We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Spring Break Jake. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Jake below.

Jake, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Do you think your parents have had a meaningful impact on you and your journey?

It was clear from the beginning that they just wanted me to be me. When I took an interest in art, specifically drawing, they made sure I knew I could pursue it in whatever capacity felt right. When I was young, it was taking art classes in the summer. As I got older, it was letting me paint my first mural on my bedroom wall. No matter what direction my life went, the feeling that all they wanted for me was to pursue what brought me joy & fulfillment was like a safety net that made it ok to take risks when finding my way. It’s something I’ll always be grateful for.

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 self-taught painter & mixed media artist born & raised in Minneapolis, MN, currently based in Bend, OR. I try to use the inevitability of death as motivation to explore the inner oceans of mental health with my work focusing on creating physical representations of our often tumultuous yet hidden minds. The underlying narrative throughout my work is encouraging the viewer to practice radical vulnerability in recognition that even though no one gets out of this life alive, through collective compassion we can all find paradise along the way.

How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?

I’m very fortunate that the story that comes to mind is when I pivoted to painting out of pure passion. I had grown up drawing & painting as a kid, but when I took a Photoshop class in high school, my creative outlet turned towards graphic design. After working in that field for a few years, it led me into freelance illustration work. That in turn led me to landing a few mural projects, but the big pivot happened when I became the first of two Artists-in-Residence with the local Bend, OR gallery Scalehouse. Getting my first real taste of having a dedicated studio space and total creative freedom to paint whatever I could come up with fully broke my brain (in a good way). After the residency, I knew without a shadow of a doubt I had ever experienced that I had to pursue a career as a full time artist.

What can society do to ensure an environment that’s helpful to artists and creatives?

Completely ditch the starving artist stereotype. Not only does it subconsciously affect artist’s self-worth, but it perpetuates the feeling that people shouldn’t have to pay for art, or at least shouldn’t have to pay what it’s really worth.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://springbreakjake.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/springbreak.jake
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/springbreakjakeart
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jacob-kenobi/

Image Credits

Personal photo by Brooklyn Wagner