Meet Jennifer Wade | Illustrator & IT Professional

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

Hi Jennifer, what makes you happy? Why?
For me, genuine happiness comes from bringing a smile to the faces of others. Everyone deep down wants to feel like they are being thought of. When you take the time to make a little customized card or treat based on little details of that person’s life – even if they end up throwing that card out eventually – that initial smile it brings to their face is so well worth it. I love all things bright and cheery, so what’s more cheery than you being the reason that triggers the warmth in someone else’s heart where they can’t help but break out into smile.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
My expertise is cute illustrations. I still love creating customized cards for my family, friends, and coworkers, but I’ve begin gearing myself more towards adorable dog prints and customized art of other people’s pets. Last winter, I made three whole sets of customized pet holiday cards. Drawing animals is definitely my jam, so if I can create a custom piece for someone’s own little fluffy friend, I’m game. I am a kid at heart, so anything that reminds me of a cuddly stuffed animal, I’m in. I do excel in the more digitally created cartoonized format for my illustrations, though every now and then, I will tackle a more realistic pet portrait.

Random other fact – I also love tattoos, and pretty much every tattoo I have on my body, I have drawn the design. My dad’s got two of my designs on him, and I’m so close to coming up with a custom design for my husband. What could be more flattering than having your designs permanently on someone? If I wasn’t so scared of shaky hands, I’d might even consider becoming a tattoo artist one day.

I will say though, I’m not always the most confident in my work and do doubt that it is worthy of anything. For the longest time, I simply rolled my eyes when friends and family told me I needed to sell my illustrations, thinking they just loved it so much because it was something special for them and their standards weren’t that high. I finally submitted some works to a silent auction at work, and when strangers actually bid on my pieces, that was the moment I realized maybe I wasn’t so bad. It did take me a good three or so years to get up the courage to start selling for real, but I’m proud I got over that initial mental block. Now I have participated in three or four festivals. I’m no where near the sales I would need to quit my super stable day job, but it’s enough to feel I’m not totally wasting my time.

I’ll also say that I still don’t give the time to jwadeDESIGNS that I probably should. It is truly still just a side hustle because no matter how much I do truly love creating and drawing, it’s hard to jump into it after a full, long day at my actual job as an IT professional.

However, despite the lack of time, don’t think I’ll turn down a job for a cute custom project! Whether it’s a holiday card set, a single print, a children’s book, or my most recent project – a set of animal themed multiplication cards – I’m all in!

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
This is a fun one. Being in the Smyrna area, there’s some great staples that we would absolutely hit up. For a morning treat, we’d hit up McEntyre’s bakery paired with a tasty latte from Rev Coffee, both right here in Smyrna. Hop over Spring Rd. and you’ve got one of the best Italian supper spots – Mezza Luna. Craving some Mexican food, as we typically do, we’d of course drive over to one of our newest favorite spots – Casita Mexican Kitchen.

Being so close to Truist Park, we’d definitely try to catch a Brave’s game and explore some of the spots at The Battery. Even if the Brave’s aren’t playing, we’d easily keep ourselves entertained for hours – definitely ending the evening sitting in the outdoor space of ASW distillery, sipping on a great cocktail while people watching.

One evening, we’d make the short drive over to downtown Marietta. So many good spots, but probably going to hit up Siete Tacos and Tequila, followed by some of the best cocktails in town at The Third Door.

Another day would be focused on West Midtown. Brewery hopping followed by another tasty meal at Bone Garden Cantina. We’d swing by Puttshack for some midday putt-putt fun, then mosey over to The Painted Duck for some duck-pin bowling. Ending the evening there with an incredibly delicious meal at The Optimist – fantastic oyster options.

If we get the urge to do some shopping, up to Avalon in Alpharetta we go! Even if we just window shop, it’s such a beautifully landscaped and laid out outdoor mall. Some takoyaki at MF Bar would be a must.

It wouldn’t be a trip to Atlanta without making the effort to go for a nice walk on the beltine. Probably start at Ponce City Market, then just hit the trail over to Krog Street Market. Hit up Pour and some other places on the way. We’re definitely eating at Superica, if we haven’t already earlier in the trip.

Obviously, most of our favorite spots revolve around a great food and drink experience, so to fully tie up the successful visit, we’d have to make a stop at one of the best supper spots in town – KR Steakbar. You cannot go wrong with any cocktail there, but the true winner is the Spinalis. Not feeling steak? Don’t fret – their pasta is killer as well.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Of course I would not be where I am today without the encouragement of my husband, Ryan. He bought me my first drawing tablet back in the day, supported my decision to try out art school part-time, does the hard work of setting up and taking down my tent at our local festivals, and continues to encourage me to branch out in my illustrations. I doubt I would have ever created jwadeDESIGNS LLC without him.

Family and coworkers are the other groups who I must shoutout. They are the ones who I started my customized art journey for, and it was their love of their cards that made me feel I may have some skills and even that others may appreciate my illustrations. From showing off my cards in the office and at home to requesting a ton of customized cards for the holidays – their eagerness and excitement has boosted my confidence just enough to actually make this into a side hustle.

Website: https://www.jwadedesigns.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jwadedesigns/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/j-wade/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jwadedesigns