Meet Jaclyn Carter | Creative Business Owner & Artist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Jaclyn Carter and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Jaclyn, what is the most important factor behind your success?
I would say the most important factor behind my success is my persistence. I don’t give up. My business has changed over the years and I’ve had to adapt, but I’ve never stopped. Sometimes it slows down. Sometimes it speeds up, but either way I keep going. I actually have a sign in my art studio that says “Keep Moving Forward” to remind myself it’s not about the destination, it’s about progress. And the way to achieve progress it to simply keep moving forward.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I have always considered myself creative. I loved crafting as a kid, went to college for television production, and my favorite hobby is scrapbooking! Love Jac organically shifted from a greeting card company to our current mission of helping people create, share, and connect through art once I launched Artists & Crafts – a class for children that teaches them about famous artists and gives them the opportunities to create their own masterpieces inspired by that artist. I am constantly telling our students “You are the artist.” I truly believe everyone is an artist – you just need to tap into your creative self and let it out. Often that’s easier for children (especially when they are encouraged), but it’s possible for adults too. I currently lead a group of women in doing just that. We check-in monthly and have bi-monthly zoom workshops to talk through topics surrounding creativity, goals, and motivation. It takes the idea of being an artist and shows the reality of what that looks like in each others lives. We have novelists, bakers, organizers, and musicians all fitting their art into their own busy lives. Often the idea of being an artist gets associated with making money from your art. I don’t believe that is the case. You are an artist the moment you create. One of the principles I live by is “to take advantage of every creative opportunity.” Sometimes that looks like making my kids lunch in a fun way, sometimes that means making a scrapbook of our October memories, sometimes that means helping design a bulletin board at the kids’ school. At Love Jac, we believe when you share the art you make you will connect with others and that, in turn, makes the world a better place. I am proud we have created this community the encourages each other to live out our creative dreams in the way that works best for each individual.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
If my best friend was visiting New York City, we would wake up to some home brewed coffee and order in Ess-a-Bagel to catch up on life while still in our pajamas – just like we did when we shared an apartment in the city. The next thing we’d do is take a walk up Dekalb Avenue for some brunch. We would then jump on the subway to visit The Whitney for the afternoon and then walk the High Line. It would, of course, be a perfect fall day where the sun is shining, but you can wear a jean jacket. We would head back to our apartment to chill out and then head to a nice spot for dinner and drinks – preferably with a good DJ and space to dance.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I wouldn’t have a business without The Brooklyn Public Library! I had been wanting to start my own company for a while, but hadn’t found the time with my full-time job in television. After my daughter was born I decided to stay home with her. One day we were at the Brooklyn Public Library and I saw a poster for a small business competition. To enter the competition, you had to submit a business plan, but leading up to that point the BPL gave us access to classes, workshops, and professionals to help us write that plan. It was that support and the deadline that kick started my business. It also helped that I won second place. But honestly, even if I hadn’t won, the BPL gave me the opportunity to put in the work necessary to get my business started. Shout out to Maud Andrew & Arcola Robinson for all their support.

Website: www.lovejac.com

Instagram: @lovejacstudio // @artistsandcrafts

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/LoveJacVideos

Image Credits
Jaclyn Carter