We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Shana Rowe Jackson a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

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

Like many artists, creating has been a life-long passion for me. I have always been creatively inclined, and I remember as far back as kindergarten wanting to be an artist. I always excelled at the creative classes in school and had a deep desire to continuously grow my artistic skills. It’s really the only thing I have wanted to be. I never had to question it.

Shana, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I am a fine artist from Maine. My main style is realism, but I also like to do some surrealism and illustration as well. I draw most of my inspiration from the landscapes, plants, and wildlife in my state, but also love to do still life work and the occasional portrait.

My brand is called Caution: Artist at Play. This is because I love to play with different art supplies! I have a YouTube channel where I review supplies and teach people how to use them. I specialize mostly in colored pencil and acrylic, but also love graphite, watercolor, pastel, and oils.

My mission with my brand is to build a community of artists who can relate with one another and share in their love for art. I love to help other artists through my videos, whether I am teaching them a new skill, or reviewing a supply so that they can be more informed when it comes to investing in new materials. I try to create a fun and welcoming environment on my channel and am continuously trying to find new ways to serve my artist community.

Are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?

Honestly, I wish I had known more about YouTube sooner. I was never the kid that grew up on YouTube. I had already been out of high school before YouTube got as big as it has, and I didn’t have a lot of internet access in my late teens and early 20’s. I knew about YouTube and that people had gone viral for their entertainment videos but had no idea that there were so many resources for artists on there. As a young self-taught artist (I didn’t go back to school for art until my late 20’s), I cannot imagine how much faster my art would have grown if I had known at the time, what a great resource YouTube is for creatives.

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

The act of creating is the most rewarding feeling for me. It’s meditative and therapeutic. Just behind that is the act of sharing my art and creativity with others. Especially other artists who understand the ups and downs of being a creative.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.cautionartistatplay.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cautionartistatplay/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CautionArtistatPlay/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/cautionartistatplay
• Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@cautionartistatplay