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

Jennifer, appreciate you joining us today. We’d love to hear about when you first realized that you wanted to pursue a creative path professionally.

It all started in 7th grade, though not by choice. I was placed in an art class I hadn’t asked for, and to my surprise, something clicked. That class opened a door I didn’t even know existed. I discovered I had artistic talent. Throughout my teenage years, I created constantly. Art was a source of joy, expression, and comfort, but I never considered it could be anything more than a hobby. Making a living from it felt like a fantasy, something reserved for other people.

When I got to college, life took over and art fell by the wayside. And in adulthood, I slipped into a cycle where drinking became a bigger focus than creating. I truly believed that creativity was like a muscle: if you stopped using it, it disappeared. I thought I had lost it.

Then the pandemic hit. In the stillness and uncertainty, I picked up a paintbrush again, 24 years after that very first art class. It started with something small: kindness rocks. Cute, cheerful little stones I painted and left on hiking trails for strangers to find. That simple act reawakened something in me. Before long, I was painting pet portraits, and with each one, I surprised myself. My talent hadn’t vanished after all, it had just been waiting for me to return.

The turning point came when I painted a simple mountain mural in our guest bedroom. It wasn’t fancy, but something about working at that scale lit a fire in me. I realized: I want to paint big.

I started following muralists online, devouring every tip they shared, from paint brands to scaffolding safety. As a naturally shy person, it was out of character for me to message a stranger. But I reached out to Colorado muralist Peri Duncan, whose work deeply inspired me, and asked if I could tag along on one of her murals, just to watch and learn.

To my amazement, she said yes. No hesitation, just “Absolutely!”

That experience changed everything. Watching Peri work, assisting her on not just one but two murals, gave me more than just technical knowledge, it gave me confidence. She welcomed me into a world that had always felt unreachable. For the first time, I saw a future where painting murals wasn’t just a dream, it could be a career. A real, vibrant, fulfilling path.

Then came 2024, a year that shook me to my core. I nearly lost my life due to a surgeon’s error and, not long after, was laid off from my IT job. But instead of breaking me, those experiences brought clarity. They reminded me how fragile and fleeting life is, and how deeply I wanted to spend mine doing something that brought me, and others, real joy.

And now in 2025, I’m proud to celebrate 10 years of sobriety. That milestone, combined with everything I’ve been through, makes this creative pursuit feel not just important, but necessary.

That’s when I knew: this isn’t just something I love to do, this is something I have to do.

Jennifer, 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?

My path into this creative work was anything but traditional. I didn’t attend art school, and for a long time, I didn’t believe that art could be anything more than a personal outlet. But in 2023, I began renting studio space, a decision that was a powerful shift. That space became my creative lab: a place to practice, experiment, make mistakes, build confidence, and refine my talent in a way I never had before.

Soon after, I joined the local Chamber of Commerce, which has helped me grow both personally and professionally. It’s opened doors to meaningful collaborations and introduced me to incredible clients and fellow creatives in the community.

Today, I specialize in custom, hand-painted murals that bring color, meaning, and joy to homes, businesses, and public spaces. Whether it’s a nature-inspired piece in a nursery, a bold outdoor mural for a local shop, a logo wall to draw people in, or a vibrant accent wall in someone’s living room, my goal is always to create art that resonates deeply with the space and the people in it.

I also create hand-painted pet portraits and take on occasional custom canvas commissions. What ties all my work together is a deep love for connection, between people, animals, places, and stories.

What sets me apart is how personal this work is to me. I know what it’s like to silence your creativity, to believe that your chance has passed. My art is rooted in rediscovery and second chances. That perspective infuses every brushstroke with intention, empathy, and care. I approach each project as a collaboration, and I take pride in delivering not just beautiful visuals, but meaningful experiences.

What I’m most proud of is that I took the leap. I bet on myself and my art, and now I get to help others transform their spaces with work that’s joyful, honest, and uniquely theirs. I hope when people connect with my art, they feel the story behind it, and maybe even see a bit of their own story reflected back.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

That charging what my work is work is worth doesn’t make me greedy, it makes me sustainable.

When I was first learning about the mural world as a business, pricing was my biggest challenge. I knew how much time, energy, and labor went into a mural. From the initial consultation and design work to the physical demands of climbing ladders and painting for hours at a time. But even knowing all that, I still struggled with what to charge. I’d get anxious about quoting a price that might “scare off” a potential client. So I’d often quote lower than I should, sometimes much lower, just to avoid discomfort. It was a habit that helped no one, especially not me.

That mindset was rooted in fear and scarcity, and I didn’t even realize how toxic it was until I came across muralist Ania Amador’s “Murals and More” class. One thing she said hit me like a lightning bolt: “Your relationship with money is not everyone else’s relationship with money.”

That line shifted everything for me.

I didn’t grow up wealthy. So when I’d hear a price that felt “high” to me, I assumed others would feel the same. But that’s simply not true, and basing my pricing on my own limiting beliefs wasn’t just hurting my business; it was devaluing my work and the work of fellow muralists.

Unlearning that has been a process, but it’s made me more confident in my pricing, more professional in my approach, and more aligned with the value I know I bring to every project. Now I quote based on the full scope of the work, not just what I think someone can afford.

It’s still a growing edge for me, but that one piece of advice from Ania helped reframe my relationship with money, and gave me permission to take up space, charge fairly, and build something that can actually last.

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

Art transforms spaces, builds community, tells stories, sparks conversations, and helps people see the world in new ways. Yet, too often, creatives are expected to work for “exposure”, discounted rates, or as an afterthought in larger projects.

One of the biggest shifts we need is recognizing art as a labor. Real, skilled, time-intensive labor. That means paying artists fairly, including them in planning process early, and creating funding opportunities that aren’t overly complicated or gatekept.

We also need more public support. Community grants, public art initiatives, and mentorship programs that help emerging artists grow. Local governments, schools, and businesses can all play a role by investing in art as infrastructure, not just entertainment or decoration.

On a personal level, support can be as simples as hiring an artist for a mural instead of buying mass-produced wall art, or sharing their work online, or even just telling them you see and value what they do. That encouragement matters more than people may realize.

I truly believe that when artists are supported, everyone benefits. Art makes neighborhoods more vibrant, schools more engaging, businesses more memorable, and communities more connected.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.taylormademurals.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/taylormademurals/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61562564709698
• Other: Tiktok:
  https://www.tiktok.com/@taylormademurals