From Corporate Life to Creative Freedom: The Confidence to Reinvent Your Career with Jess Kelly

Lucy Gernon (00:00)

Welcome back to the Lucy Gernon show. I am delighted today to be joined by the fantastic Jess Kelly, who is a luxury fine artist. She specializes in the most amazing handcrafted metallic prints, and she did not always have a career in this way. She started off in corporate world in marketing space and pivoted her career during the pandemic to

 

basically become one of Ireland’s most renowned sought out after artists. She has many, many celebrity clients, including Una Healy and Amy Huberman. And we were just talking off air that she is shipping pieces all over the world. So she’s here today to share her story with you of her journey from corporate to becoming an amazing world renowned artist. And yeah, Jess, welcome to the show. Thank you so much.

 

I know we’ve known each other for how long? know. Yeah. We’ve been back and forth so much and we’re like right now we have to meet. Like yeah. Like I think we met years and years ago. We were both kind of, I had just started my business and you were thinking about leaving. So yeah, let’s, let’s go back there. So tell us a little bit about your, your journey and who you are and what you do. ⁓ my God. Where does my journey even start? I suppose like I’ve always been a creative at heart. I’ve always been into art. in school. I’ve been

 

you know, constantly with art in when I was living in Chile for the last two years of my school, I did my international baccalaureate over there and the way they taught art over there was completely different than Ireland. So it’s all about self exploration, figuring out your styles, like, you know, really kind of get it into the depth of being an artist. And I think that’s kind of where my story began because it was just learning who I was and what kind of style like, but I never thought I was going to become an artist. It was just kind of more like I was studying. I didn’t think I’d actually end up being a full time artist.

 

So when I came back, I went into fashion design. had my eldest son who’s now 19. And from there, kind of, I’ve had kind of a of a squiggly career. I had an online website, specializing in all kinds of fashion dresses at a time before fashion became a thing. And then I hung up those boots and I went into marketing and that’s where my corporate career essentially began then.

 

Wow. So you always had this passion for art and then you ended up in corporate in a completely different industry. Right. Yeah. How did that happen? Do know, I I loved marketing. I loved marketing when I had the business, the online business. I absolutely loved the marketing aspect of that. And it was still creative. It still allowed me to be a creative space. Art was always kind of like I was always exploring on the side. I was constantly doing some level of art at home, not nothing like total hobby.

 

And so when I went into marketing, I felt like that was my career. I was like, this is it now. This is going to be me until I retire. I’m not going to do anything else. And I joined Turalon, which is previously Columbia, about eight years ago. And I loved it there. I still love it there. If I was an artist, I’d still work there. And that is not I’m not getting paid to say that. I actually really, really like it there. But it was yeah, I went into marketing. I moved up the ladders, so to speak. I

 

became marketing manager, retail marketing manager, had various different roles there. But it wasn’t until COVID that I really felt that, you know, everyone was at home shut down. And it was just around the time where I felt like I needed to explore my artistic side again. I needed to be in a space where I felt like I could be creative again on my own without having deadlines, back to back meetings, you know, yourself from the corporate world, what that’s like.

 

And I really started to find my style and my technique, which is very much so heavily in textures and the golden style. And I think it was my stars aligned because I felt that because everyone was at home during Covid, there was total focus on home and the garden. Nobody was going anywhere. Nobody was going to Hollis. So everyone was on social media. And that’s where I was born. was born essentially on Instagram.

 

And you were a covid baby. I was a total covid baby. Yeah. My my my business was total covid baby. So I was very lucky in that sense that I could build from there and people were just I was posting like people pieces were selling straight away. And like I’m curious to understand that part because it’s so hard for a lot of people when they start the business to grow on Instagram and actually get a clientele straight away. Like how did you feel? I know you had marketing background anyway, which obviously helped. But how did you like did you have any

 

reservations about putting yourself out online or? that’s a big part of my story. probably jumped over. And I like I was posting on my own Facebook just pure like, oh, I made this piece of very near like show and tell. I made this art during the weekend. Telling your family and friends. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I am actually doing something here besides work. But and it was someone are you selling that? And I was like, am I selling it? How much am going to sell that for? Like it was really like, yeah, I’m selling it. I didn’t even realize I was selling. I was like, yeah, I’m selling. And I just kind of jumped in.

 

head first, like I didn’t even think too much about it, but I didn’t, I hadn’t put myself on Instagram and that was a big hurdle for me and probably one of the biggest turning points for me because for me, wasn’t just setting up an Instagram account. was I’m putting myself out there now and with biggest imposter syndrome, calling myself an artist without having anything to really back myself, you know, only for me being

 

So it was around Christmas and I literally just thought.

 

Fuck it. Just do it. Just show yourself on it. Am I loud, Kirst? Sorry. I literally said, just go on and put yourself out there. You don’t even have to add it. Don’t tell anyone. I didn’t want to tell anyone I knew. I was nearly like, put myself out there to people that didn’t know me. So it was definitely, yeah, it was a very daunting thing to have to do there and like label myself as an artist when I deep down hadn’t felt that I achieved.

