We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Jenny Grumbles a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Jenny , thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Have you been able to earn a full-time living from your creative work? If so, can you walk us through your journey and how you made it happen? Was it like that from day one? If not, what were some of the major steps and milestones and do you think you could have sped up the process somehow knowing what you know now?

Earning a full-time living from my creative work is one of those things I have to pinch myself about all the time. I can’t tell you exactly how I was able to get here, but I am certain that a huge percentage of it has nothing to do with the actual art I create. There is this pie chart that is being passed around creatives right now about how your expectations of being a full time artist are to make art all day and then sell it. In reality, in order for you to sell that art and make money, 90% of your day is spent working on, prepping, planning, shipping, inventory, photographing, marketing, websites, etc. If you choose this path, it is unlikely that you’re going to be able to hire someone to do all that for you while you create all day. You have to do a little hustling and make space for what I call “laptop days” where you don’t pick up a paintbrush.

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’m a painter! I paint a wide-variety of subjects with an emphasis on light and color. I mostly paint commissioned work of my client’s favorite spaces, people and moments. I also do a lot of modern pieces and collaborate with children to make fun, fine art. I take one commission a week and try to stick to that. I feel like one of the luckiest people on the planet that people commission my work. I can’t always complete that piece in a week, so I get backed up and stressed out. I like to have big chunks of time where I crawl into my studio and work and not talk to anyone, but I am a mom and a human with other responsibilities so it doesn’t always work out that way.

I’m obsessed with colors and the way light hits the earth to create shadows. That is what I want to paint. That is what makes my heart beat.

In high school, because of affirmation and awards for my work, I was empowered to keep making art. To encourage me (and keep me out of trouble), my Dad found two mentors that took everything to the next level.

Making art as a career has been a constant for me since I was 22, but I have had other career paths alongside the painting. I worked in news stations because I loved journalism. I owned a vintage and up-cycled home furnishings shop in San Diego and Dallas for 12 years. I worked as an organizer for Barack Obama’s campaign. I did a reality tv show for a few years too. Once I decided to focus on painting full-time, my business started to flourish. Once I decided to settle into my own skin here and be super true to myself, my art got better.

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

Any resources you can share with us that might be helpful to other creatives?

Instagram. was not a thing until way into my career. The marketing influence it has for a visual artist is like no other. Learn how to do it. I know it is scary and embarrassing and vulnerable and you have to do a dance with humility, but it is a tool we were given to show our art to millions of people. It is super scary to put yourself out there. It takes time and is also a difficult dance you do when trying not to compare yourself to others. So, get a therapist for the comparison trap and to learn how to be you, but also market the heck out of your art instagram. That is the advice I try to give myself all the time!

Contact Info:

• Website: http://www.jgrumblesstudio.com
• Instagram: @jennygrumbles_uptowncountry
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jenny-grumbles
• Twitter: @jennygrumbles

Image Credits
Angela Criston Pitts