Meet Jennifer Schiano | Artist & Clinical Photographer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Jennifer Schiano and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Jennifer, let’s start by talking about what inspires you?
Mother nature and all her wonderful creatures are truly my biggest inspiration. The light, colors, intricate patterns, and organic forms, all speak to me.

My favorite time to spend outside is around golden hour. It’s refreshing and magical to watch the sunlight change and dance across the landscape! I generally come away with a sense of peace and a few new ideas to play with, or photos for future art reference. I love to watch the birds and other animals who’ve taken up residence in our yard. Over the last few years, I’ve enjoyed learning about the symbolism and deeper spiritual meaning behind the animals who cross my path each day. It’s like looking at the world through a whole new lens since starting to do this research.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.

Art in some form has always been a part of my life. Ever since childhood I’ve been drawn to the act of making and loved to create gifts for others. Seems I’ve always known deep inside, that an artistic career was my destiny.

Growing up the idea of becoming an artist wasn’t exactly encouraged. My family was supportive of my skills and passions but wanted to protect me from becoming a “starving artist”. Stubborn and determined, I got to thinking about what could be a stable creative career option doing something I enjoyed. I landed on becoming a photographer.

As a teen I fell in love with film photography and received my B.F.A in Photography from SUNY Purchase. I entered the job market during a time when there was a large push into freelancing. Staff photographer jobs were becoming few and far between. I worked my way through different aspects of the photography industry and ended up with a career as a Clinical Photographer. Despite my success in the field, it wasn’t exactly satisfying or what I imagined I’d be doing with my creativity when I started on this path. But it led me to realize what dreams I had for my own business.

I felt lost in my mid 20’s. I was at a really low point in my life, stuck in a verbally/mentally abusive relationship and toxic work environment. Only finding refuge in drawing and painting during moments of solitude. Any time I sat down to create, all the stresses and problems in my life melted away. My creativity saved me, it pulled me out of the fog. I could feel the call within, begging me to start down a different creative path but I wasn’t sure how to make art into something more than a hobby for myself. I lacked confidence and clarity.

In 2016 a family member asked if I could draw a portrait of their 3 elderly dogs as a keepsake before they passed and that’s when something finally just clicked for me. I loved the whole process! It filled me up to see how much the piece meant to them. And so my pet portrait journey began to unfold and grow into a blossoming creative small business.

It took time for me to build confidence and heal after leaving the traumatic relationship I endured for a handful of years but my artwork grew and changed along with me. I moved away from graphite and colored pencil portraits into painting. It felt like a scary move yet I knew it was the right direction. I am a self-taught painter and a perfectionist, so I had big imposter syndrome around what I was starting to do. Regardless of my fears, I kept at it, working to improve my skills. I started to get portrait business through friends, word of mouth and then began marketing myself online via Instagram.

In the years following, more portrait orders started to flow and I kept listening to that voice inside. It was encouraging me to try new and different things. I expanded my creative offerings and began making more nature-inspired art. It led me to become a vendor at fairs and markets (something I had completely feared when starting out). At the end of 2020, I participated in my very first market. It was outside in the backyard of a local metaphysical and crystal shop. It was so reaffirming to see others find joy and gifts for loved ones in the art pieces and handmade items I was selling. After the market, I was blessed with the opprotunity to sell my work in the shop!

In 2021 while still working my day job, I became a vendor at a bi-weekly night market called Lunar Faire, which occurs on the new and full moons. I let my imagination and creativity flow, selling stickers, mugs, hand-decorated items, and mini wood slice paintings of birds, crystals, frogs and bugs. The community and experiences that have come from being a part of this weird and witchy night have shown me how much support is out there for artists and makers. It is truly magical to witness how these small businesses and my own have grown as a result.

I continue to be a vendor at Lunar Faire and various markets in New Jersey while working my day job as a Clinical Photographer. My favorite thing to create is still unique pet portraits on wood.

The most important takeaway I’ve had from my creative journey thus far is to listen to my intuition. It hasn’t led me astray, only back home to myself. The path hasn’t been the easiest to get here but I am better for it.

Don’t ever count yourself out or think that it’s too late to start following your passions.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
To my family, thank you for always supporting me and my dreams even when they might’ve seemed a little scary.

A couple of books that have given me the perspective and courage along my path: “The Artist’s Journey” by Steven Pressfield and “Find Your Artistic Voice” By Lisa Congdon

And thank you to Andy J. Pizza for his wonderful podcast “Creative Pep Talk” – it’s filled me with so much encouragement, helpful tips, and reflections on art/creativity during the long commutes to my 9-5.

Website: www.jenniferschiano.com

Instagram: @jenniferschiano

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jenniferschianostudio/

Other: https://www.pinterest.com/jenschianostudio