We recently connected with Jennifer Meeker and have shared our conversation below.
Jennifer , appreciate you 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 took the risk of becoming a full time artist in 2015. I had been waiting tables and doing other jobs such as babysitting to make ends meet and pay off debt. I wasn’t able to do all of these, so I took the plunge and quit waiting tables after doing it for 8 years. It was scary, but I am so glad I did it. I was able to continue on being an artist and create my own schedule, flexibility, and freedom. Doing so does has its perks, but it comes with a lot of self discipline and motivation; it’s not like I have a boss expecting me to be at work on time. In 2019 I was faced with another risk at being able to be an artist without support financially and emotionally from a partner. Three months later, Covid hit. I went from being very financially secure to having a very tight budget in just a few months. One of the biggest challenges was knowing that “the universe had my back” and to just stop worrying. I was able to get an immense amount of support from my collectors and financial support from the government through programs for small businesses. I then had the biggest sales year to date in 2021. The amount of support I got from the community and buying and supporting artist was so touching. I then realized what really made me happy as an artist. The thought that I can create a piece of art from my own hands and have it bring so much joy and happiness (through personal stories they have shared and “I use your mug everyday”) to someone else is priceless.
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 have always been into the arts and the outdoors since a young age. It was easy to find me doodling drawings of beanie babies, hanging in my backyard with the trees, playing with worms, or stomping through the creek. My parents encouraged me to join art programs and contests at an elementary age, and this continued on into my highschool years. I always went to “the beat of my own drum’ and didn’t like to follow mainstream art or genres, I wanted tobe my own person and have my own voice. I then attended Herron School of Art and Design to major in Fine Arts, where I discovered the potters wheel in 2006. I then persued a ceramics and photography degree in college. Around this time, during my years also as a camp counselor, I became fascinated with the woods and finding mushrooms. I then started to do so some self studying from there, and it hasn’t stopped since then. When I graduated college, I was extremely determined to pursue being an artist for a living. I felt this was as my purpose in life; to create joy and happiness to other people through my work.
Being an outdoors person, over the last 18 years I have been fascinated with colors, textures, and shapes in nature. Just like I did as a child, the outdoors has always been my safe space, so in my adult years, I would find myself outside alone in solitude. I would do this through mushroom foraging, hiking, gardening, or backpacking. I want to capture these solo moments and instill it into my ceramic work, so people can feel like they are there, enjoying those moments with me. I want them to see what I see in the woods, so I recreate it in my work. I think that is what sets my ceramic work apart from other ceramic artist. Each piece is truly one of a kind and people love that they can find one that “speaks to them.”
The one thing I feel I am most proud of is my determination to not give up on being a full time artist. I had a lot of set backs over the years, but I think being creative not only through your work, but through finding multiple streams of income ( like teaching, selling online, wholesale, selling in person) is key to staying in business.
Looking back, are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?
I wish I was able to find a mentor or even a class on how make a living as an artist. None of these resources were availabl to me after graduating from college, nor could I find any one in the art fair world early on to help me out.
What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?
The most rewarding aspect of being an artist is being able to create joy and hapiness to other people through my work. I love running into people wwho have bought my work years ago anf share stories about how they have used my mug everyday, that it makes them smile, or that they loved gifting it to someone.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.jennifermeekerart.com
- Instagram: Jennifer Meeker Ceramics
- Facebook: Jennifer Meeker Ceramics
- Youtube: Jennifer Meeker Art Ceramics
- Other: Google Business and Etsy-www.etsy.com/shop/jennifermeekerart
Image Credits
Brittany Erwin Photography and Jennifer Meeker Art Ceramics