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

Hi Janna, what’s one piece of conventional advice that you disagree with?
“fake it till you make it” – I disagree heavily with this; don’t fake anything. Be true to yourself completely. We all have to start from some sort of “ground” so don’t belittle yourself in the process. Secure your foundation first. View everything as a learning experience, and go after that goal / craft / trade you feel as though is “out of your league”.

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.
I’m a textile artist , who turns yarn into soft art (*rugs*) although it’s much more than a “rug”. I like to explain the tufting to people as a combination of a sewing machine & tattoo gun. instead of ink into skin, its yarn into canvas. lots & lots of yarn, actually.

In March 2020, right when the world ‘shut down’, I ordered tufting supplies, with no idea how to use the machines / materials.
When all my supplies arrived, I forced myself to learn how to use everything.. Most people start off with a simple design, but I decided ” all or nothing ” and went with a complex artwork I created and decided that if I could do THAT right out the gate, then I could tuft anything. And so it began , my new – found passion for textile art had begun.

Being 100% self taught means I was heavily reliant upon social media and YouTube to learn my craft & my skills have only developed further with the challenging custom commission requests my clients ask for.

What sets me apart from others in my field of art, is my specialty of creating hyper-detailed portraits .

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I used to go out. ALOT, but then I became a mom & hardly make it outside. unless its for diapers LOL.

My favorite must see spots in la –
Huntington Gardens/Library/Museum
Griffith Observatory
Venice Canals
MULHOLLAND DRIVE
Malibu – pch coast

Drive down sunset from Chinatown to the beach. You’ll get a real cross section of the most popular/famous places. Time it so you can ride the Ferris wheel at the pier at sunset, or at least getting to the McClure Tunnel at sunset. (Check your local almanac for timing.) And then you can just enjoy time at the pier and the rides and games of chance.
If you’re in la on a Sunday, check out Smorgasburg. Tons of food vendors and a lot to try out

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I want to shout out my partner Tim for telling me my new tufting craft “was just going to be a hobby” which drove me to growing my “little hobby” into a business. Now nearly 4 years later, i am still making 1 of 1 custom pieces and my clientele has expanded to celebrities like Offset & RUSS, to the everyday household.

Website: https://jimtanna.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iamthealphabet/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@iamthealphabet

Image Credits
janna savatgy

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