 

That’s so funny that you say that, because I mean, I totally resonate with that. Every woman who sat on this couch at me so far has literally pretty much said the same thing that it’s this imposter syndrome at the very start. And it’s funny, isn’t it? Like it’s you said that you’d rather put yourself out there to people who you don’t know. And I think we’re all the same. Like I remember like literally removing family members and hiding my story. Yeah. What is it about that? Like, is it? What is it? Do you think? I think, look, I think for me anyway, there is an element of like

 

caring what people think. And it’s a bit of like, just need you have to just say, fuck it. Like, just forget about it. It’s none of our business what people think of us anyway. So I think it was a bit of like, I don’t want to say the word embarrassment because it wasn’t. I was totally proud of what I was doing, but it was more I, yeah, there was just, I think it was just pure self-doubt that really creeped in. I didn’t back myself enough. I didn’t feel like I went through the route of like, right. I went and did fine art in college for four and a half years. Now my next step is like, people didn’t know me as an artist. knew me as a marketeer.

 

you know, mam or whatever. So for me to throw myself out there and call myself an artist, nearly can see I was thinking too much of I was wrapped up and thinking people are going to say like, who does she think she is like on her self and artists and that, but like really if I didn’t do that then I definitely wouldn’t be where I am today with art. I literally have to just delete all. Yeah. And I think it’s part of the process, right? It’s part of the journey. I don’t think I’ve ever met anyone.

 

who has put themselves out there online and has loved it from day one. how can you like it’s new? It’s like it’s like totally the unknown. So go back to then. So you’re on Facebook. You start posting all these things. Your people are starting to ask you to buy. You start your Instagram account. What happens then? A lot of work. I was like, I put it up and I was like, is now what? I did the first thing, which was like the biggest hurdle for me. But then it was building. It was like, have five followers.

 

Now I have 10 followers. I know and you’re so grateful. Yeah, and I didn’t want to share it on my Facebook. I didn’t want to share it in work and I didn’t want to tell anyone like of my within within my like obviously my media knew, but I didn’t want to like explore that out further. So I was like really relying on the unknown people to like and I was just constantly outreach and I was constantly following people out, reaching outreach and I am an artist. You know, it’s just it was a lot of work. It was a lot of.

 

consistency, like there was days where I was like, don’t know if do this. was like, you know, if I just put one tiny little piece towards my art every single day, it would eventually build.

 

And yeah, there was a lot of late nights working out weekends. And I don’t want to call it working because for me, it still isn’t. It feels like a hobby. It’s a safe, like haven for me to go and almost like a form of therapy. Meditated of like, I’m not on my phone. I’m not looking at TV.

 

don’t have kids kind of, you know, I’m literally just in my own studio and I’m just me and my canvas and my thoughts and whatever. So it’s just lovely. And I think that’s what got me through all those evenings and weekends when I’m trying to work my full time career.

 

You have four kids and I can’t believe you have four kids. So like, let’s go there. If anyone’s watching this on YouTube, Jess looks about 20 and you have like, no, you actually do. Like literally four children. how do you fit in work, art, all of that? think it was absolutely when I was working full time doing the art, having the kids, it was bananas. It was just.

 

I was just constantly on the treadmill. I like, I need to run from one to the next. My brain had zero capacity because I obviously, the kids had their after school activities or weekends. Like that takes up as much as their school time. And then obviously I had work and the stresses that came with corporate work as

 

then it was just, it was mental. There was no, I have no advice for anyone. It’s a bit of a blur. Until I went down just around 2024, I dropped back to four days and that’s when I kind of started feeling, okay, I’ve got a little bit of balance now.

 

I’ve got the Friday now that I can focus on getting on top of the stuff with the kids or the house or, you know, art. And it just gave me a bit more wiggle room that I wasn’t doing five days in work. Yeah. my God. I was getting nuts. Wow. And going back to I’m thinking about something you said earlier as well about when you started out on on Instagram, like you were just like trying to put yourself out there. You were DMing people and you’re like, Hi, I’m an artist. All of that.

 

That must have been daunting for you. Oh, totally daunting. But like I was hiding behind a screen. So I was like, I’m not actually picking up the phone here. I was thinking, I remember when I started as well, I did the same. I remember like I had a clue. Like you don’t have a clue how to like get clients or And there’s no chat GBT either. No, exactly. I remember DMing like anyone who was like even remotely who I thought might have been my ideal friend. Hi, do want to coach? Literally like, hi, do you want to coach?

 

That’s I was told to do like, it’s just so funny. So apologies to anyone listening to anybody here. So you’re on social media. started this. So what was the moment that your first kind of, I know you’ve had quite a few high profile clients. Do you remember like your first one? Can you share? What was that like? Did it matter? Oh, that’s a tough

 

I’m trying to think. I think it was Rosie Connolly as in, Ireland, was Rosie’s quite

 

I mean, she’s got a high profile in her own right. She’s for dark. It was probably pretty for dark at the time, but she was a fairly big influencer.

 

it’s amazing when someone endorses you with such a following. You’re just like, you know, it does actually be like, ⁓ well, she likes it. I’m like, you know, the power of influencers as well. I think it would have been I think it was Rosie, actually the first one that about a piece that had somewhat of a following. then.

 

After that, what did that do for your business? Yeah, no, it did. Like it had an impact. It definitely had an impact. But at the same time, you know, there’s still a lot of work in the background. There’s still a lot of like braw to go with

 

And internationally, it wasn’t until the Real Housewives of Dallas.

