We recently connected with Jenny Flack and have shared our conversation below.

Jenny, appreciate you joining us today. Learning the craft is often a unique journey from every creative – we’d love to hear about your journey and if knowing what you know now, you would have done anything differently to speed up the learning process.

I came to painting murals through the theater. I have worked in theater all my life, and started scene painting when I was a teenager. So, I learned how to paint walls, and make them look like other things pretty early.

I’ve learned most of what I use in my business today, on the job. So, I guess the thing i would have done to speed up the learning process would be starting earlier. I was afraid to take the leap into murals for several years. If I had reached out to working muralists and offered to assist them, I would have learned a lot. As it is, I just leapt. And, I’m glad I did, but I definitely could have done myself a favor and assisted first.

I’m an improviser at heart, and I think my ability to pivot, problem solve and puzzle out what obstacles present themselves to me (and they always do) has been a great asset to me in the process of learning this job.

I think my biggest obstacle has always been fear. It’s hard to learn when you’re worried about failing. Once I leapt, I started really downloading everything I needed to know. And I haven’t stopped learning since.

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.

I started painting murals full time in January, 2021. It was during Covid. Most businesses were no-contact, and nobody was going to let me into their house. I started by doing garden walls, garages, guest houses, retaining walls. It turned out to be a great time to start, given that a lot of people were sitting around, stuck in their spaces looking at ugly blank walls!

I do interior and exterior murals in all sizes for a variety of budgets. I love the variety my job provides. I do everything from giant outdoor murals and sign painting for businesses, to small accents around bathroom mirrors. I love problem solving with my clients. Some of them come to me with fully formed ideas, which is great. But, the part where I really shine is translating client conversation, visual preferences and aesthetics into a perfect bespoke piece, just for them.

I really hang my hat on my flexibility, listening and lack of ego. What sets me apart is my ability to adjust and do whatever the client needs. I used to joke that I don’t have my own style. Of course I do, but I will also say yes to doing most anything a client is looking for. I love a challenge. I love that every time I paint I’m painting something for the first time, in an environment I’ve never painted in before. Ultimately everything I do will belong to someone else. The client has to live with it. It’s personal for them, so I try not to take any of it personally and really focus on their happiness.

I think I want people to know about me is that I deeply believe that everyone deserves beauty in their lives. And I’m always striving to make sure I can be a part of providing that.

I’m leaning more and more into serving my community and promoting conservation with my art. Im putting focus in two places this year.

First, I’m passionate about native plants and pollinators, so I’m always looking for projects where I can help educate our communities about the natural beauty that belongs in their spaces. I am donating work to conservation as well.

Second, I live very near Altadena, and I’ve worked in that community often. My heart breaks for my neighbors affected by fire, so I’m donating 10% of all of my mural fees in 2025 to L.A. fire relief. And as my community rebuilds, I’ll be proud to donate work to people and organizations who need it.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

Definitely community, relationships, and seeing people’s faces light up when they see my work. It’s such a lovely thing to share color and beauty with people. Art can really brighten a day. It can bring people together, it can start conversation and encourage all of us to see what we have in common. The world is so divisive, and coming together over something beautiful and positive can be really transformative.

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can provide some insight – you never know who might benefit from the enlightenment.

I think sometimes people in non-creative jobs assume I’m just having fun and I don’t work as hard as they do. Do I love my job? YES! I’m extremely lucky to do what I love and I do not take it for granted, but it can be really, really hard. And just because I’m drawing and painting for a living doesn’t mean I’m not busting my butt. I’m a one-woman business. I have to hustle every day to keep myself afloat. Im a business owner and I need to make money to feed my kids. I take that very seriously.

That’s the other thing. I think people don’t always understand the service I provide is valuable and worth the money it costs. Murals can last 20 years. For businesses, that’s 20 years of engagement and revenue. For private clients, it’s years of beauty and aesthetic identity for their spaces. That has value.

So many people think art is “too expensive” but what I do lasts. Their coffee habit can cost just as much. I love coffee. It’s worth paying for if it makes you happy. So is art.

Contact Info:

• Website: [email protected]
• Instagram: @jennyflackmuralist
• Facebook: Jenny Flack Muralist

Image Credits

Carla Coffing