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

Jenny, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Did you always know you wanted to pursue a creative or artistic career? When did you first know?

I knew from a young age that art would always be my passion. I studied art on my own and attended the Minneapolis College of Art and Design. Then came a time where I set my art aside to pursue a property management career. I had been working the 9-5 grind for many years, and even though I still considered myself an artist at heart, my work slipped and my creativity suffered. Thanks to support from my family, I left that industry in 2015 and picked up some polymer clay that had been hiding away in a dusty box and had a play. The magic was instant, the feeling electric, and my mind was filled with dazzling ideas as I embraced my inner artist again. Once I established my passion, I began creating just for myself. I would sculpt what I wanted, not what I thought would be popular or big sellers. I was happy to receive such warm and kind words from people in support my art. It turned out that what I loved making the most became my best sellers over time. Art is highly personal to me, so sculpting what makes me the happiest is quite important in my creative journey.

Jenny, 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?

As a kid I dabbled in many art mediums like drawing and painting. At age 12, a good family friend encouraged me to pick up some polymer clay and try some sculpting. Polymer clay is a soft, malleable putty that stays soft and workable until it’s baked in a low-temperature oven. Since the early 1990’s were not quite yet online, I taught myself how to sculpt with polymer clay through experimenting and reading a few books. I’d spend hours tucked away in my room just playing, creating, and learning. It wasn’t long until I was hooked! I was finally able to set up a studio in my home in 2015 and named it Wishing Well Workshop. It’s a special name to me because every sculpture I create I send with it love and well wishes to my customers. I’m proud that I’ve stayed true to my inner artist for the past 30 years, and fully embrace my creativity so that I can share ideas, knowledge, and advice with artistic folks across the world.

Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?

Luckily, folks were interested in my colorful little sculptures and helped establish my reputation as a polymer clay artist. By connecting online and in person through art fairs, I realized that I could offer people even more of my ideas by teaching classes. Fantastic friends helped me arrange clay classes around the Denver area and other parts of the country. It is an absolute thrill to see my students enjoy polymer clay as much as I do. Showing folks how simple ideas can translate into fantastic finished pieces is truly a joy to me. My advice for those wanting to create a social media following is to find your target audience. Search for like-minded artists and connect in groups or in person. Once your network grows, your social media will grow automatically. Genuinely connecting to fans and followers creates a trust between the artist and the viewer, so actively posting pictures and videos and responding to comments is key to growing a presence online.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

My favorite part about being an artist is sharing my knowledge with others. When I teach folks how fun polymer clay can be, it brings me a sense of pride. I’m happy that my art brings a sense of whimsy and joy to my audience whether they purchase my art, or just browse and enjoy my journey through my social media pages. I’m so thankful for the support I’ve received over the years, and hope my polymer clay work will continue to spread well wishes to all who take a glimpse into my creative world.

Contact Info:

• Website: wishingwellworkshop.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wishingwellworkshop/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wishingwellworkshop/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCucLUvA6HL-7kACbZ2PYVxQ/videos
• Other: Tik Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@wishingwellworkshop?lang=en