Meet Jenni Kowal | Creative Guide

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

Hi Jenni, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
I started Anytime Creative when I was traveling a lot in my life, but I always felt like creativity was necessary wherever I went. I’d tuck away watercolors and tiny moleskine notebooks to take with me when I traveled – moving away from the idea that every artist needs a studio. As my business evolved, I realized that a lot of creatives had blocks that were holding them back from being their most expressive self. This is when I started to tie in the concept of self care – using it as a tool to work through our creative cobwebs and in turn, living a more fulfilling life. I started as a graphic designer and slowly evolved into a creative coach, helping others get their projects done!

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I’m a self proclaimed multipassionate creative, and it wasn’t always that way. I knew that I was drawn to the arts but I never quite felt “good enough” and as time went on, I realized that it was never about the final creative piece but more about the creative process itself that lit me up.

When I realized that it was more about the creative process, not JUST the outcome, I felt a burden lift. I started to infuse creativity into my daily life – through cooking, journaling, introspective walks, and most importantly – running my business in a mindful way. By learning the lesson the hard way (burn out) I set out to build my self care toolkit to both help myself and my clients. I believe self care is the key to getting out of a creative rut!

In 2020 I embarked on a journey to fund my first ever product on Kickstarter – the Self Care Adventure Cards. It was an amazing success where I raised over 290% of my goal!

I created the deck out of necessity for my own self, and decided that the world needed them too! They are a deck of 62 cards with over 150+ self care and journal prompts. You can pull a card each day to help guide you on your self care journey (no to-do lists here) and the box also includes a card block that says “I am enough”, a card cloth, 5 bookmarks and a 10 page guidebook.

I still spend my time bouncing around between personal projects, being a creative guide, taking photos, doing freelance graphic design, and currently undertaking the most creative project – being a homeowner!

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I live right outside of Nashville, TN – and while I still feel new here, I’ve discovered there is plenty to do even if you aren’t into the partying scene!

Nadeen’s Hermitage Haven – one of my favorite spots outside of downtown, and they have awesome chicken & waffles! (Get the hot version if you want hehe)

Wedgewood Houston is a really cool part of town with a lot of art galleries, coffee shops, breweries and fun things to look at. I love the Turnip Green Creative Reuse store, where you can pay-what-you-wish for art supplies + materials, as it is all donated! It is such a fun place to walk around.

Gift Horse is my favorite paper boutique with lots of fun gifts and cheeky greeting cards. I always stop in here for someone’s birthday and could spend all day there! It’s located in East Nashville which is also a great place to walk around and explore.

Jeni’s Ice Cream is by far my favorite ice cream place (with dairy free options!) and it’s a must visit for those who have never been.

If you’re a flower lover like me, Cheekwood Gardens has lovely grounds to walk around in and a tour of their mansion as well. I really enjoy this space and they have live music and other events all year round.

If you’re going to go downtown to Broadway – expect it to be a little bit chaotic but always a fun place to people watch and see some amazing live music. Robert’s Western World is by far my favorite spot and always has quality musicians and good old school vibes.

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?
Haley Hoover has been an incredible friend and business partner. We are internet friends turned IRL friends and have so much in common about our creative journeys, and she has been so supportive to helping me realize my vision for my business and does an amazing job helping others, too! And a bonus is that she started the The Sparkling Hippie Publishing Co, to help others bring their story to life in a published book form!

Website: www.anytimecreative.com

Instagram: www.instagram.com/anytimecreative

Facebook: www.facebok.com/anytimecreative

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCRb6X7yQ0IXz1SnX4mHSM-w

Image Credits
Haley Hoover