We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Jenna Fournier a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Jenna, appreciate you joining us today. Can you talk to us about how you learned to do what you do?
I’ve learned from practice and experimentation. I’ve learned from mistakes and failures, and I’ve learned from observing and listening to others, rather than viewing other artists as competition which I think holds some people back.
Personally, more discipline would have helped me when I was younger. I used to wait for the muses to visit, and now I work whether or not I’m feeling particularly inspired. Sometimes it yields amazing results, but not always. However, it sharpens my craftsmanship even if nothing meaningful comes from it.
As far as obstacles, I could say that a lack of financial means has always held me back from, say, making the music videos I dream up, but, there is of course something to be said for working with limitations. My greatest setback has probably been the battles in my own brain… fighting apathy, depression, anxiety, and feelings of inadequacy. Sometimes we tell ourselves lies and start to believe them. I have told myself that my work doesn’t matter, so what is the point of it. I’ve told myself its all total trash, and that people will only make fun of me, etc. I’ve also believed the lie that it’s selfish to spend time creating… how dare I choose my work over the demands of others around me? I had to learn that the work matters, not only to me, but to people who receive it in a meaningful way, which I came to believe through the both the words of true friends as well as fans I’ve never met.
Jenna, 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 am a painter and digital artist, as well as a singer/songwriter. My band Niights has taken up a lot of my focus over the last decade, but in 2020 I ventured into learning home recording and production, and I’ve been really into making music on my own. Perhaps it’s the painter in me that likes the solitary approach, but I also enjoy working in a band or with a creative team on film projects or art installations.
I hope that my work can offer others a sense of belonging, or be a small step or nugget of insight towards their own healing. Whether people connect to the words, the images… whatever. If it can bring some calm, or provoke some feelings or thoughts or meaningful conversations, then it was a success.
Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?
I am forever seeking a deeper understanding of myself and the world around me… trying to love better; trying to be a better guardian for the earth and all living creatures on it. The process of songwriting, or even painting sometimes, is part of living an examined life. Beyond that, it’s really hard to describe what drives me to keep experimenting and keep making art. It’s just what I do.
What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?
I enjoy the creative process, especially with music, when a song starts to come together, or the times when it just spills out. But the greatest ‘reward’ are the fans who show appreciation. Not in an attention-seeking way, but in a sense-of-purpose way. I feel like I am actually contributing to society when someone across the globe tells me that my album has helped their mental health, a bit like when I spend all Spring gardening and then see the bees and butterflies come around in the summer and feed from the flowers, but it’s a much deeper joy when the dirt I’m digging in is my personal life experiences. Those kinds of messages keep me going through the times when my own mental health isn’t great.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://kidtigrrr.bandcamp.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kid.tigrrr/
- Other: www.niightsband.com https://www.etsy.com/shop/JennaFournier
Image Credits
Jarrod Berger Amber Patrick