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

Hi Jamie, any advice for those thinking about whether to keep going or to give up?
There’s been a few times when I’ve wanted to give up. A recent example is when covid hit back in March 2020 and businesses were ordered to shut down. All I wanted to do was work a “regular” job, so I wouldn’t have to ride the up and down waves of having my own business anymore. I wanted a steady income. So I went to work for Amazon in a warehouse lifting heavy boxes and equipment because it was the fastest opportunity to get back into the workforce. I was injured on the job after the first month, and then injured a second time, just a few weeks later. It was obvious that the universe was telling me that job was not for me. I got another job doing door to door sales, again because it was fast and easy. After a few months there, I found out I was pregnant, so I weighed out the good and bad. I decided going back to making art full time was my best option. These are the questions you should be asking yourself when it comes to deciding whether to give up on your art or business, or keep going… 1. What is the universe is telling you? 2. How are you feeling about the work you’re doing? 3. Are the experiences in your life unfolding how you want them to? 4. Do you have enough income to support yourself and your family’s basic needs? You can always have a regular job to make income, and do your art or business on the side. There are a lot of options in how to make it work when it comes to following your passions and making a living at the same time. Just remember, there is no black and white, and there is a lot of gray area with space to decide what you really would like to do.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I reinvent upcycled clothes, by dyeing them using a method I like to call “bleach art.” I’m most proud that I can take apparel that people don’t want anymore, and instead of being thrown away, I can revive them with original art. The art I make on them is all hand drawn, and no 2 items are the same. I feel like I’m doing my part to keep clothes out of the landfill while following my true passion which is drawing and painting. I got where I am today through many failures, successes, personal transformations, economic changes, and everything in between. Most of all I followed my inspiration, but didn’t come without heartache and challenges along the way. My art and businesses have morphed many times. The common thread is that I was always being an “Artist,” doing my best to extend my personal creativity, while being open to creating what people what to see. Art and business is truly the merging of left and right brain.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
We would start out hiking at Topanga State Park at sunrise to the parker Mesa overlook for a view of the Coast (hopefully during whale gray whale migration season!). Then head on over to Long Beach with our rollerskates to ride the bike path and order brunch takeout from Wild Chive. Then hit the thrift stores on Fourth Street, followed by dinner from Seabirds. Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
First off I’d like to give a shoutout to my family, because they have been supporting me in my art since day one. As a kid, they always encouraged me, and that’s what led to developing my confidence from a young age. That kind of encouragement will last a lifetime and fuse with your personality and fill in other aspects of your life in a positive way as well. I also owe a lot of my success to spirituality in general- the books, sound baths, videos, teachers, workshops and ceremonies I’ve attended really helped me navigate through the hard times in my life. I am super grateful for those tools. Some of the teachers, authors, books and philosophers are… -Deepak Chopra -Don Miguel Ruiz -Alan Watts -Esther Hicks -Louise Hay -“Oneness” by Rasha (book)

Website: bleachartbyjamie.etsy.com discoeyesglitter.etsy.com journeyintojamie.etsy.com paintonyourface.com
Instagram: instagram.com/jamiejanettart
Facebook: facebook.com/jamiejanettart
Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/paint-on-your-face-los-angeles-4

Image Credits
@snapsbysammi/Sammi Trauben 2020

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutLA is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.