We’re looking forward to introducing you to Jaz Palmer. Check out our conversation below.
Hi Jaz, thank you so much for joining us today. We’re thrilled to learn more about your journey, values and what you are currently working on. Let’s start with an ice breaker: What are you most proud of building — that nobody sees?
I am someone who likes to “do”. I view progress as results. So last year, when my body started giving out on me, I was pretty thrown off. How does a doer like me get to work when I have zero energy and minimal strength? How do I focus when my body is in revolt? The last 10 months have been a lesson in pacing, grace, personal boundaries, and growth. I have learned that I cannot force my body into submission the same way I can with my will. I have to honer her and work with her, listen and respond accordingly, most often with lots and lots of patience. I’m proud that in the midst of challenges, I have stayed steady on my course to a BFA in Illustrative Design. I have not wavered from my professional goals, nor have I denied my body the support required. To me, this feels like sustainability. Building something that is lasting entails many of the lessons I have learned in this season, and instead of begrudging the struggle, I choose to receive the gift.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
Hey, I’m Jaz. I am building an art studio and brand called Love, Jaz. Art. I have a unique history wrought with hidden struggle and adversity that I have continued to overcome. My resilience has inspired me to peruse my dreams of being a full time professional artist. At 33 years old, I divorced my husband of 12 years, got full custody of my 3 children, and started over from scratch. It was a grueling couple of years, but I am happy to report that not only was I able to achieve a stable home environment for us, but I began my path as a degree seeking student at Rocky Mountain College of Art + Design. Now I am in my junior year, and close enough to campus to have qualified for on ground studio space, which has been a huge boon. I work both digitally and analog, with professional experience in illustration, surface design, and fine art. Outside of school, I was recently selected as the featured artist for a respected annual art show: RISE, put on by an organization dedicated to supporting victims of sexual assault. This honor was so special not only because it helps build my professional portfolio, but because it brings awareness to a cause I care about deeply. As I head into 2026, I fully expect more opportunities to come my way. When you do the work, and you treat others well, success is inevitable!
Amazing, so let’s take a moment to go back in time. Who were you before the world told you who you had to be?
The older I get, the more I realize that I was always a whole person. The abuse I endured during my childhood shattered me to pieces, and my entire adult life has been about picking up the parts and creating a new, beautiful mosaic. I was broken, but not destroyed. I have become an even more determined person because of my experiences. Before the world put expectations on me, I was already carrying the weight of an unstable home environment. This “handicap” of being subjugated early on has actually become a point of strength in my life now. It truly does not matter how the world chooses to see me, what box they try to put me in; I know that I am a survivor, and that I have so much to offer. The daily grind of standing up for myself as a little girl inevitably shaped me into someone who cannot be caged. And for that, I have to choose thankfulness.
When did you stop hiding your pain and start using it as power?
Authenticity is a core part of my self identity. It feels very foreign to try and hide my feelings, especially painful ones. Growing up, this feature of my personality made me unintentionally intimidating to my peers. I couldn’t understand why being honest and vulnerable about what we felt was avoided by others for fear of embarrassment. Like, can. not. compute. For me, the hiding of my pain was more about hiding my intense need for true connection. Looking back, I understand that this is not a part of everyone’s DNA. Not everyone values authenticity as truth and truth as love. But I do. And as my life has changed and I’ve gotten the chance to choose my community, I’ve found others like me. The brave ones, the creative ones, the ones who can’t do fake, the ones who love with their whole being. Now the power I always had is actually seen as such, instead of a shameful aspect of myself meant to be hidden away. I have never felt more free to express my truth and to revel in the truth of others than now, and that is beautiful.
Next, maybe we can discuss some of your foundational philosophies and views? What’s a belief or project you’re committed to, no matter how long it takes?
I am committed to my artistic success. For many years, I thought that while I was creative, I wasn’t talented enough to be a professional illustrator or fine artist. I have been blessed to know many talented individuals, and when the stability and security wasn’t there in my personal life, I became insecure and felt the full weight of imposter syndrome. Its funny because all along, in that decade of insecurity and darkness, I never stopped making art. Even when I thought it was bad, even when I assumed no one else would be interested in what I made; I turned to creation as a means of emotional alchemy. Art is my lifeline! It is a language that can only be expressed through transmutation and I feel like a native speaker. I never considered myself an artist, just a person who HAD to create. It wasn’t until my environment changed, and I began getting great feedback and external validation that I recognized I have been an artist all along! My identify as an artist had always been there, but my perception was hazy and influenced by others who were afraid of a woman with self-confidence. Through this lens, I perceive my consistent path as a creative, no matter what life has thrown at me; expressing the deep parts of humanity through visuals has always been the thread running through my story. With this knowledge, I continue forward, trusting that I have always been it for the long haul.
Okay, so let’s keep going with one more question that means a lot to us: What is the story you hope people tell about you when you’re gone?
I want to be remembered as someone who always cared enough to listen, and to help. If my art can continue to resonate with those unspoken, universal feelings we all have felt even after my death? That’s a huge win. I want my legacy to be one of connection.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://lovejaz.art
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lovejaz.art/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jaz-palmer1111
