After hitting a breaking point while working multiple jobs, Jenipher Lyn turned to drawing as a way to cope with overwhelming stress. What began as a simple nightly habit soon evolved into a vibrant illustration style and a business built on positivity, honesty, and self acceptance.
Sometimes the world shouts at you to take life in a different direction, even if that means you are supposed to have a crippling panic attack so intense that all you can do is take shelter under your desk in the middle of your shift at work. For artist and illustrator Jenipher Lyn, this is exactly where she found herself at her lowest point, hiding out of sight after becoming so overwhelmed by the negativity that had taken over.
Meeting her today, it is almost incomprehensible to think that this effervescent and inspiring woman could have ever experienced something so extreme. The reality is, Jenipher’s creative journey is an amazing reminder of just how powerful the creative process really is. Without it, any one of us could find ourselves hiding under our own desks at one point or another.
With one look at Jenipher’s work, it is pretty obvious that she possesses a bubbly, glass-half-full outlook. That is why it is so interesting to learn that the catalyst for her current business and lighthearted illustrative style began shortly after that day at the call center where she worked part-time. After noticing a change, one of Jen’s close friends suggested that she should go home and start drawing things to relax and take her mind off her worries.
At the time, Jenipher was balancing multiple jobs, and the idea of drawing at night “just felt like a dream because things had become so bad that I wasn’t really a human at that point in my life. Things were so heavy that just the thought of taking out the garbage was so big, so big that... I just couldn’t.”
Although she cannot remember what she chose to draw that first night, Jenipher wanted to hold herself accountable by posting all her work online. Never thinking much of the clever title that turned into the name of her business, Jen kept up her habit by drawing “something I was looking at in my bedroom, or something really weird from my brain. Looking back, I realized I actually drew a lot of stick figures holding cupcakes in the air. But then, it kind of turned into encouraging things, like stuff I needed to hear or stuff that I wish someone had reminded me of that day.”
The truth is, Jenipher exudes positivity in everything she does. One look at her website, full of cheery hand-drawn illustrations and positive affirmations, makes it clear that she has developed a unique voice by creating work that helped her overcome many of the obstacles in her early years. With illustrations that encourage kindness and greeting cards with lighthearted messages, it is easy to understand why she has built an impressive online following of fans who appreciate her work for its gentle take on the vulnerable moments we all experience.
As a self-described “sad kid,” it is interesting to see her distinct style used as a tool to promote positivity, not just to her fans, but to herself. A firm believer that “we’re the same people we were as kids and we all have the same stuff, but if you’re lucky, the older you become, the more you learn how to handle it,” Jenipher is now happily creating work that speaks to her. She creates products aligned with her beliefs and uses her work to explore the best ways to handle life’s challenges, highlighting the power of creative expression as a transformational tool and catalyst for healing.
Her story is living proof that the simple act of creating, however small or insignificant, can resonate with someone else. When we create, we allow ourselves to refocus our attention, highlighting the good while gently obscuring the negatives that do not really serve us. By owning the cards she was dealt, Jenipher continues to spread her message of self-acceptance and positivity, one doodle at a time.
See more of Jenipher’s work and how she continues to use the skills she learned at CreativeLive on her website, JenipherLyn.com, or follow her on Instagram, YouTube, or Facebook.