 

Tiffany Moon had reached out. So she started following me. was like, Oh my God. how did she just found me on Instagram? there’s a lot of Americans actually following me at the time.

 

And do know the way algorithm works on Instagram? Obviously there was like whatever way I ended up landing on her page. Probably, you know, she started following me. was like, and I didn’t, never watched the real house of Dallas. I watched the Berry Hills one, but I never watched Dallas one. So I was like, who’s that? And I went in, I was like, Oh my God. It’s like whatever. She’s a real housewife.

 

And I followed her back and then she messaged me to say like, you know, love your bow and then she was kind of back and forth. I she did speak space and big wall and so lovely. Send me pictures of it. We kind of worked up a sila she wanted. She wanted Navy. She wanted pings. She showed me couches and everything else. Her house was phenomenal. And Tiffany was huge. She was a she really kind of, you know, got the attention of a lot of people over in the states and over in.

 

Ireland then as well. was probably my biggest. And then from her actually was another real house then Aaron from the New York season. And she got two pieces from me. it’s yeah. Wow. So like where’s your majority of your client base customer base now? still a lot in Ireland. the UK And the States like America would be a very big client Portugal as well.

 

Yeah, yeah. Like this is crazy. And we’re just talking, you know, we’re here in a studio in in our home county in Carle and you’re like, you know, from a small town in out the road with your kids. And it just kind of shows that it really doesn’t matter, you know, where you come from or like whether you have your fine art qualification or whether you have that degree that you think you should have to do the thing you want. It really doesn’t matter because you’re creating an impact in other people’s lives and you’re making their homes like, yeah, you know, just feel amazing with your work. So

 

Have you ever had any negativity online? None. I had one and I have my reservation. think it’s another artist. International now, but I did have one or I had a series of emails that came in through and it was a UK number. They were putting in a seven seven number and I was like, well, it’s obviously and I just the language I kind of had a feel. don’t know. It was just that’s probably the only negativity. It was really kind of like dismissing my art like really negatively like saying like, oh, you think you’re.

 

piece of work. And anyway, so it was just, I, but it was just, there was so there was a few things that I was like, waggit to Christy here trying to figure out, like post some stories and seeing like who was looking at my stories. And it was just after sort of like, have a feeling who it is. But other than that, I’ve had zero negativity. I’ve had nothing but like support from people online, like from like on, like I said, I was born on Instagram and it’s just lovely. Like there’s people who’ve been following me from day one.

 

And when I launched and they’re now, they’re like, I’m buying when I buy my house, I’m to have art

 

But yeah, no, zero. I’ve been very lucky to have. Sure. You’re just you’re you’re phenomenal. Like every time I see you, like what new piece like I’m like, like when you’re doing your big reveal, like Jess is phenomenal. Guys will link her in the show notes for the podcast. Anyways, you can go check out her art. So let’s go back to the moment that you decided to make the leap. Right. So we had got to you were.

 

you know, juggling it all with the four kids. You were doing this art as your side hustle slash hobby that you wanted to move. You went to your four day week.

 

What was the moment that you made the leap from goodbye security of the Golden handcuffs and hello, self-employment? Yeah, it was it was no real like specific defining moment. I had gone from four days and that was working well. And then I had gotten pregnant on my fourth.

 

So Mila is now two and a half years. And when I was pregnant, I did play around with, I going back? Am I not going back? Is this the time I don’t go back? Is this the time that I take to leave? But I just felt like deep down, was like, I’m not ready to, I wasn’t finished. I was like, I think I need to go back to know to leave. If you know what I mean? Like I nearly need to go back to go, right, okay, no, the decision is to leave.

 

So I went back and I was offered a new role, which was perfect. Cause I knew I’d like to back my hand on it. It was lovely. It was really enjoyed the role, but I’d asked, could I do it in three days?

 

could I do that was kind of like, look, if I’m coming back, I really want to do it in three days. And I think to kind of had there was definitely a bit of a question mark. she going to come back? Because at that stage, everyone in work knew I was doing art on the site, whereas I had hidden it for so long. And then they’re like, it started to kind of word got out that I was doing

 

So I went back on three days and that was good. It was kind of finding my balance of art two days and then work with three days. It was starting to get to get too big for me to try and manage both.

 

And there was a restructuring happening and structuring happening in the company at the time as well. And I felt like this is probably my moment to clock out. You know, this is my I think this if I don’t do it now, I’m never going to do it. So I made a decision. I was like, look, I’m I think I need to do this now if I don’t. I was literally standing on the proverbial ledge. And if I just needed to take that little step, I had gotten so far to get there and I just needed to take the leap. And I knew if I didn’t do it at that stage, I would be holding myself back. What is your

 

What would your husband say? was he was totally like? Like he had my back from day one. Like even before, when I was like this, like I’d love to be an artist full time. Like when I was literally just playing with like, you know, palettes and, you know, paint and everything, I was like, I’d love to do this full time. And was like, yeah, you should. Like even when I had myself down, he always had my back. when I always talked about wanting to do this at a full time, like as a full time artist, like he was like, no, he like he was like literally pushed me. He pushed me all the way. Like if I didn’t have him, I probably wouldn’t be.

