Today we’d like to introduce you to Jennifer Wade.
Hi Jennifer, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
Growing up, I was always all about hand-making holiday cards for my family. Drawing was fun, and I was pretty good at it – so why not create my own vs buying something mushy and lame. As I got to high school, one of the activities our Beta Club participated in was making Get Well Soon cards and handing those out at the local hospital. I’d say that was really when I realized the impact a personal, handmade card can really make. From then on, everyone was getting a custom ‘Walter Mart’ card! (Walter was the maiden name, I had to rebrand after marrying a Wade)
In college, my custom card making continued, and I saw my drawings starting to mature. While I contemplated shifting to an art-specific major, I decided to stick with the Computer Science route, meaning art would continue as just a side hobby. As I moved into my Software Engineer career, I could not let my love of card creating die, however. I would, and still do, find any opportunity to make a custom creation for a coworker – whether it’s a holiday or birthday card or a random mascot for my teams.
While jwadeDESIGNS still remains a side-hustle, I have spent the last two years trying to take it more seriously and give myself at least a chance in making it something more. I officially created jwadeDESIGNS LLC in 2020 and finally got up the courage to attend various local festivals, like the Smyrna Jonquil Festival. More than anything, I want my art to really make someone feel a warmth and bring that smile to their face from a cuteness overload.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Time is the hardest beast to overcome. Being that I do have a successful career in Software Engineering, giving jwadeDESIGNS the time it deserves and I truly want to give is just plain hard. A few years back, I decided to look into attending art school part-time to revamp and learn some of the basics I never did in college. I don’t believe I lasted a full year, and that was just taking one class each quarter. By the time I was done with my 9-5 and the amount of school work required for school, I was exhausted. That coupled with the cost, and it just didn’t feel worth it.
I would of course love to draw and find opportunities to get my art out there 100% of the time- or heck, even 50%, but after those full days at work, it can be hard to find the energy. Sure, I could make the switch and go into art full-time, but when you have a solid job in technology, that’s not a financially safe decision. It’s a catch-22 of course – until I am confident my art is something worthwhile and could provide a stable source of income, I can’t make the switch. However, I can only get to that point if I have the time to put into those efforts.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I am all about illustrations! I did start out as a custom greeting card creator, and I do still create cards for my family, friends, and coworkers all the time. More recently, however, I really just love drawing more commercialized prints. As you can probably see from my portfolio, animals are my jam. Custom prints of your dogs or cats – I’m all over that.
I am a kid at heart, so anything that reminds me of a cuddly stuffed animal, I’m in. I do excel in the more cartoonized format for my illustrations, though every now and then, I will tackle a more realistic pet portrait.
The iPad and Apple Pencil are my best friends, but I’ve been known to whip those colored pencils out once in a while.
I will say, I’m not always the most confident in my work and do doubt that it is worthy of selling. For the longest time, I simply rolled my eyes when friends and family told me I needed to sell my illustrations, thinking that they had to say that because they were just happy to get a card. I finally submitted some works to a silent auction at work, and when people actually bid on my pieces, that was the moment I realized maybe I wasn’t so bad. It did take me a good three or so years to get up the courage to start selling for real, but I’m proud I got over that initial mental block.
Where we are in life is often partly because of others. Who/what else deserves credit for how your story turned out?
My husband, Ryan. He’s a rockstar who has always encouraged me and my art. He pushed me to do the art school thing and continues to push me to try new styles and take risks in what I’m drawing. He bought me my first tablet years ago to push me into the digital world and is always the first I show any new creations. He is my festival booth buddy and is there to help me setup, sell, and break down. If it weren’t for him, I’d never have gotten serious about jwadeDESIGNS.
I also have to give my family and coworkers credit. While I did roll my eyes at their comments to make something more of my art, that at least planted the seed in my mind that it could be something for which to strive one day. They’ve shared my work with others, talked up the festivals I’m participating in, and really cheered me on and helped my confidence grow throughout the years.
Contact Info:
- Email: jwade@jwadedesigns.com
- Website: https://www.jwadedesigns.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jwadedesigns/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jwadedesigns
Image Credits
Ryan Wade
