Meet Jenny Highsmith | Fine Artist & Author

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

Hi Jenny, what habits do you feel play an important role in your life?

1. Choosing Gratitude and Contentment
I think one of the most important habits that has helped me navigate my business is the practice of choosing gratitude. It is a habit that seems to go against everything, every instinct, within ourselves and spoken around us. But choosing to see beauty in the hard parts of life is something you have to mindfully practice doing.

This is true in both my personal life as well as my business. I have to find contentment with what is in front of me instead of what I lack, I have to focus on the path in front of me instead of wishing I had someone else’s path, and I can not move forward with joy if I am stuck in the mud of my worry or discontentment. This habit of choosing each day to see the beauty in the mundane processes of my business and to choose gratitude for what I have been given instead of what I lack has been life-giving to me.

My desire is to wake up each morning and, with open hands, give my business back to God. Asking Him, “Lord, what would you have me do today?”

2. Replenishing Your Creativity
Starting a business can be daunting and, at times, all-consuming. But starting a business that depends on your creativity to survive can feel like a part of you is being drained away if you aren’t careful. When you hit that creative-block and feel like you’re never going to create anything of worth ever again (and you will feel like that at some point), you must remember that you will come through this. You need to rest, to heal, and to allow your mind to revive itself. Sometimes that goes against what we feel we “should” or “have” to do. We feel like we “should” push through it, create more, or push toward that deadline. But continuing to move forward when you are running on empty will quickly lead to burnout.

Creativity is only of value if it takes something out of you, something you must replenish. It can be easy to forget that your most valuable asset is your refreshed and inspired mind. Reserving time – even just a few hours – to restore and replenish your inspiration will make you unstoppable.

3. You Don’t Have to Do It All
It’s easy to see other businesses on social media doing all the things and think that you should be doing all those things as well. I’m an activator – the type of person who decides to paint a room in the house and wants to do it that same day. I love starting new projects. So sometimes, when a fun merchandise idea comes to mind, it is difficult for me not to say yes and get started immediately. One thing I’ve found that has served me well is asking whether that new product or service aligns with my core values and the purpose of my business. Then, if the answer is yes, I explore cost, pricing, and how much time and energy it would take from me to see if it would be worth it before jumping in head first.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
What started out as a simple project to decorate the walls of my small newlywed apartment led to a life-changing realization that I could combine my love of creating art and my passion for helping others know their God-given value and worth. Soon after, I opened a small online shop selling original artwork and prints that has grown and evolved into a career and a calling.

I believe what sets me apart is my desire to communicate the hope we have in God through expansive, soothing landscapes and hand lettered artwork. I want my viewer to see my artwork and be reminded of God’s mercy and love for them and I try to communicate that in everything I create. I’m known mostly for my colorful skies – my clouds, sunrises, and sunsets.

In high school, I was convinced I wanted to be a full time artist, but what you see today has taken years to evolve. My shop started as a side-business just selling hand lettered prints. I’ve always been an artist, but when I started painting landscapes, I felt a lot of imposter syndrome because I don’t have a fine art degree. But, I quickly realized that people cared more about the message and passion behind what I was creating than the actual product or qualifications I felt I needed. As long as I kept communicating what I felt passionate about in the way I felt only I could create it, I found my artistic confidence. Of course I’ve taken loads of classes and firmly believe you should continually fine tune your skills, but I found that I am way harder on myself than I need to be. It is a journey, not a destination, and I’m thankful my audience believes in my message and wants to join me on that journey.

If I wanted the world to know one thing about my story, I would want them to know that my paintings and artwork are a response to my awe of God and His creation. He is an awesome God and worthy of our praise. He reminds us of His mercy in each sunrise and sunset – every morning you have a chance to start new again. This kind of mercy is worth shouting for joy!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
There are more people deserving of mention than I could include in this space. I have been truly blessed by mentors, family, friends, and other creatives and artists that have all played a role in helping me navigate my business. But I think in this Shoutout, I would like to recognize Heather Green at Harvest House Publishers for giving me a chance and for allowing me the opportunity to create something together that I had only dreamed of doing. Through her kindness and her belief in my abilities, we have created two books together: Hand Lettering God’s Word (https://www.jennyhighsmith.com/hand-lettering-gods-word) and Every Day New (https://www.jennyhighsmith.com/every-day-new).

Website: https://www.jennyhighsmith.com

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