 

where I am like he is the backbone of Jess Kelly art. that’s lovely. I think sometimes, yeah, like the men get a bad rap sometimes. But my God, every woman that sat here said the same. was the same without my husband. There’s no way I would have made the leap. Like just having that support there for you. It’s so important. So how does that how does that filter through then? Because like, let’s talk about obviously we’ve talked about the art. We’ve talked about, know, you’ve made the leap and

 

Then let’s talk with the business side, right, because doing the art is one thing or for me, it’s obviously in the coach and the training and all of that. But that’s only like a small part of what you do when in a business. Yeah, very small part. And when I had finished up corporate and I left and I was like, right now, this is January, I finished the end in November. So I came into December. I was going to take that time, obviously be working on commissions and come into January. I would this would be the start of my new life. I didn’t realize.

 

I had really tried to do a nine to five. I wanted to do Monday, Friday, nine to five in the studio. And I was like, I don’t have to keep doing this. But it took me a long time to adjust to a new schedule that worked for me and the kids and my life and be able to be there, school pickups and get dinners on, you know, and not feel I have to be nine to five in the studio. So what’s your day look like now? What would you say? Like I would only ever do two days of paint in a week. And I do that because I want to protect the fact that I love painting and I love what I do.

 

And I felt if I did and I pushed it where I’ve done three, four days painting and it starts to become like a job. And that’s something I don’t want to creative then, right? Yeah. And it just feels like, oh, I have to go back. So I try to kind of keep it limited to two to three days, max a week painting. And would that be full days? Like, I’m so curious. It wouldn’t be. Like, how do you create? Like, how many pieces do you work on at a time? Like, I have so many questions. Where does the vision come from? Like, yeah, like the art. Like, I’d have one that I’m starting, one that I’m mid process.

 

one that I’m finishing that’s going to be moving into. I don’t mean one, but I could have like multiple ones that I’m starting. Like, you know, I suppose with my artwork, it’s so textural. There’s so many layers between that I have to let them dry and then I can work on a piece, let that dry and then work on another piece. And, you know, so there’s always multiple ones happening at the same time because I can’t go from beginning to end with one piece. It’s just impossible. It’s just because it needs time to let it dry. So, yeah, so like between like the paint and like I wouldn’t do a full nine to five day.

 

How it take actually to like, how long does it take? It depends on the piece, like it could take like generally, like I would say, like my lead time is up to six weeks because it takes time for the texture is probably the hardest part of getting that layers built up to it because I love it to be so sculptural. don’t want it to be like I love France, but I love I love the element that my art kind of pops off the wall. It feels like a structured sculpt piece coming off your wall as opposed to being like, you know, just a flat kind of artwork piece.

 

So that takes time to build those layers and get that really chunky layers of texture and. It’s of patience. Like, so what’s I’m curious and what like, what are you thinking about when you’re doing it? Are you just in your own head? Like, yeah, I am. I’m literally my own head. I’m like anything can cross through my brain at that time. But at the same time, it’s so focused on what I’m doing as well. So it’s not like I’m just like, mean, imagine it’s like flowing because I creatively comes from within. Yeah, yeah, it flows. And like my favorite, like I love each.

 

I love each layer as well individually. So like when I’m doing the texture, it’s just lovely to get stuck into sculpting the kind of textures that I want it to be. When I’m working on the paint layers, it’s all about blending and having that really soft flowy blend from beginning up to the top. like the gold and like it’s just every layer is so different. sometimes it takes me in a new direction. So, know, if I’m working on something and I go, well, that’s not what I actually envisioned what was going to look like at the beginning. But I’m loving how it’s turned out now. So it’s yeah, every time I

 

go near a piece like it always turns out somewhat different than what I envisioned. Wow. And and you were talking about this, the sculptural aspect of it and the fact that kind of pops off your wall. Like where does I’m just curious about the vision like as in like, you are you thinking of like, what are you thinking of? I’m just so nosy. I suppose I kind of like when I’m starting a new piece, I generally have a rough idea and I’m not going to say like I’m like, I’m going in. I know like what the beginning and the end is going to look like. But I generally have like

 

A lot of my pieces are very inspired, like are mostly inspired by nature. Like, know, obviously, like a lot of them have like a sunset kind of vibe or meadows. And the tones that I use are quite muted. Like they’re not like fuchsia kind of. pink. I was just going to say, they’re not like I love your pink. But not that She’s dissing my pink. But it’s more like. did do one colourful one actually, didn’t you? Once I remember seeing that you did do some, it wasn’t pink. Actually, did you do something pink before? I did do pink, but it was a very, very baby pink.

 

And I use like, she’s like, no, will not be doing something. I do use color. I’m not. But I usually it’s colors that you would see in nature. So it’s not kind of the ones, the artificial kind of tones that are generated by online or digital. Like, it’s just they’re a lot more.

 

And like if you see the tone on in my artwork, it’s generally you would normally see it in the sky or you could say it’s very calming. Like your artist is very relaxing. Just like, is that what you wanted or what do you people to experience? That’s exactly what I want them to feel like. I don’t want to feel like a loud piece of art on their wall that after a couple of years, they’re looking at going to use it’s like that’s a bit too invasive for my space. I wanted to feel that it’s sitting there confidently, complimentary to interiors to.

