In this episode of the Made to Make podcast, host Shannon Grissom sits down with painter JoAnne Perez Robinson for an honest and inspiring conversation about building a creative life from the ground up.
JoAnne shares her artistic journey—from childhood doodles to becoming a professional painter—and opens up about the daily habits that shaped her career, including the discipline of painting every day. Together, they explore the realities of art shows, the emotional highs and lows of putting your work out into the world, and the courage it takes to fully commit to a creative path.
The conversation also dives into JoAnne’s love of experimentation with oils and acrylics, the vital role of family support, and how perseverance and passion sustain an artist through both success and struggle. This episode is a powerful reminder that creativity isn’t just about talent—it’s about showing up, staying curious, and trusting the process.
Perfect for artists, creatives, and anyone navigating the messy, beautiful path of making what they were made to make.
CHAPTERS
00:00 Introduction to Creativity and Art
02:30 The Journey from Hobbyist to Artist
10:04 Daily Painting and Its Impact
18:05 Success in Art Competitions and Exhibitions
25:13 Exploring New Mediums: Oils and Acrylics
32:00 Transitioning to a Creative Life
33:55 Conclusion and Resources
TAKEAWAYS
- Joanne’s early passion for art began in childhood.
- Support from family is crucial for pursuing a creative career.
- Daily painting helps maintain artistic skills and creativity.
- Art shows and community engagement can lead to success.
- Experimenting with different mediums can enhance artistic expression.
- The journey of an artist includes both highs and lows.
- It’s important to treat art as a job to stay committed.
- Finding joy in the process of creating is essential.
- Networking with other artists is enriching.
- Persistence is key in the face of challenges.
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About JoAnne
JoAnne is a California-based painter whose 30-year career as a working artist has been shaped by a lifelong love of drawing, curiosity, and an openness to creative evolution. From her earliest memories of coloring and doodling on everything she could find, art has always been an essential part of who she is. She nurtured that passion through classes, workshops, and self-directed learning, gradually developing a distinctive voice rooted in observation, intimacy, and color.
JoAnne began painting professionally when her daughter was born, a pivotal moment that solidified her commitment to building a sustainable life as an artist. She initially worked in watercolor, creating large-scale pieces, but later transitioned to acrylics when she began selling her work at art festivals. The shift was driven by practicality—acrylics made displaying and transporting work easier—but it also opened new creative possibilities. Around that time, Joanne discovered small canvases and quickly fell in love with their scale, finding them more personal and inviting, encouraging viewers to step closer and engage with fine details.
Her small paintings resonated with collectors, helping her build a loyal following that has supported her work for decades. Joanne’s career includes numerous honors, including multiple wins at the Gilroy Garlic Festival poster contest, where she earned first place in 2006 and 2011, additional second-place awards, and the People’s Choice Award in 2018. She sold her work at the festival for nine years, as well as in shops and galleries throughout California.
As the internet expanded opportunities for artists, JoAnne embraced online platforms, sharing her work on Dailypaintworks and connecting with collectors across the country. In 2017, her paintings were accepted into the Tiny Show at STUDIO Gallery in San Francisco, marking the beginning of an ongoing relationship with the gallery. She has since participated in numerous themed group exhibitions, finding creative inspiration in responding to shared concepts while maintaining her personal voice.
While JoAnne continues to love painting small, she has recently returned to larger works and is actively exploring oils and water-soluble oils, drawn to their luminosity, fluidity, and extended working time. This willingness to experiment reflects her enduring belief in growth and curiosity as vital parts of a creative life. Grateful for the path she’s been able to follow, Joanne remains deeply committed to painting and to the everyday act of making art—a practice that has sustained her for over three decades and continues to inspire her work today.
CONNECT with JoAnne:
Website: https://joanneperezrobinson.com
Daily Paintworks: https://www.dailypaintworks.com/Artists/joanne-perez-robinson-106
TRANSCRIPT
Shannon Grissom (00:00)
Welcome to Made to Make. Here we talk about creativity, the challenges that come with it, and why we keep showing up anyway. Because hey, we are all Made to Make.
Need to make.
Welcome to the Made to Make podcast. This is formerly Painterly Life. Don’t worry, you’re in the right place. I’m your host, Shannon Grissom. Today we are joined by amazing painter, Joanne Perez Robinson. You know, from early doodles to award-winning work, Joanne is a shining example of what it means to keep making year after year, no matter what’s going on. Welcome, Joanne.
JoAnne Perez Robinson (00:47)
Thank you, thank you. I’m so happy to be here.
