Meet Jenna Michele | Ceramic Artist

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

Hi Jenna, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?

I was working at a job that was hands down the most unprofessional environment I had ever been in. It was one of those places that did not have an HR department and everyone hung out with eachother on the weekend. So me, coming in not trying to do anything but my job did not work. They were such a closed knit group that they all stuck up for each other instead of taking responsibility for their actions. They would have open conversations about everything you’re not supposed to talk about at work that was SUPER offensive;  anti gay comments, politics and when I would tell my direct supervisor it made me uncomfortable they would gossip about me being a snitch instead of fixing the situation which made it very hostile environment me. I very quickly became the pariah of the office.

I was thinking about suing the company for how negligent they were with the scrutiny and bullying I received but I had just watched my grandfather die and was too depressed to care about anything. Then one day I was called into the office and was told that my depression was disrupting the office vibe and that if I wanted to quit they would give me unemployment to help me get my mind together. (Crazy blessing)

One day I came in and the topic of conversation was how Jojo Siwa should’ve stayed in the closet because now she is going to lose fans because parent don’t want a gay influence on their child…. I got up walked into the office and quit. I could NOT deal with that type of hatred anymore.

After quitting, I really had a lot of time to process what it was I wanted out of life. I had always had this dream of being a fulltime artist but how can I achieve this. Even though that job was … awful I learned a great deal about the backend of business and wholesale. Yes I can paint and do photography but what type of art can I do that is tangible enough to not just be hung on a wall. I then decided to take a class for sculpting which I had dabbled in a bit before. Unfortunately, due to covid they did not have that class available so I took intro to ceramics thinking it was kind’ve the same . . . It’s definitely not lol. However, after I started there was something so incredibly therapeutic about the wheel spinning and my hands creating this object that can be used everyday and is still allows me to be create! My thought process QUICKLY became, “ooooh I think I can do this full time.” So that’s what I did!

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 was working at a job that was hands down the most unprofessional environment I had ever been in. It was one of those places that did not have an HR department and everyone hung out with eachother on the weekend. So me, coming in not trying to do anything but my job did not work. They were such a closed knit group that they all stuck up for each other instead of taking responsibility for their actions. They would have open conversations about everything you’re not supposed to talk about at work that was SUPER offensive;  anti gay comments, politics and when I would tell my direct supervisor it made me uncomfortable they would gossip about me being a snitch instead of fixing the situation which made it very hostile environment me. I very quickly became the pariah of the office.

I was thinking about suing the company for how negligent they were with the scrutiny and bullying I received but I had just watched my grandfather die and was too depressed to care about anything. Then one day I was called into the office and was told that my depression was disrupting the office vibe and that if I wanted to quit they would give me unemployment to help me get my mind together. (Crazy blessing)

One day I came in and the topic of conversation was how Jojo Siwa should’ve stayed in the closet because now she is going to lose fans because parent don’t want a gay influence on their child…. I got up walked into the office and quit. I could NOT deal with that type of hatred anymore.

After quitting, I really had a lot of time to process what it was I wanted out of life. I had always had this dream of being a fulltime artist but how can I achieve this. Even though that job was … awful I learned a great deal about the backend of business and wholesale. Yes I can paint and do photography but what type of art can I do that is tangible enough to not just be hung on a wall. I then decided to take a class for sculpting which I had dabbled in a bit before. Unfortunately, due to covid they did not have that class available so I took intro to ceramics thinking it was kind’ve the same . . . It’s definitely not lol. However, after I started there was something so incredibly therapeutic about the wheel spinning and my hands creating this object that can be used everyday and is still allows me to be create! My thought process QUICKLY became, “ooooh I think I can do this full time.” So that’s what I did!

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?

For food, I am a basic burger girl so I will always recommend Red Robin. I love red robin! But if we are feeling fancy I would say The Kettle Bar at the Anaheim Packing District is always one of my favorite places to go. Blue burro if we are feeling California Mexican food. The beach of course and I would try to finesse Universal Studios.

I think ceramics is the best time ever, so if they were open to it I’d recommend going to a pottery studio and playing with clay! It is so grounding and fun! As a kid and a female you are kindve taught not to get dirty right, so ceramics is a get out of jail free card to play with dirt, it’s great!

I honestly don’t do too much besides ceramics, pop ups and make time for my fur babies. When you have your own business you have to make your own money and you don’t really get to take a week off for fun like this.

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?
I feel like this had always been my grandparents. They have always been very supportive of me being an artist. Although, the chosen media at 4 was coloring then painting, I think they just knew the artist life was my vibe.

Website: Www.photojenicart.co

Instagram: https://instagram.com/photojenicart?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=