Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Jovana Djoric. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Jovana, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. How did you learn to do what you do? Knowing what you know now, what could you have done to speed up your learning process? What skills do you think were most essential? What obstacles stood in the way of learning more?
From a young age, I found myself interested in art. For the most part, I’d say I’m self-taught, minus things learned in school. While I don’t remember much of my mini-artist days, I have some silly paintings to show to them. My mom saved some framed pictures from my elementary school’s art gallery. It’s funny to look back at how goofy they looked, but it also reminds me to be carefree with my art and just have fun. It doesn’t always have to be so serious.
After elementary school, memories of creating art seem to come back a little clearer. I loved art in middle school because I can recall learning so many different techniques and using various mediums. Around that age, art usually starts to get more intricate. I specifically remember working with clay and learning how that worked-the cross-hatching, the sticking together with water, the firing in the kiln. Though, clay never stuck with me. It just wasn’t my favorite. I definitely remember how I learned more sketching techniques and felt like my art was actually good for once. I’ve come to realize that my past work, as a child, wasn’t bad, I was just learning and growing into my personality. I tend to be hard on myself and my art. But, practicing really did make a difference. After some time, I put art on the back burner. I began to discover new hobbies and became more busy with school and friends. As I was getting older, I had other priorities.
Then came high school. Taking art in high school is a decision I was so glad I made. It really changed my perspective. I’ll never forget my high school art teacher, Ms. Vargo. Not only was she an amazing teacher and artist, but she stood out to me more than any other teacher. She truly cared about her students and had such a huge passion for teaching them art. A lot of what I now know came from her teaching. In high school, I was able to relearn some of the drawing techniques I had lost, and I dove into realism and surrealism more. The real question is, what didn’t I learn from her? I have her to thank for many of my skills.
When it comes to art, I believe that everyone’s style is unique. All artists have their quirks, their niche. No single artist is the same. In high school, there was one teacher I had for a Photoshop class, who also taught the AP art kids. I wasn’t good enough to be in AP art, but I quickly realized that I was glad I wasn’t in it. That teacher had everyone doing the same type of art, there was no room for artistic freedom, for mistakes. The prompt had to be followed to the T, or it wasn’t good enough for her, it also wasn’t good enough for AP standards. I loved being in Ms. Vargo’s class instead because she encouraged creative expression. She allowed us to go off prompt if we had something specific in mind-and as long as it was school appropriate (which sometimes it wasn’t). Basically, she’d accept any piece of art as long as the techniques she taught us were visible in our work. If we showed our knowledge of the subject we just learned, we’d get a good grade. Because of her, I was able to learn more. I began to draw more, I started painting more in my free time. I now paint almost more than anything. I finally felt that confidence again. She really pushed me to unleash the creativity that I held inside for so long. She encouraged me to continue to create and not let anyone get in my way. She reminded me to be true to myself and to know my self-worth, as a person and as an artist. After all those years, I still keep in touch with her. I also made new friends after high school and, since then, have more creative friends, and they’ve impacted my art too!
And now, years later, I have my own business! I sell my own damn artwork! I’ve met other amazing artists who have made a difference in my art or business, and I’m grateful for those interactions. I love sharing my art with people because it’s truly made with love. I’ve learned a lot of new forms of art since high school. Besides painting, which is one of the things I do most, I’ve done a lot of jewelry making in the past few years. That stems back to elementary school, because I used to make rainbow loom bracelets and try to sell them to kids in the playground. Entrepreneur at heart, I guess. But, jewelry is different because I really did just begin to pick it up on my own. Now, painting and jewelry making are the two things I do the most. I enjoy both a lot!
Lastly, in addition to my art teachers and friends that have supported me. My parents also influenced my love of art, my dad specifically. He’s always been a creative person, but in different ways (etching, DJ-ing). My mom’s creativity was always more in writing than in visual art. And I also seem to have that quality and interest, thanks to her. I’m very grateful to them and their support of my business and my art. For allowing me to express that creativity from a young age and supporting my love for art from day one! Special thanks to my sisters who also continue to support my small business, wear my jewelry, and represent my art.
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.
Hey! I’m Jovana and I have a small business on the side, which I hope to be full-time one day. I’ve always loved art. Growing up, I always made paintings for my family members. I’d always ask for art supplies as Christmas or birthday gifts. As a high school student, I spent a lot of time in my art teacher’s room, working on new drawings or paintings. Oftentimes, I’d go into her room during my lunch break just to create and chat. I was in my senior year when Covid hit, and I definitely think that had somewhat of an impact on me and my art. I was focused on school, and although I was at home and could’ve been making art, I wasn’t really as interested. That time definitely caused a weird feeling of sadness and grief even. I missed out on what was supposed to be the best year of high school. We didn’t have a prom or graduation. We didn’t have our senior trip. I was in a funk. Once college came around, I did all my classes from home, and then was so focused on that, that I also didn’t really have much time or interest in making art. Over some time, I slowly began to express myself with my art again. I went through some friendship losses and gained new ones. The support of a new friend I had made around that time, was what pushed me to continue expressing myself with my art. That eventually allowed me to come out of my shell and start vending with her. I’m grateful for her guidance and support. And since then, I’ve learned how to find new events, and put myself out there for more opportunities.
My business, JcoreArt is supposed to be a variety of different aesthetics and styles that I personally love. Which, I think makes me different from other brands, in a way. There are many vendors I’ve seen who stick to one kind of style. Oftentimes, I’ve seen brands that have one specific aesthetic, like beach jewelry, for example. Whereas, I did a play on the different aesthetics that end in -core (cottage core, kid core, alt core). My name starts with a J, and it’s all based on the different styles that I like, so it’s “Jovana-core” but just shortened. Considering the fact that it’s all my art, putting that all together created JcoreArt. While JcoreArt is art that I base off of my preferences, all the pieces can be modified, and I take customs for anything (bracelets, necklaces, paintings). In addition, I create masculine and feminine-styled pieces, so there’s something for everyone. I tend to switch between various styles myself and want to be able to provide that for others.
How can we best help foster a strong, supportive environment for artists and creatives?
I believe that society tends to look down on artists; they don’t always consider it a “real job”. But, the difference between a small business and a large corporation is that when you shop small, you’re supporting people with dreams like me. You’re supporting families. You’re truly making a direct impact in someone’s life. Small businesses notice your support and they truly appreciate it, unlike large corporations. Each and every sale means the world to small businesses. Shopping small is so important, especially around the holidays! On top of that, shopping small means you can get something creative and unique, one of a kind even! A reminder to all, doing something as simple as liking or sharing a post, reposting or following a small business can make a huge impact!
What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?
For me, the most rewarding thing about being an artist is being able to make people feel more confident in themselves with their new jewelry. Sometimes all I need to feel better about an outfit is the accessories. A good necklace/bracelet/earring addition can really make the outfit so much more! It is also so rewarding to have someone love your artwork so much that they want to buy it. I love hearing where they will display it or how much the person they’re gifting it to will love it. I’ve had so many beautiful compliments from such kind people. It makes me so happy to hear when people say they wish they could buy everything from my shop. I love seeing people light up when they find a piece they love so much. Being that outlet for others is truly so rewarding.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: jcoreart
- Other: etsy: jcoreart