Shannon Grissom (00:50)
Awesome. tell me about your doodles and your childhood art experience.
JoAnne Perez Robinson (01:00)
Just always drawing. mean, I remember kindergarten, the last day at kindergarten, the teacher gave me the whole bin of crayons and paper. And I came home and I felt like I had this pot of gold or something. But yeah, I just always, and you know, when I’d have to go to church, I would be doodling people’s heads in my songbook and just, I was always.
felt more comfortable with ⁓ something drawing in my hand.
Shannon Grissom (01:34)
Was there a point ⁓ as a child that you thought, wow, I want to do this forever. This is what I want to be. did it come really early or was that later?
JoAnne Perez Robinson (01:44)
no, was always really early. I remember talking to my friends or cousin and talking about where we wanted to be and I always said, I want to be an artist, but I know I can’t. But I would always follow it up with, but I know I can’t because it’s not like something that you can earn a living at, like a weekly paycheck. And that was sort of my family. You grow up, you get a job. ⁓ So I never thought I could be an artist.
but I always wanted to be, so I just kept doing it. And, ⁓ you know, I would take classes here and there, lots of workshops, things like that, but never got to go to formal art school. But yeah, I always just wanted it really bad.
Shannon Grissom (02:30)
So what made the shift from you thinking you couldn’t do it to thinking you could? What happened?
JoAnne Perez Robinson (02:36)
⁓
Well, I went to community college when I was 30. I went back to school and I was supposed to be taking a lot of ⁓ bookkeeping classes, which is not me. I don’t know what I was thinking. I was thinking I wanted a job because we were going to buy a house. I wanted a steady job. So I did go back to school for almost three years, but I took a lot of art on the side. I actually had one of my art teachers say, you should get a double. ⁓
You should get a business degree and an art degree. And I didn’t get the art degree, but the business part helped me, you know? With what I did. So it was all good. But it was when I started going back to school and ⁓ I just couldn’t stop. You know, when I got a job after school, I would get up at four o’clock in the morning, set my alarm, get up at four, and I was at my art table.
until the stove alarm would go off, the buzzer that I would set. And I’m like, ⁓ I have to get ready and go to work. And I hated it. I wanted to stay there at my table. So that’s kind of when I knew I gotta do this. And then I had my daughter. I actually have a son as well. And so I had kind of two only children, because he was 16 and a half when she was born.
When she was born, my husband’s, I was supposed to go back to work. And ⁓ my husband said, why don’t you stay home with her and just do your art? You’ll pursue your art. Yeah, he’s been very supportive all these years. In fact, I couldn’t have done it without him, I have to say. Very supportive, he loves art and he’s just always encouraged me. And that’s really nice. If you don’t have that, I don’t know how you do it. So I did, and I thought…
⁓ you know, when she sleeps, I’ll paint. That’s silly. That’s so silly. But I did, I did try to squeeze it in everywhere I could and like she grew up on my lap, you know, just she, and she’s a great artist to this day. She’s not afraid of, of paint or anything. So just do it. And I think it’s from just having no fear of, I can do this. You know, she just grew up seeing me do it and then she got to do it. So.
Shannon Grissom (04:39)
You
JoAnne Perez Robinson (05:04)
So it’s all good. yeah, and I just made it right when she was born. I just said, this is my job now. And I really ⁓ thought that I had to earn money just from my background growing up the way I did. And that’s what you do. So I wanted to think of a way that I could make money with it. And at first I started doing commissions. So I did a lot of commissions. ⁓
And then when she got into kindergarten, I started thinking more, how can I do this? And I saw these little canvases in the art store and I thought, oh, I could paint those and I could sell those for like 20, like earring prices, $35, $25 at an art show or art and wine. So I did that. I painted a whole bunch of them and I also took my watercolors because I was a water colorist.
then and started doing art and wine festivals, shows like that. And that really helped me, you know, like, ⁓ I can, I can sell my art. I can make money. You know, you don’t make a lot of money, but it’s, if you’re really dedicated and you really want it, you do it. It’s really cool. So I did that for a while and then ⁓ realized that it was hard to do.
to take my watercolors because they had to be in frames and glass and heavy and scratch and packing and all of that. So then I just dwindled down to starting to do only acrylics and doing the littler paintings because it was my business then.
Shannon Grissom (06:48)
Yeah. You know, it’s interesting. I was flashing as you were talking about this. have music turns up in a lot of your paintings and The Beatles. And I was thinking about how hard The Beatles worked early on. They were playing eight hours a day, just grueling hours playing and it really honed their skills.
