Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Jenlynn. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Hi Jenlynn, thanks for joining us today. What did your parents do right and how has that impacted you in your life and career?

I was born and raised in Northern California. Childhood weekends were long car rides up to the redwoods or over to the coast. The song that runs through me is the scent of ancient trees, and damp earth, the soft give and firm hold of the forest floor underfoot, the burnt sienna bark of the sequoias, and their crown of jadeite green, the touch of grey mist, and the crash of cold waves against rocky shores, the cry of the seagull and the snap of a bonfire. Two of the greatest gifts my parents gave me were those car rides with nothing to do but daydream and an early love of nature.

They were also incredibly patient when I started bringing nature inside as art supplies, crafting tiny baby cradles from walnut shells hollowed out by birds, and fairy cottages from sticks stripped clean by the elements. I still have rocks that I collected as a child, their smooth, cool surfaces bringing the same sense of comfort. Nature is my first love, and I honor it by incorporating it into my work through the use of botanical dyes, organic fabrics, and found elements, my joy of foraging still alive and well. I’ve (mostly) traded rocks for crystals, and they, too, have a special place in my work, both as an artist and as an energy healer.

Another thing my parents did incredibly well was instill in me a strong work ethic and a sense of independence. Both have helped foster an ability to problem solve, which comes in handy as a self-taught artist.

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?

I’ve always been a maker with a strong sense of color and story. My early career as a pastry chef allowed me to express myself through flavor pairings and plate design. After hanging up my professional apron for motherhood, I had several creative careers, including owning a brick-and-mortar gift shop where I designed and printed custom invitations, and a tooth fairy pillow business that started in that same shop. I’d go on to spend the next decade sewing and shipping more than 10,000 pillows worldwide while working various other jobs, some creative, some not. After 30 years spent creating for others, I was ready to create for myself, and for no purpose other than love; love of color, of texture, of imagination. I remembered how to daydream again, and new art pieces soon took over my studio.

These days, my work as a Reiki Master informs my art, bringing a sense of light and energy to each piece. My primary focus is textile art, but I also work with watercolors and create crystal, flower essence, and Reiki-infused aromatherapy mists and candles, hand-wrapped copper and selenite crystal pieces, and mini art pillows with pockets to hold intentions. Though my collection is continually evolving, the common thread is joy.

Everything I make is inspired by nature, by the Divine, and by the human experience. My goal is to create thoughtful pieces, weaving together intention, emotion, experience, and sometimes metaphor. I work primarily with repurposed natural fibers such as linen and cotton, focusing on hand dyeing with botanicals, and incorporating my photography, original poetry, found elements, and genuine crystals. My intention is to offer a bit of joy, light, color, beauty, or curiosity to your space.

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

Letting go of perfectionism has offered me some of the biggest lessons in life and in art. I grew up in a family of quilters whose precision was legendary, their creativity tempered by careful control. I’d watch my mom stand over the dining room table with a furrowed brow, silently calculating the meticulous cuts she’d need to make, reaching for the seam ripper if anything was a fraction off. I knew I’d never be a quilter because, personally, nothing kills my creativity faster than math.

My reverence for my mom’s quilting stopped me from seeing the value in my own textile art for many years. Luckily, my best friend, Aviva, who is an incredibly gifted artist and seamstress, told me to snap out of it in the loving way that only a lifelong friend can do. I took her phrase, “It doesn’t have to be perfect, it’s art!” to heart and threw out my narrow definition of what is valuable. It was then that I really opened up to using fabric as a medium. I think of my work as the anti-quilting, the undoing of perfection, and have found so much freedom in the flow of letting go. I hope this translates to an ease that others can feel.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

If I can take an emotion, memory, or idea and translate it into a tangible form for others to experience, or if my perspective resonates and makes someone else feel understood? That’s the best. Ideally, the finished work is just the beginning; the story evolves as it’s reinterpreted. I hope that what I create feels like a conversation. I may start by sharing my point of view, but then it’s your turn. At its deepest level, art is about human connection, and I feel really lucky to be able to connect in this way.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://jenlynnstudios.etsy.com
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/jenlynn_studios
• Other: Substack: https://backtolight.substack.com/