 

their vibe, like all my pieces that I have all my pieces of my house eventually. Like I was going around with no art in my walls for so long. But I was going to ask you that you have your own pieces in your own house. Yeah, now I do. But I didn’t for years because I would have empty walls. I literally use it as a revolving wall. All my walls were like, I’ll just pop that on and then it’d be sold. And we were like the electrician that goes around with the wires like hanging around their house. I had no art in the walls. But in the last year, only in the last year, we have no art in every to the point where I’m like in the kitchen, like is there too much of my art in this kitchen where it’s

 

My husband’s like, no, it’s perfect. But yeah, like I’d, yeah, no, I’d have, I’d have a go bit of art working away. And who helps you in the business or are you on your own? Myself and my husband. So the two of us are at it now full time. Oh, I didn’t know he was as well. Oh wow. So I’m doing obviously all the creative side of it. And yeah, he would look after all the stuff that, you know, would be non, non the non creative, but still he has a very much so like

 

support and kind of my creative process and, you know, on the print side of things, when I do look into that, like it’d be the two of us that’ll So just like who does all your shipping and all of that kind of Who does all of that? Yeah. all your finance and all of your. You wouldn’t believe I can’t under like you cannot underestimate the amount of work that goes into shipping an artwork piece, especially when it’s going over to the States or internationally and you’re dealing with the likes of DHL and FedEx and the panic stations that you’re holding your breath when you’re looking through like right until it lands.

 

We shipped a two by two piece over to San Francisco, which is two meters by two. It was huge. It was the biggest piece I’d ever worked on. And I would have to go so far as San Francisco. my God. And it was perfect. It landed perfectly. But there’s so much involved in, and there’s like so much involved when it comes to actually the logistic sides of artwork. I can’t just ship every piece with GPD or anyone else. Like it has to be delivered to the door because a lot of my pieces are quite large.

 

and it has become a bit of my signature, like the scale, the big pieces. So it has to be so protected. my goodness. Has anything ever touched wood? Has anything ever happened? No, we’ve never had really any issues. I think like once or twice when we really was like a good few years ago, we were trying to nail down like the packaging process. You know, how many layers, what do we put in foam corner? Just so much involved in actually packaging one piece. And now it was down to the driver of the courier and to kind of fucked it over the fence, so to speak.

 

ended up hitting the frame of the artwork. It didn’t actually damage the artwork, but hit the frame of the artwork and we had to obviously get that reframed. But other than that, like it’s been fairly touch wood. We’ve been very lucky. But like I said, it’s a lot of work that goes into it. And how do you find work with your husband? I love it. Yeah. Yeah. It’s really we complement each other really well. And because it’s so defined, like I’m doing art unless he wants to become an artist now. Yeah. But.

 

He yeah, but he’s always but he’s my sound board as well. He’s the only person I would go to when I’m in the middle of a piece like I just finished two pieces last week that are huge. They’re going to Portugal and I was kind of like, I don’t know is it done? Is it not? You know, I’m a bit like on the fence and he came down. He was like, like he would challenge me. Like he would actually challenge my artwork. He’s like.

 

Do you think that this is balanced or not balanced? But like, so it’s a bit of a devil in disguise, but it’s it’s ideal because I need someone to like I’ve got really fussy clients as well. And I work with interior designers a lot, so everything has to be perfect when they land. And what if they come back and they’re like, no, I don’t like that. Do you go back and put more texture on or you have? No, I’ve had that. Now I’ve had where it’s not that I don’t like it, but they’re very like I’ve had to really draw boundaries for myself as an artist in the last year, I’d say.

 

I love it being a collaborative approach. I love that I’m collaborating with interior designer or which declined themselves directly. And for them to feel that they have a part in the artwork process that they feel like when they have it, like I had a say in what that was going to turn out with. And it’s, it’s lovely to love

 

then there’s a point where people become too prescriptive. And you can’t be creative. I can’t be, and I feel like I’m like, actually feel like I get panicky and I get, I start a second.

 

question, you know, secondary, every single pain stroke, every movement that I make, I’m like, is this right? Because I have this little person on my shoulder saying, well, I don’t want to like this and I want it like that and I have like nearly rules about the one. So it doesn’t allow me to be flowing to how because a lot of artwork just it just flows in the way the direction it’s going to go. I can’t go against it. I have to go with the flow. But then if I have someone here on my shoulder, who’s very prescriptive and they’re brief, I just feel like I’m this I get to a lot like there is a piece a couple of years ago and it took me

 

over six months to finish because it was so prescriptive and you know, they’re nearly kind of marking out areas on the artwork and you do this differently. So what boundaries have you got in place now? like, I collaborative. Yes. And once you give me a very high level brief, like go back to my corporate kind of like high level brief, don’t go into detail. Just give me an idea of kind of like the textures you like. Do you like a lot of texture? You know.

 

not too much raised texture, kind of more smoother, flatter textures, tones that they like, like is there anything specific they want to show me? Like if they’ve got cushions that got made up or they’re wall paint or whatever. And then it’s just about of now it’s, you know, let me be, you know, let me, you know, and I do say that, you know, like to decline or whatever, like that’s perfect. Now you just let me go and do and it’s very rare that I get those kinds of clients, but it does come up. was the worst? I don’t need to name names, but like what was the worst experience you ever had with a client?