And you did the same thing with your paintings. You did the exact same thing. And I just thought I was flashing on that because I’ve seen some really cool paintings that you’ve done of musicians. so that kind of tie it in. How cool is
JoAnne Perez Robinson (07:24)
That’s true. That’s really true. I just painted from the time my daughter went to school. I would do my chores You know after I took her to school I’d do my chores and then I would set a timer for when it was time to pick her up and I just like Jammed, you know, I just painted really miles on the brush that yeah Yeah, it was good. I Think that’s better than art school if you ask me. I mean, it’s good to know all of the ⁓
Shannon Grissom (07:43)
years.
JoAnne Perez Robinson (07:54)
course, it’s good to know composition, values, all the things, right? Color. But you find that out by doing it. You find all those things out more by doing it. That’s just my opinion, think. Just miles on the brush.
Shannon Grissom (08:10)
⁓ I’m self-trained myself ⁓ and so yeah, you you start making mistakes then I hone in on, okay, I need help here, this is what I need to learn and then so that’s kind of how it’s worked for me as well. And it really is time under the brush. There’s just no substitute.
JoAnne Perez Robinson (08:24)
Yeah
There
isn’t. And that’s why some people quit, because they want to be good right away. And I’m really glad that I kept a lot of my really early work, because I go, my gosh, I got better. Just keep going. Don’t stop. someday you’ll just go, wow.
Shannon Grissom (08:50)
Yes.
JoAnne Perez Robinson (08:52)
And you’re never there. I mean, you’re always learning. And you always get to this point and then you go back, you know, it’s just that way. And I’ve learned that after these years that there’s going to be highs and lows and valleys.
Shannon Grissom (09:07)
I feel like the graph still keeps, you you’re still going up, up, and there’s dips, but your low is not as low as your first painting, you know. And even this morning, I was working on something and it was just not working out and I gave it about a week’s worth of time. And I thought, you know what? You don’t have to finish this. Go with something, you know, start, you know.
JoAnne Perez Robinson (09:16)
That’s definitely true.
Shannon Grissom (09:33)
start something else. And so I painted over painted over the whole thing with black acrylic and and I’ll start something new. And I just thought that my my energy was not in a place to finish that one. So.
JoAnne Perez Robinson (09:46)
I think that you learn that when you daily paint. Some things aren’t going to happen and you just give up on it and it’s okay. It’s hard to you want to like make it, but if you’re struggling with it, it’s better just to not everything’s going to be a masterpiece.
Shannon Grissom (09:55)
It’s hard to though. Yeah it is.
Right. I tried so hard and I was so disappointed early on when they weren’t. But you know what? Now I’m like, I just know, you know, sometimes you just got to let go and have another day. So I was thinking about your daily painting and your daily painter like me, but I have not participated in the daily paintworks that you’ve been done. You’ve had tremendous success with daily paintwork. Thank you. Talk about your experience there.
JoAnne Perez Robinson (10:32)
That was really exciting because that started, I guess, I think it was around 2011, I think I got on this site called Daily Paintworks. And I had been like communicating with one of my favorite artists, she passed away, but Karen Jurick And I just found her online and we started talking and emailing and I just, she would throw out challenges and I would do them and she would post them on her website, me and a lot of other artists.
But that’s when I really got into it. I’m like, ⁓ I can post a painting every day and people can see it. And then when I sold one the first time, I was like, my God. It opened up the whole world to me. It wasn’t just where I had to drag my art to art shows to get people to see it. Now I could have them see it online. I think it was one of the best things that happened for artists, because you could be your own gallery.
even though I like galleries, you could do your own thing in the middle man, know, you just pop your art on there and if somebody likes it, they want to buy it. There’s PayPal. It’s just great. Yeah, and Facebook too. I’ve sold a lot of work on Facebook and, you know, just it’s amazing.
Shannon Grissom (11:40)
Yeah.
So the paintings that you’re doing, the daily paintings, those are the smaller works. I know you fell in love with painting small, so tell me what that gives you and tell me about that experience.
JoAnne Perez Robinson (12:03)
Well, just to go back a little bit, before I started watercolors, I was painting on eggs. You know, it sounds weird. But yeah, I did a lot of egg paintings and I would sell them in the wineries and at work. And so I was kind of used to painting small and I think I liked that because I would do that in the morning before work and I could get it done. Like I could finish it because it was small. And I think that was the attraction to small paintings for me is I like.
start to finish. you know, nowadays I don’t do that. I still do that. But I mean, nowadays maybe I’ll take a week, you know, if I want. But at that time I was doing like three or four paintings a day. Yeah. But they were little, you know, they were little, but I could finish them. And I really, and I had so many subjects that I was anxious to paint.
that painting small gave me that freedom, you know, to do all these different subjects and, and, you know, just start to finish. I was done and I really liked it. So I would do shows on the weekend and then I would, ⁓ you know, come home during the week, paint again and then go to another show on the weekend. And then also paint, posting them online every day. So it kept me to the fire because I was like, I wanted to be there to post.
