Meet Karen Jenson | Artist and Entrepreneur

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

Hi Karen, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
I had wanted to start PÄRLAS sometime after graduating from college and was sidetracked by starting an arts non-profit for youth in Park City, Utah and then moving to work in finance in New York City after getting my masters. I moved to Florida from Williamsburg Brooklyn due to Covid, and was in Hurricane Ian in Fort Myers. The thought of being my own boss and doing something creative was very healing and attractive.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
Creativity has always been a way to process and filter my emotions since I was a little girl. My mother is a self-taught seamstress, and a natural creative who encouraged me toward art and expression. I can remember always feeling a sense of safety and freedom when drawing or painting in solitude. Eventually, I went off to Northwestern University where I studied Art History and took studio art classes. I interned in the curatorial department at the Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago, was a social entrepreneur for an arts and youth based non-profit in Park City, Utah, and worked in development capacities in other world renowned art museums and galleries such as the Albright-Knox in Buffalo, NY and The Lehmann Maupin Gallery in New York City. From this I have an extensive visual lexicon which informs the method behind and end result of whatever I create. I tend to gravitate toward mixed media and abstraction with elements of collage and real life drawing.

I’ve managed to build a collection of works over the past few decades and I’m committed to a lifelong love of making and sharing art. I’ve most recently been inspired to design one of a kind hats to represent the individuality in all of us, and to encourage confidence, self-pride, and protection from negative energy’s “shade,” or, simply, just too much sun! This is a fun and exciting new challenge for me! What excites me the most is that the hats are inspired by Native American Talking Sticks which represent the individual within the whole- so I would love for them to be a co-creation ultimately, where the hat represents one’s journey and becomes a living object to them- so not only a stylish hat but their favorite hat with growing meaning and life long travels, where maybe they add a charm or a shell or another object that has meaning to them or they just think looks cool. PÄRLAS is a Scandinavian word for pearls, a person, or object of beauty. So the pearls are the individuals out there wearing the hats! In fact I named the first collection of hats after each person who bought them. I have a list of new ideas for collections, including one inspired by my artwork, so I can’t wait to sell out more hats and keep new collections coming out.!

What I’ve learned is to do the best not to force creativity, but fall into the honesty and power of creativity from the inside out. That and never give up, never surrender- I’ve had plenty of horrible bosses, exes, and experiences, and I’ve survived them all. Your true north should always be love for self, and love for others, no matter what happens in life.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Well I’m more of a nature girl so I like to explore different beautiful areas like the Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park $8 at the end of Key Biscayne- with a beautiful lighthouse near the beach for some chill time near the surf and later cute open air dining at the Boater’s Grill. Day 2: The Blue Lagoon Farm in Homestead ($20 for the whole day of swimming and exploring and taking a picnic) with a stop at Knaus Berry Farm for fresh baked and made goodies is also a must do and see after lagoon-ing. We’d hang out at a few friends’ rooftop pools on the third day, make some cocktails with lunch then head out later to the Sunset Harbor area in Miami Beach to do a little shopping at Eberjey and grab a bite at Barceloneta. The fourth day we may go drive North to Bal Harbor to do some light shopping and to wear something new and fun going out for cocktails and appetizers later at The Standard or Swan. Assuming the fifth day is a Friday we might check out the late night music scene in Wynwood, or head to La Trova in Little Havana for some authentic Cuban music and cuisine. Saturday would be a beach day under an umbrella on Miami Beach (maybe hit the gym or yoga early am) with some play time in the waves. Saturday night is kinda open- whatever goes, but let’s not get too crazy for our last day, which is spa day. We would have appointments with Galina at Anatomy in Sunset Harbor for facials and endermologie and then relax poolside and maybe a steam room before we pack for the airport!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I have a very supportive family including my grandparents, parents, brother and sister in law and aunts and uncles that enabled me to go to Northwestern University, achieve my MBA and transition to NYC- they should be mentioned first, absolutely. I also owe much to my late mentor Patricia Sanger who founded the non-profit I directly helped her build into a success. Her thoughtfulness and humanity and caring for all of our inner spirits will live on through me, always. I recently experienced Carmina Becerra’s Free UR Voice program which has helped me find more clarity and confidence in my messaging, and I highly recommend. checking her out! I should maybe mention a few great therapists out there too! But joking aside, some close friends like Tara Goergen, Yvonne Pacific, Yuta Diodenko, Diego Castro and Alexandra Cordoba have provided me with so much love and support through some very tough times! My go to book is The Prophet by Kahlil Gibran when I need some insight on a major life topic and The Obstacle Is The Way; The Timeless Art of Turning Trials into Triumphs by Ryan Holiday is also quite powerful.      

Website: www.parlas-art.com

Instagram: @parlas_art

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/karenjenson/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100089304236953