 

That was the one where it like a smart and a comment was made. So the artwork came back and I loved it. Eventually got to the stage and it caused me so much stress. It’s nice because like I said, had this person sitting on my shoulder saying I don’t want to listen to that. And they came back and screen grabbed and circled the corner of my painting and said, yeah, it’s my husband thinks this looks very muddy. And I was like, oh, jeez.

 

And this is like a big piece. Sorry, this art? Like, does he want to finish the artwork? Because at this age, I was like ready to the point of like, I know what I did, what I hated most about it is that I didn’t want to fall out of love with the art that I was after creating. And I was like, this is starting to become like really frustrating. And I didn’t want it to become that because I love it so much. And then I have someone who’s kind of critiquing it. And I look, everyone’s entitled to their opinions. Was there nearly like unnecessary critiquing? Yeah, total perfectionism. And it just felt like, you know, I’m

 

I just that for me was really tough because like I know I might on everyone was saying to me around, were like, just tell them to fuck off and don’t serve your art and just take it back and give them back their money and did it. I was like, no, because I’m I feel like I’m a bit of like I want to please every client that I get. So I was willing to do whatever it took for them to be happy. And look, it was a very small amendment. But at the time it was like a layer. Like, so if you say this little area was actually like I have to do a full layer.

 

on top of that, can’t just work on this little piece like I have to like literally create a new my goodness. So I think that’s like that’s the thing isn’t about in business. You kind of learn the hard way, but you can’t you can’t learn any other way. Right. Like exactly. And like it is. It was definitely learning curve for me. I was like, right now I can’t. That’s I’m never doing that again. And, know, it’s just it’s it’s down to the briefing as well. And, know, just managing expectations. What’s the the vision for the future for you?

 

Very good question. I tell you my vision board, manifestation. I suppose I want to continue to grow as an artist. I want to explore different techniques. So I don’t feel like I am quite niche in where I’m at with You’ve got like a very signature style. Yeah, a very signature style. And I love that style, but I’d love to now just push that even further again. Would you do something totally different? I don’t know if I’d go completely different because I feel like it wouldn’t be true Like a plate on the wall.

 

No, I wouldn’t go that far. That was one rule. was so funny when my husband and I bought our first house, like he was like, I have one rule in this house. He was like, there’s no plates going on the wall. Oh, yeah, does. Do you want the plates on the yeah, yeah. I wouldn’t go that far. I couldn’t imagine that. Unless they were like Cartier plates. yeah. Exactly. But yeah, no, I’d like to keep pushing, pushing and challenging myself as an artist and, you know, exploring different techniques. Like I draw inspiration from other artists. I don’t have a particular favorite artist. I love

 

loads of different styles and I’m constantly looking, was like, that’s really different. That’s unique. Using different mediums like I’m not just using acrylics, you know, different kind of textural pastes, you know, pastes and different kind. I just I love to explore and I want to continue to explore. Prints is definitely something I want to explore, but I’m very, very particular. Like I’m I am a perfectionist. I can stand over my work from beginning to end. So when it comes to prints, I am very nervous and I’ve had people screaming for them now at this stage because

 

it becomes more accessible for people. So I’m very particular about how I’m to do it. But I’m going to do it. I will do it. I I’m going to do it this year as well. OK, there is an exclusive. Yes, Kelly Prince are on the way. Fantastic. OK, so I’d love to know as well just in terms of like you seem like you’re I feel like ever since we’ve been chatting, you seem like you’re so you’re very clear on your vision. You’re very clear on like who your customer is. You’re very clear on like your messaging, exactly who you’re targeting. You seem very confident in yourself.

 

Do you ever have moments of doubt or are there things areas that you’re

 

Feeling a little bit, you know, vulnerable or things like that all the time, like it’s like like imposter syndrome and I was only recently I’ve really felt like, you know what? I haven’t had that feeling of imposter syndrome a long time. At the beginning, it was there all the time screaming in my head like, you know, the day was seed saying, you know, who do you think you are? You’re not an artist. You haven’t done this.

 

I still feel like even when I’m I’m I always feel vulnerable when I’m showing a piece back to the client. I I’m always nervous. Like, my God, like I literally send pictures two days ago to a client of their artwork that was going to be it was different. It wasn’t a style I’ve done before or, you know, wasn’t like Prado say like one of my popular pieces like Prado. Like that’s perfect. And I know what that’s going to turn out with. But it was a new piece. And that I always get like the

 

was painting my stomach, developing the message of the Reddit. Did I like it? Did I reply? Did I don’t like it? Did I don’t love it? So I always feel like I’m nearly exposed to that vulnerability because I’m being creative and I’m allowing myself to be judged and critiqued by anyone that sees it. know, and I’m not going to be everyone’s style, but yeah, I always feel I’m just a little bit more exposed and vulnerable to that process. And I think as well, I love that you shared that because I think it’s so important that people see people who are really successful and

 

think that you have it all together. But like we’re all human at the end of the day, right? The doubt and stuff is going to be there, but like there’s no need because your stuff is just fucking fantastic. So let’s talk about mom life. What, see you’ve a 19 year old and a two and a half year old and then how old are you? So yeah, Rian is 19, I’ve Sophia who’s 13, Harvey’s eight and Mila is two and a half. So you’ve two boys and two girls. what’s…

 

Like what’s day like with four kids? Just mental. I have three so I can’t even imagine four. You’re not much different to four really. So Rina’s in college. He’s up in Dublin living his best life so which is great. So he’s home regularly. And then the three younger ones. Yeah, it’s mental because you’ve got soccer and you’ve got sports and football and you know there’s one thing after acting classes like there’s literally like the kids, the two middle ones in particular. Obviously, Míle is too small to be in anything but.