I wanted to see my numbers and kind of got addicted to that, you know, because you can see how many people are looking at your painting, how many people like it, how many people put it in their favorites. That’s on Daily Paintworks. You can do that. And so I got very addicted to that. See, just it’s like, you know, when you work as an artist at home, you’re sort of in a vacuum. You’re sort of alone a lot. So when you get online and get a reaction to your work, it’s amazing. Yeah.
Shannon Grissom (13:53)
⁓ is. Well,
I know you talked about a lot of different subjects, but there’s a great unity in your work. You have beautiful, vibrant color. Thank you. Your subjects, no matter what they are, I sense play and fun and joy and movement in everything you do.
JoAnne Perez Robinson (14:18)
Thank
you, that makes me really happy because that’s exactly what I try to do. that’s great! I’m happy in there when I’m painting and I’m so excited about my new subject and the colors I’m going to paint it. So it’s really nice that you see that because… ⁓
Shannon Grissom (14:33)
You
can feel it when you look at your work. How cool is Thank you.
JoAnne Perez Robinson (14:37)
Yeah,
thank you.
Shannon Grissom (14:39)
And
I, you know, was funny because I was thinking about your welcome. I was thinking about the, you know, the collectors to your many paintings. They may be many in size, but they have huge heart. mean, they have huge, you know, so thank you. They have a big presence. So.
JoAnne Perez Robinson (14:57)
You I’ve met so many people from my art. These last 30 years, have like dear friends that I’ve met that I started, I met because they came and bought my art, you know, and then we, connected with me and stayed connected and bought more. Not just that, but they’re friends now. So it’s really just been a great journey. It’s really been cool.
Shannon Grissom (15:20)
Well, you’ve had tremendous success in lots of different areas. And I was thinking about the Gilroy Garlic Festival, which is a huge attracts thousands and thousands and probably millions of visitors every year. And you’ve won the the poster contest several years. So tell me about that whole experience with the.
JoAnne Perez Robinson (15:42)
⁓ That was just so exciting because I entered when I was really young one time. The first time they had the contest, I entered and I didn’t win, they displayed it at the festival. So that kind of gave me a little like, ⁓ and then it took me like 20 years later to do it again. But then when I did it and then I didn’t win and I thought, well, I’m going to do it one more time.
You know, so I did it and then I won first place. so that really made me feel like, okay, I’m an artist now. You know, I don’t know why it was that, but because I had been in ⁓ art shows where I won ribbons and things, but it was really the poster, I think, that made me feel, ⁓ finally, you know, something really big. And then I ended up winning a couple seconds and then another.
So went two firsts, two seconds, and then the last one was really special because it was the last year, or the second to the last year of the festival, and it was people’s choice. The people who work in the festival were the ones that were voting on it. So that’s really cool because it’s not just one judge, you know, it’s a bunch of people. So that was fun.
And then I was able to have my booth there this year when they brought it back. So, and I did have my booth there for a lot of years. ⁓ And I used to do the paintings for the ⁓ cook-off, you know, so they could give as gifts. I did that for three years. the first year I painted a painting for each person. And then, yeah, and I did that the second year too. And then the third year I made one to make a print.
I got, I I smartened up a little bit. That was really fun. All that was just great. You know, it was really cool. That and then that and then getting into ⁓ shout out to Studio Gallery in San Francisco. When I got into that gallery, that was really exciting because that’s she’s it’s such a wonderful, beautiful gallery and she does a great job. They both do the owners.
And it was just like, I had to pinch myself because I’m in this gallery with all these artists that I’ve been admiring for years. And all of a sudden I’m in there with them. And so that was exciting. I think those two things were probably the biggest things that, I mean, there’s been lot of little bit really cool things, but those two things helped me kind of step up a little bit, get to the next level.
Shannon Grissom (18:32)
on the gallery, has that shifted the types of things you’re painting or has it just helped fuel your creative?
