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

Alright, Jenn thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Can you tell us about a time that your work has been misunderstood? Why do you think it happened and did any interesting insights emerge from the experience?

As a woman who draws art that some may view as “devious”, my subject matter and personal character are often mischaracterized and prejudged. Part of my decision to draw minimalist erotic art was to not only empower myself, but to also illustrate that we, as humans, are complex and hold multiplicity. Our sexual identity is but one part of our whole personality and I find it incredibly important to express all aspects of myself without feeling embarrassment or shame. Because of this, people often see my art and immediately make assumptions about the kind of person I must be. I hope that my art can in return help them recognize that our sexuality deserves to be expressed in fun and humorous ways, and in doing so we can learn to celebrate every part of ourselves. I find being misunderstood can sometimes be a spark for creating deeper and more meaningful conversations.

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.

Thank you for inviting me to share my story with you. My name is Jennifer Casares-Schultz, and I am a 36-year-old artist and owner of the brand DearMrsFantasy, based in Santa Ana, Ca. I was trained in the medium of oil painting and specialize in figure drawing. While painting is my passion, art has always been a therapeutic way for me to process the world around me and explore the intersections of truth, identity, and belonging. As a passionate person with multiple hobbies, I’ve always rejected the idea that we have to focus on one discipline in order to be successful. I also personally believe that humans are most attractive when participating in any activity that brings them fulfillment and joy. In 2020, in the midst of Covid, when many people in my community began exploring different interests, I began experimenting more with ink and had been reflecting on ways to illustrate how beautiful people are when trying something new. For me, any person taking part in something they are passionate about inspires me to do the same and what better way for me to represent that, then by drawing people in action, taking part of a plethora of hobbies, and engaging in sexual acts? In a time of fear and uncertainty, I wanted to put something into the world that was full of life, love, and humor and the product of that become my brand DearMrsFantasy. Using a minimalistic approach, my brand promotes sexual empowerment and freedom by intersecting hobbies and fantasy. I use multiple mediums to explore the beauty of all genders and sexualities, to normalize all body types, and to remind ourselves that sex is beautiful, and more importantly, so are we.

How did you build your audience on social media?

As a creative that some would deem NSFW, in person marketing became my go to. I think it’s very easy for new small business owners to see social media as a direct representation of their success. However, social media is just one tool of many to get your products out into the world. My social media growth always followed an event I vended at personally. While online marketing is important, personal connection creates returning clients and word of mouth inevitably helped me go “viral”. The more I dedicated to creating a network and community in real life, the faster my social media growth became.

What can society do to ensure an environment that’s helpful to artists and creatives?

Society can better support artists and creatives through investment, and that begins by fostering a culture that values the art as essential rather than an afterthought. I remember the first time I went to a painting workshop in Florence, Italy, I landed in Milan, immediately met my friends on the coast, and right away an Italian man asked me where I was from and what I do. When I responded that I was a painter, he replied, “Oh wow, I’ve always been jealous of those that were given the gift of the hands of God”. I remember immediately feeling so shocked to be in a country where the culture valued artists and their labor the same as any other profession, if not more. Through public funding and arts education, we can begin to cultivate an attitude of curiosity within our own communities, where we see art as essential for everyone rather than creatives as an ecosystem unto themselves.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.dearmrsfantasy.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dear.mrs.fantasy/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dear.mrs.fantasy

Image Credits

Darren Dela Cruz