Humans of San Marcos: Jaylynn Davenport Debunks Artist Stereotypes

By Brittney Hemmands
Blog Content Contributor

To some individuals, being an artist may seem like a strange or risky career to choose when working towards a college diploma. A few of the common opinions on the career choices are that it is “too easy” or “worthless in the workforce”, assuming that an Art major will not be able to support themselves financially. Texas State student and artist, Jaylynn Davenport, proves that these opinions are far from the truth and defies normalcy by doing something that most people are afraid to do. With her extensive experience in painting and digital media, Davenport gave me insight into what being artist is really about.

Davenport began drawing at a young age and she remembers her classmates always being fond of her work. Art has been a constant while growing up, but she still she came to the conclusion that art would not satisfy her financial needs and entered college with an English degree. After turning to an advisor, she remembered what her true passion was and realized that what she wanted to do was sustainable. Although her journey to the artist world changed her life, her work and drive, it is what makes her unique. While many artists may use painting and drawing as their only outlet for creating, Davenport uses painting and digital media from her iPad to create beautiful images that are sometimes used as tattoo designs. One of the most important things for her when it comes to her clients is “finding their identity through their design.” Because of this, she spends weeks perfecting clients’ tattoos, so they come out exactly how they want. She also takes critiques very seriously, as they help her improve her work so she can capture the attention of everyone. “Critiquing helps improve, and critiquing is brutal,” Davenport says. “Plenty of people take that negative feedback and don’t apply it to their artwork, but to improve you have to use that negative feedback wisely.”

On top of feedback, Davenport has also received some interesting looks from people after she tells them that she is pursuing Art. She does not let the negativity get to her though, as she combats these looks and comments by stating that she is doing something she loves and that will make her happy. “Most people forget about the rest of their lives and if they’re actually going to happy doing what they’re doing,” Davenport said. “There are plenty of successful designers. There is always going to be a job for me. Your iPhone is a part of design; every product you use is full of design. Businesses need designs.” Her graphic design jobs with the Campus Recreation Center and Dean of Students prove she is not letting any negativity stop her from pursuing her dreams, and she even plans to intern in New York and have her own portfolio site in the near future. To this day, she is taking on the art world with full force and determination.

To all the aspiring artist out there that may be unsure if they are doing the right thing and need some motivation, do it. “Find ways to motivate yourself,” Davenport said. “When you’re working on stuff and it does not come out how you want it can throw you off the wagon, but keep doing it. All my best work has come from me doing it last minute, getting fed up with how it looked, and not thinking it was going to work out and then it turns out exactly the way I wanted it to. Do it and stay with it 100%.”

Maybe what we can all learn from her is the importance of staying motivated and pursuing what we love, even if it means monetary or a time sacrifice.

Featured image by Brittney Hemmands.