 

She probably won’t be in anything desperate with you or her taking up the time, but the two middles are definitely, you know, the busiest period of their life. have better lives than we do. Yeah, they do. It’s crazy. They totally do. Are only them creative? Yeah, Sophia, my, like Harvey as well, be fair, like Harvey’s only eight, but Sophia is, she’s unbelievably talented. She’s 13? She’s 13 and she will go, like she has her life mapped out to the finest degree. So she wants to do art.

 

Oh, after like she wants to go to Yale and she wants a scholarship for America. I was like, that’s great that you’re going for scholarship because I don’t know who else is going to pay for it. she definitely is going to follow any. Now, I don’t know what style of art or she she talked about fashion design to talk about different kind of things. So I’d say she’ll be in the creative industry. I that. What an inspiration you are like. Does she ever does she ever said anything like about how you’ve inspired her? That’s been like, yeah, she has. Like she’s I definitely like she said it before and I did it.

 

She plays for the fine cocks in Garlow and they had like a little player profile and she had down like my inspiration. It was like my mom and I was like, oh, I had no idea. But like I do try to like instill in the kids and we both do like we always have conversations about them. Like life is not a cookie cutter. Like you don’t have to follow the same process. We went through it with Rean before he, you know, did his college course decisions as well. Like we want them to know that there can be anything they want to be like, they can be creative, they can be in different fields that

 

wouldn’t be the norm, you know, wouldn’t be going through the path of college or whatever. Like, so it’s it’s there. There are conversations we have like on a daily basis with the kids that, you know, the world is literally their oyster. And especially that, you know, you’re in such a you’re in such a niche. Who was I watching? was actually watching the Taylor Swift documentary on Prime with of my kids, with Cage to her date. Oh, yes. Good. Yeah. And she was given to all the dancers were there and she was like, you know, you’re all in careers here that you really shouldn’t be successful in. It’s a career that people tell you not to do. It’s not traditional. And

 

It’s the same with you, like you’re you’re an artist and in theory, artists is not like most artists like they’re struggling, right? Yeah. You know, so like just even showing your kids, especially I think your girls was possible is just so inspiring. So what do you think your secret was? For your success, like most artists or people, creatives can struggle with success. And do you know what I think?

 

The way my career kind of panned out, like I said, it was very squiggly. It wasn’t like I went to college, you know, kind of went through the same path as normal. I went and I was always quite entrepreneurial, like I wanted to work for myself. I found it hard. When I was working in previously in Tirelawn, like I did really enjoy the environment, but I did always find it that I always wanted to do something for myself.

 

But marketing played a huge part in the art because

 

I knew how to present my artwork. knew how to position myself. I knew, you know, where who my audience was going to be. could I did all that foundation groundwork, which was so important for when I actually went to put myself out there as opposed to just popping up pictures, million nearly and kind of hoping it will land. And I don’t know what, you know, everything came into the, you know, anything that I’ve done in corporate for marketing from a marketing point of view, I just translated over to what I do as an artist and that definitely benefited, obviously, having that clear

 

You know, I knew who my audience was. I knew how I was targeting. I knew what my price point was. You know, I was very, very clear in that vision that that came from my marketing experience and marketing corporate. Like, so definitely play it hand in glove with each other. It wasn’t 100 percent because you don’t have a business if you’re not able to market your business. I think there’s so many amazing, talented people out there. They just you know, you have to market yourself. You have to put yourself out there whether or not you’re going to.

 

be wondering if you’re looking at your story, your friends are looking at it or judging you, still have to do it right? You want to do You just have to take the leap. And I’ve had so many artists reach out to me and they’re like, you know, have you any advice or tips or, know, can you have a look on my Instagram? Like, well, I’m not really marketing here again, but I, you know, I could see your art is unbelievable, like, you know, pictures are like, I mean, it’s your shop window. Like regardless of what, career that you’re in, like Instagram or social media or online, you have to have a digital presence.

 

And if you’re an operatrain yourself in your best light, it’s perception. what people think they’re going to see like, it doesn’t look great, but it could be the most amazing piece of art that they have. Yeah, it’s all about the marketing, all about the marketing, all about the messaging. So tell me then, just finally, before we finish up, you know, you’ve you’ve come a long way. You really you know, you’re serving people all over the world. You’ve got this amazing art. And I you said you struggled a bit at the start with the imposter syndrome. What’s one

 

confidence lesson that business has taught you? I think to back yourself. I think that was the biggest thing. like I said, like imposter send your mother been like a big, but if I had to just, and I did back myself from the beginning. And if I hadn’t done that at that time, I wouldn’t have. What does backing yourself mean to you? I think it’s just having the confidence and not giving a fuck basically what other people think and really just, just taking a leap. Just like I literally live by the motto, fuck it.

