Meet Ana Jaffar | Artist & Published Author

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

Hi Ana, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
As I started thinking about starting this business officially in 2020, I started to wonder what benefits it would have for me & my community. I started to evaluate how it could brighten someone’s day & why would someone want to buy my art! I thought about where I could see myself with this business in the long run & what legacy I could leave for my family! As a small business owner, I started to find out that it’s not easy being an entrepreneur. Your faith will truly be tested! I wanted to be able to work my business full time & make enough to sustain a living! It was quickly learned that right now that wasn’t realistic, but the passion only grew stronger!

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
My abstract art is my way of saying look out world this is Ana Jaffar! I have always been a creative & painted/wrote poetry since I was 13! My art is my way to express myself when I can’t put how I feel into words! It’s my way to show feelings that were kept secret. I have always put my all in my work no matter how small or big! I want to make sure my smaller art gives my consumers the same feel as my larger art! I want to bring a sunshine to their lives! I believe one big piece that sets me apart from others is my testimony on how I got started & how I was able to push through! What am I most proud of? I’m proud of my drive in the art community! Being an artist is this world is already hard as it is especially with it being your only source of income! I’m proud of myself for never giving up even when I was very close! I am proud of myself for stepping out on faith & being set up in my first retail store! I’m proud of myself for my publishing my first poetry book in 2022 after starting the art business in 2020! In 2024, I am still pushing daily in this art world and I’ve gotten more confident with what I do! Yes it can be still challenging when I’m not making many sales, but I am continuing to put myself out there through art shows, social media, pop ups, markets, word of mouth & much more! As you go about with a business, not making many sales when this is your only income can be hard! I have had so many times where throwing in the towel was the better option, but what would younger me think? I’ve learned to always do something in your business to reinvent something, trends are always changing, social media is changing, art is changing, but God is still the same! He is continuing to bless me even when I may be struggling! I want the world to watch out for Passionate Expressions LLC because soon everyone will know my name & I will be everywhere! I have huge dreams of having my own art studio/gallery along with being in the High Museum of Art Atlanta one day! I want to be in art museums & galleries all over the world! I want to be in offices, homes, hospitals, government buildings all over the world!!

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.
I would definitely take them Downtown Atlanta, Buckhead, Midtown, Downtown Decatur, Doraville, Duluth & probably Stone Mountain! Doraville & Duluth are known for their amazing Asian restaurants and markets especially KBBQ! I love to visit historical sites, museums, art museums & locations that are in Downtown Atlanta including the African American history museum, High Museum of Art Atlanta, Atlanta Symphony, Woodruff Arts Center & even the Ga Aquarium!! Depending on the season, we could go to a basketball game at State Farm Arena, baseball game at Truist Park or a football game at Mercedes Benz Stadium! I am always at a concert downtown in Little Five Points, The Masquerade, State Farm Arena or even the Eastern! Downtown Atlanta there are so many American spots, Asian, Indian, Mexican and even Thai! Atlantic Station, City Winery & Ponce City Market are huge staples that have a variety of food options along with the vibes. Downtown Decatur and the square has Butter & Cream along with the Cereal Lab plus a host of amazing eateries right by the train station! I would even suggest possibly getting on the train & picking a stop to go to discovering what they have to offer! I could sit here all day telling you about so many places that would give you all the vibes of a week!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I want to thank God for giving me this talent & ability! I want to thank him for healing my body & allowing me to push further with my business! I want to shoutout my family for all of the trips to events, physical support, monetary support & believing in me when I didn’t believe in myself!! I want to shoutout Ac Academy especially Jessica Rydia, Daiyzah Glenn, Dalia & Ebony for encouraging in me along with pushing me! You all believed in me even when I didn’t believe in myself!!! I want to thank my dear besties Rose Goolsby & Courtney Colquitt for taking me to events, encouraging me & always sharing my work with people they knew! I want to thank all of my closest friends for always praying, sharing & loving on me whenever it came to my business! I want to shoutout all of the businesses I’ve met in the last 4 years who have given me amazing advice & helped me to be a better CEO! I want to shoutout Khari Mightly with My Milk & Money for believing in me the last few years while giving me opportunities to grow! I want to shoutout myself for continuing to push and step out on faith with my art even when I didn’t make any sales! Lastly, I want to shoutout every single customer I’ve ever had whether you bought a book, painting or came to my first sip & paint! Thank you 🤎

Website: https://passionateexpressionsllc.myshopify.com/

Instagram: https://Instagram.com/_passionateexpressionsllc

Facebook: @AnaJaffar

Youtube: @passionateexpressionsllc/Ana Sheree

Other: TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@shereejaffar?_t=8p49FRXMMIw&_r=1

Open Mic Night, Sept 27, 2024:
https://www.eventeny.com/events/openmicnight-14075/