Meet Jennifer Jane of DelaneyWorld Art in Peoria

Today we’d like to introduce you to Jennifer Jane.

Jennifer, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I began my adult life planning a career in psychology. When it took me ten years to obtain my Bachelor’s degree, I figured it may not be my destiny! By this time, I was married with a new baby daughter. I was working in the corporate world and wanted to work from home so I could be with my daughter. I worked to provide a variety of business services from news monitoring to transcription until I found myself drawn to more tasks involving employee rights. I returned to school online while working full time from home. I got my Master’s degree in Business Administration and a Master’s degree in Human Resource Management. I continued with my current position working to improve working conditions, policies, and training programs for various companies.

My daughter was diagnosed with Epilepsy at the age of three. This knocked us sideways. Her dad and I had no idea what life would look like for our sweet Lily. After a year or two of trial and error with meds, she thankfully stabilized. I thought my own health problems could be attributed to stress, but I was diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis at the age of 35.

My health declined rapidly as I tried a variety of medications to slow the progress of this degenerative disease. I reached a point when I was no longer willing to risk my future by taking Biologics that kept awakening new “conditions”.

It was during this time that I spent all of my energy trying to normalize life for my daughter through lots of storytelling, playtime and naps. Naps were my favorite! I created a character named Kitty Gogo. He was central to most stories! One day I drew what Kitty Gogo might look like. I had never been able to draw before and was surprised I had finally found him! I called my mom and she immediately left work to see him. It was hysterical! Something in me had been unknowingly awakened.

I had to retire from my work due to my “disability”. My marriage subsequently failed and I was feeling very down. My Lily was in her teens and thriving, and I needed to find my way. I started offering products with my designs on Cafe Press. I made some sales but was not completely satisfied with my creations. I started digitally drawing obsessively. When I say obsessively, I mean all the time, whenever possible! It was my solace from my emotional and physical pain. It was something I could do despite my hand pain. Rather than using my entire hand with conventional drawing, I could use any finger directly on my digital pad. I abandoned my online store and began posting directly to Instagram and Facebook. I was simply trying to improve and share the fun I was having while learning!

I started getting requests for drawings. People actually wanted to pay for something I drew! What?!?! Delaney World Art was officially born!

Has it been a smooth road?
I am not sure the road is smooth for anyone, ever. Our roads all have potholes, cracks, bumps and detours. The placement of them is what differs. I have an incredible support system with my family and friends, but my health has been a big sinkhole in my road! I have many medical diagnoses, including chronic pain, so that is distracting and quite a challenge, to say the least.

To be honest, though, my mental health has been more difficult to face. I suffer from depression and anxiety. I still have great difficulty making peace with who I am versus who I thought I would be at this stage in life. I often feel I have let myself down, even though many of my circumstances were out of my control. I am just starting to learn how to give myself a break! I work every day to reduce my mental pain by trying to balance my life. I am grateful that there is more of an outward dialogue in our society about mental health these days! Now I can try to act okay with millions of others doing the same. I have heard that a disorganized environment is a sign of genius. If you saw my room, you would think I am the smartest person you ever met!

My art absolutely grounds me. It is one of my escape mechanisms while helping me to find myself and entertain others all at the same time. I am truly blessed in life and third only to being a mom, as well as my family and friends, my art brings me great joy every single day! My beautiful and talented daughter turns 21 this year! My horror is mitigated by working on my art, growing my business and drawing piles of animals to my heart’s content.

We’d love to hear more about your art.
I love what I do! Not a day goes by that I am not drawing or painting! I create all of my pieces digitally, so the final product can be printed and sized however my clients choose! I love the digital platform because it allows me to create art that would otherwise be impossible due to my Rheumatoid Arthritis.

Pet portraits are my favorite and most popular works. Our pets are integral and well-loved parts of our families. Many people contact me to ask for portraits of their doggos, cats, birds, hamsters and many more! I was recently commissioned to create a portrait of a beloved doggo who recently passed. My client and her children are struggling with their loss and I hope my piece can really capture her pup’s personality, love and gigantic smile. I put a lot of love into these portraits and strive to give life to them. I want my clients to feel the joy and love they feel for their fur babies when they look at their portraits.

I have also created several digital oil paintings of expecting mothers! It is such a beautiful time in everyone’s life when a baby is on the way. I love to capture the simply beautiful connection between a mother and her child. These pieces have made lovely gifts for the mom or dad-to-be to receive at baby showers or after the baby is born!

I am absolutely thrilled to create any art my clients would like. I love the challenge of drawing new things and working outside of my comfort zone to give my clients art that makes them feel something. I want them to experience happiness, joy, comfort and love when they bring the art into their home.

My digital platform provides my clients with many options for product delivery. I have printed pieces on canvas, prints of various sizes (from 4” x 4” to more than 16’ x 20”), metal prints, mugs and even quilts! I am also happy to provide the digital file, so my clients can use the piece as they please! I once drew a lovely, colorful macaw for my client to make t-shirts for her business. It was great fun!

What role has luck had in your life and business?
Oh wow! I consider any luck that has lead me to this point in my life to be good! I am still here and able to do something I love and have a passion for every day! I became too sick to work several years ago. Many would consider that bad luck.

While it is a bummer that I do not feel well most of the time, this lead me to pick up an IPad and experimenting with a drawing app! It was incredible to find I could create art that I love and clients love after the age of 35. This may not have happened without being ill. I just cannot say my life has had bad luck when I am fortunate enough to be alive, have wonderful family and friends, work with incredible clients and spend every day doing what makes me happy!

We all have lives that have incredible highs and heart-breaking lows. It is important to me to simply enjoy each moment every day. I try not to take anything or anyone for granted. We never know how long we will be on Earth. What I hope is that everyone can find happiness in their lives. I laugh every single day and I hope the gratitude I hold so close to my heart shines through my art! If I can help someone smile, laugh or just feel happy by looking at my art, I am grateful!

Contact Info:

• Email: delaneyworld@gmail.com
• Instagram: @delaneyworldart
• Facebook: DelaneyWorld Art

Image Credit:
@delaneyworldart

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