You learn more diving in, making mistakes and doing the work!  – Brandi

This week on Colour Me Happy Podcast Artist Jenny Johnson joins host Brandi Hofer on the Colour Me Happy podcast for a real-talk conversation about making art while working full-time. Jenny shares her journey from pulling shifts at East Side Mario’s to fund art school, to building her practice around a busy schedule. She and Brandi dig into the realities of burnout, commissions versus personal work, and finding joy in the process. Jenny also shares practical tips: work on multiple pieces at once, don’t hoard supplies—share them, diversify your income streams, and let creativity fit naturally into your life instead of forcing it. It’s an inspiring, lighthearted episode packed with wisdom for anyone balancing their passion with their paycheque. 

Tips:

• Working on multiple projects at once helps maintain momentum and prevents creative stagnation.
• Transparency about tools and process fosters connection and trust within the creative community.
• Diversifying income streams is essential for long-term sustainability as a working artist.

Join Brandi and Shirley for a candid, laughter-filled deep dive into art, life, and the gold standard of creative authenticity—this is one conversation you’ll want to replay whenever you need courage to take the next step.