certain admiration as they take in the concept/illustration. That moment reminds me of the times I walked through many art museums gazing at the trove of art history, marveling at unique works.

To know I’ve created a piece that can make a client experience that same emotion is that aspect I find the most rewarding. Even if I don’t actually get to see or hear the initial reaction in person, I find writers ooze emotion with every sentence they relay.

Especially with excited typos.

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

More so than a driving mission, I am inspired by a quote of my own: “Aspire to Inspire”.

There are so many artists, innovators, and creators that weave wonders into this world that make us pause, critique, discuss, imagine, or simply appreciate. I aspire to continue the work of challenging the normal and inspiring the wonder back into this world, whether it’s in the minds of my children, those that know me, the authors for whom I create book covers, or the random person that stumbles upon my art. Inspiration made me fall in love with the art world and all of its niches. I hope my aspirations with my art can help another find inspiration of their own.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.jenarcollins.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jenarcollins/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/JenaRCollins
• Other: https://www.behance.net/jenarcollins

Image Credits
Jena R Collins Designs