Today we’d like to introduce you to Samantha Jacobson.
Hi Samantha, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
Well, I was one of those kids who took art supplies everywhere they went. It kept me tethered and safe as a weirdo in a small-minded rural Philadelphian suburb. Art was my favorite class all through school, and I submitted a high-scoring portfolio to the A.P. art board. At the same time, though, I fell into designing and creating the costumes for our high school plays and when it came time to choose a college path, it was difficult. Visiting New York City for an interview was my final nudge towards pursuing costumes and I ended up living there for eight years. Having Manhattan as my campus made me grow up quickly. I began work as a costume design assistant Off-Broadway as a 19 years old student, then took any job under the costuming umbrella that I could get my hands on. Once I graduated, I had an intensive apprenticeship with the Santa Fe Opera, then moved back to NYC and dove back into the network I built in college and branched out into TV briefly as well. Does this sound exhausting? Because it was! I burnt out at 25 years old and was so out of touch with myself. Luckily I found my life partner around this same time and we moved across the country here to Austin in January 2o16. For a couple of years, I took any creative position that resonated with me and worked for some badass small businesses that helped me build confidence in my abilities to be an entrepreneur. Then I dusted off my paints and created a mural to barter with a friend’s business and had my “aha!” moment. I had all the tools but didn’t know where to start so I went big and signed up for the East Austin Studio Tour, built a giant 8×12 foot mural on panels and got my foot in the Austin art scene. I’ve designed or assisted on a dozen murals since then and recently was accepted into the Contra/Common artist collective where I have a studio space big enough to hold all of my creative interests.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
What is smooth? We all have our struggles and victories no matter where we are in life. I was certainly born with privilege as a white American middle-class girl whose family owned a business. But I’m half Jewish, and my mum is a British immigrant. I didn’t know it then but between my slight “otherness” and school/society trying to muffle my innovative tendencies, I struggled with my identity for most of my life. Moving out of NYC shed light on mental health struggles I was constantly shoving under the rug. I began recovering from perfectionism. I discovered I’m a Highly Sensitive Person (there’s an entire documentary with Alanis Morissette about this); my brain processes my sensory experiences more intensely than most and I’m still learning how to give myself permission to exist as a sensitive soul in a world which values the opposite. My biggest blessing was my parents always being supportive of my siblings and I, they allowed us to follow our hearts. This made my gut instinct very strong and has allowed me to always find what I need when I need it, for good or for bad. And like any artist, I have bouts of incredible imposter syndrome that I hear never really goes away. Whenever this happens, I let myself feel the feels, pull out one of the many books created to help artists through these periods of resistance, and reach out to my support system to help remind me I’m on the right path.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I am a multidisciplinary artist and muralist. I know technically murals fall under the multidisciplinary umbrella but I want to always be putting my desire for those projects out into the world! My murals are of course done with exterior grade acrylic paints. In my studio, I like to use a mix of paper collage and paint (most recently oil paint) and enjoy incorporating found objects into my work too. Especially textiles. I also love working in watercolor as it helps my perfectionism let go while I watch the pigment do what it wants. I’m known for my use of color and pattern. I’m known for taking risks and following my heart even if it’s unpopular. I’m a space holder for people’s truths and I try to weave that space into my work energetically. I hope that even a one second glance at my art puts a crack in the mask we all *think* we have to wear to stay safe. They see me being bold and feel free to themselves try on their boldness. I’m proud of all the times a stranger has come up to me and admitted that watching me paint made their day or that I’m inspiring them to go home and make something too. I think my desire to set aside airs and be conscious of humans in their entirety sets me apart, even if that spooks a lot of people.
Who else deserves credit in your story?
My partner Rio provides me endless love, support, food, laughs, real-talk, and adventure. My aunt and business coach Barbara also has been cheering me on and helping me build structure in recent times and I don’t think I’d be where I am without her help.
Contact Info:
- Email: samanthajstudio@gmail.com
- Website: www.samanthajstudio.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/samanthaj_studio/
- Other: https://vm.tiktok.com/ZTdquDHbC/
Image Credits
Chelsa King-Carr Kat Black
