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

Poonam, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Did you always know you wanted to pursue a creative or artistic career? When did you first know?

The first time I knew that I wanted to pursue a creative path professionally was when I was 6 years old. I know it sounds crazy but I knew that I wanted to do something that involves drawing, coloring and painting. I loved mostly all the subjects in school but Art made me the happiest of all.

I went to Elementary, Middle and High school in Nairobi, Kenya and my schools had the most wonderful teachers. I still remember how encouraging they were and how they helped me keep my passion alive. You can say that they cheered me on. That kept my passion for Art alive and kicking.

Although there were certain difficulties and pressures as I went to high school and college, they were all part of learning what I really wanted to do professionally. I knew that I wanted to have a creative career but in addition to that, one that makes people happy about themselves no matter what is going on in their lives. When I see people happier than they came after attending one of my Paint & Sip classes, I know that I am doing something right.

Poonam, 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 name is Poonam Jethva and I am a small business owner of Canvas & Brushes LLC who lives in the Lake Nona area with my husband and 4 year old son. I was born in Nairobi, Kenya. I speak English, Gujarati, Hindi and Swahili. I have been living in Orlando for 6 years now. I love nature so walking trails and state parks are great for my family and I. I love to meet new people and am pretty extroverted and easy to talk to. Most of all, I love going for coffee dates with friends and family to unwind (I love pastries of course) and obviously I love painting so whenever I get time, I paint.

I got into the Paint & Sip business a year after my son was born. Before that, I worked at a Paint & Sip location. I wanted to go back to working there but my schedule was a little all over the place so I came up with the idea of providing an offsite Paint & Sip service instead and Canvas & Brushes LLC was born. My first Paint & Sip party was in Moss Park itself and we had a group of 15 people. They were so amazing and there was no stopping me after that. I kept on making new paintings, created my own website and also started collaborating with local restaurants and gift shops to provide public Paint Nights for the community and still do.

Canvas & Brushes LLC provides offsite Paint Parties for all ages. We bring the paint party to your location. The minimum painter requirement is 5 and maximum is 50. Canvas & Brushes LLC also does Henna parties. We travel all over Orlando. We bring easels, canvases, art supplies and aprons. The host has to provide tables and chairs. We are very easy to work with and great when it comes to communication with our clients.

As the business owner of Canvas & Brushes LLC, I want to say that I am so proud of how far it has come. The whole process has been so rewarding in that I have clients who call me for a paint party every year and I am so so thankful for each and every one of them. They are truly a blessing because without them, my company would not exist, Canvas & Brushes LLC turns 3 this year!

I am looking forward to working with different businesses and people in the community. Please feel free to contact us for collaborations.

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 will say that to come up with ideas and create something is not an easy process. It looks easy because we are good at it and we have gone through so many different processes to come up with the final product. So when a non-creative says something like, “I bet it took you like an hour so why are you charging me this or that amount?” It is kind of heart breaking. Just like any other profession, a creative profession requires skill and the ability to execute an idea. So I believe that they should be given mutual respect. Everybody has a purpose and we all contribute something important to the community no matter what it is that we do for a living.

People see the results but not everyone knows how difficult the journey is but to not pursue being creative is also torturous mentally (at least for me) because there will be so many what ifs in the mind.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

The most rewarding aspect is being able to help people unleash their inner artist. Some people have not painted since they were little kids and to see what they end up painting at the end of the class is amazing. People discover that being creative is a part of everyone and I think being able to help people realize that aspect is the most rewarding part.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.canvasbrushes.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/canvasandbrushesllc/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/canvasandbrushes3

Image Credits
Photos taken by Poonam Jethva, the photo of me holding a brush was taken by Alyssa Wessel