 

feel the fear, do it anyway, bite off more than you can chew, learn how to chew it on the way. Like there are literally things that go through my head. I’ve had huge projects come like past me and I’m like, I don’t know if I can do it. I’m like, fuck it, just do it. Just learn it. You learn how to do it or, know, things that have come even even previously in marketing where I was just like, look, just fucking figure out how to do it eventually. But I think it’s just about just feeling the fear and just just going for it and doing it anyway.

 

Yeah. And you were saying that, like, you know, you were saying back yourself, but you actually were afraid and you did have imposter syndrome. But it is about feeling the fear. So fear is like I always say, it’s normal. It’s a call to grow. If you’re feeling fear, it’s because you’re doing something new. It’s exactly bringing you exactly where you’re to be. your comfort zone completely. Yeah. Brilliant. OK, so just before we finish up, this has been amazing. I hope that everyone’s enjoyed the conversation. We’re going to do a wrap-up round. Are you up for that?

 

Is it like food? or Indian? We’ll have to wait and see. You it’s not at all. up for it? Yeah. Right. So it’s five and 90. So five questions in under 90 seconds. God. Okay. I feel like I’m gonna… Do I win anything? You don’t. a thing? Yeah. Okay. So what’s one thing you wish more women would stop apologizing for? Being themselves. What’s one thing you love to do for fun that might surprise people?

 

This is really weird. But I, this is actually not even fun. This is more like relaxing, but I watch Netflix in the shower. What? I literally put my phone. I go in, as soon as I go in every evening, I just put my phone up on the little thing that holds all the shampoo and stuff and I put Netflix on or like do you have it covered? like many times I’ve dropped it and I’m like, fuck it’s fucking now. But like I literally have the slowest shower ever and I watch like that’s my 10 minutes to watch like. Does the phone lock? I’m just thinking about the poor phone. No, the shower’s this way and the phone is that way. But that’s that’s like.

 

That is like my guilty pleasure. That’s a great idea. Yeah, it’s amazing. I watched Married First Sight or whatever. Like we don’t normally watch it. a couple. like, I’ll just watch 10 minutes of this now and have a slow shower. my God. I love that. That is gas. I’ve never heard that one before. ⁓ What is a life hack that you wish more people knew? A life? my God. That’s a tough one.

 

I think spending money on experiences and not things. don’t know if it’s a life hack, but I definitely learned that just spending like putting your whatever it is, your disposable income, your bonuses, et cetera, just put it to experiences. I just feel like they can’t be bought. You know, whereas like you buy yourself like an expensive designer handbag and five minutes later, it’s like it just becomes another handbag. my God. One hundred percent. But I definitely think experience is over material.

 

materials. I think it’s the same as when you get older as well. You’re kind of like, I’ve literally cleared out all of my stuff. I’m like, actually don’t need all of these sign I use the same two, three, four. I get more anxiety looking at my. Yeah, I literally get more anxiety looking at my stuff. So I totally agree with you on that.

 

what do success, balance and happiness mean to you?

 

success, balance and happiness. Balance is probably the key word in that. I feel that

 

if I’m happy, I’m successful. I feel that I have been successful previously, but there was times where I really wasn’t happy. Like I really, you know, I felt like I can be successful and not be totally happy. Whereas I feel right now I am I feel like I’ve gotten the balance. It took me a while, but I feel like I’ve struck the balance of, you know, spending time with the kids, having my art, having time with my husband, etc. So I’m feeling like, you know, I’m finally kind of

 

in that crack. Yeah, I’m starting to kind of crack. Now, I don’t think we’re ever balanced 100 percent all the time anyway. We’re going to fluctuate one to the other. But yeah, I feel like the work hand in glove. mean, you can’t be no, absolutely not. And it sounds like your family and your are to the most important things. Yeah. Isn’t And then finally, yes, this is totally longer than 90 seconds. It’s great. I forgot about it as well. What is the best piece of advice you have ever received? And if you remember who it’s from?

 

bonus points if not it’s fine.

 

I think it was and it probably wasn’t anyone in particular. It was probably someone like Richard Branson or someone that I read about, like would have been one of those books of self development. But a lot of it was, you know, bite off more than you can chew and just learn how to chew it away. I think a lot of us feel like if we haven’t got that full experience or we’ve like our degree or your your certification or whatever, if you feel like you don’t have that full experience of having to go and do something, it calls you back.

 

And you don’t need to know everything. Like I didn’t know everything about what I was doing, but I said, right, I’m just going to do it. And I literally bite off more than I can chew. And I’ll just figure it out as I go. I think we just hold ourselves back way too long and too much that we don’t take the leap into becoming who we want to become. ⁓ absolutely love that. Jess.

 

Thank you so much for coming on the show. Where can people find you? Where’s the best place for people to reach out to you if they want to hear more? would be the number one. So jesskelly.art on Instagram and my website is jesskellyart.ie. Okay, amazing. Okay, well, listen, guys, thank you all for being here. I hope that you have enjoyed this conversation with Jess about business. We link everything in the show notes and we will see you again on the next episode. Bye for now.