JoAnne Perez Robinson (18:42)
I think I love that gallery because I got in the first time in the tiny show and that’s just right up my alley. It has to be seven by seven inches or smaller. So that’s perfect for me because that’s what I paint. ⁓ And then the rest of the year she has ⁓ different shows, group shows, and she will throw out a theme like City Streets, Delicious, which is her favorite. ⁓
You know, so everything’s food. And when you see all these different artists, how they take that theme and do their thing, and then it’s all different, it’s just exciting. You know, it’s really fun. And she’s also given me a lot of collectors too that I would not have had because, you know, how would I get, you know, I don’t know, there’s just people from Marin, Berkeley, San Francisco. I wouldn’t have been able to get those areas without maybe online, but you know.
It really helped being in her gallery and it’s just a really nice experience. I just love her theme. I love her themes that she’ll feel like this year she threw out. one time she threw out Alphabet Soup. That was really fun. And so it had to be the painting had to be the first letter of, you know, so it was just so I remember I did a I did a palette.
with the paint in the palette and then my paintbrushes made an X. So it was X mark the spot. So she just gets me like, you know, I’m like, ⁓ I want to do that. I love that. I love being thrown out a theme.
Shannon Grissom (20:25)
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JoAnne Perez Robinson (21:06)
Yeah.
Shannon Grissom (21:07)
And so how do you get out of it?
JoAnne Perez Robinson (21:11)
⁓ Just by keeping going. Yeah. You know, like I don’t give up and stop. I’ll just go, you know, and go in there in the next day. ⁓
Shannon Grissom (21:24)
So you are a daily painter, I you every day. Yeah, I do that too. Some people are…
JoAnne Perez Robinson (21:30)
I
it in the way, yeah, I like to be, I feel like if I don’t paint every day, I don’t know, I’m gonna lose my edge or something. You know what I mean? And I don’t think you do, but I don’t know. And also it’s sort of a meditation for me, painting. I’ll go in my, I just have to do it. I guess I’m used to it all these years. Because I started doing it when my daughter was in school. That’s when I would make my office hours.
And my husband said that to me too. He said, treat it like a job. Punch in and punch out. And some people would say that’s not good, but for me it’s been really good. I treating it.
Shannon Grissom (22:11)
great advice. I do the same thing. I have dedicated painting time and not much anything gets in the way of that. And I start off my day. Yeah, I start off my day painting that way no matter what happens and the day goes wild, I will have painted and and I’m a much nicer person when I paint.
JoAnne Perez Robinson (22:19)
That’s really good.
I know. My daughter used to tell me, my god, mom, go in your room. And she was right. know, it’s like, if I don’t, you know, sometimes life gets in the way, right? And if I have to go days without painting, I notice it in my body. I notice it. It does not feel good.
Shannon Grissom (22:39)
You
Yeah, it does.
You
gotta have that release. It’s just gotta come out.
JoAnne Perez Robinson (23:00)
Yeah,
it does. And I think that’s the difference between somebody who maybe does it as a hobby and somebody who really wants to do it. I made it a job because I wanted to paint every day. That’s why I made it a job. You know, not to make money, but just I have to do this every day. So it’s got to be my job. So that helped me a lot. Yeah.
Shannon Grissom (23:26)
It does. Wow. So I know that right now you’re you’re always growing and now you’re you’re experimenting with oils and you typically use watercolor acrylic. So how is that shaping what you’re doing going forward? Are you still going back and forth?
JoAnne Perez Robinson (23:45)
Still going back and forth like if I really need to Do some if I want to like enter something I’ll probably do it in acrylic because I’m so used to that medium and I’m just getting used to the oils But I have sold a few oils at a studio. So You know, yeah, was really exciting for me. That’s like the first time again of selling something but ⁓ I like the oil because now that I’m able to slow down a little bit I don’t do so many of the art and wine shows at
You know, it’s hard to move your art from here to there. That’s just a hard thing. The best part is the middle, because it’s not fun sitting down and it’s not fun tearing down. But seeing the people and talking to people is the best part. yeah, so I can slow down a little. So now I can use the oils because I’m not so worried about them being dry. You know, before I would have to have them dry by the weekend. And now I’m…
It’s okay that they’re not dry. And I also like that I can blend better than acrylics. And I like that, you know, that I can go in and change stuff the next day. Like acrylics, you can’t really do that. You have to kind of paint over it. Acrylic is a forgiving medium too, but ⁓ I’m really, really liking the oils. I like, I just have always loved looking at them. And I thought, can never do that because I can’t wait for them to dry.
And I don’t know this medium, so I never really wanted to give it a shot. And then now that I did, I’m really happy because I’m realizing I can do it. And so I moved that barrier, you know, and you know, I put a lot of barriers sometimes. So that was good that I finally just kept going and until I, you know, got comfortable with it. And now I’m comfortable with it.
It’s not as good as acrylics because I’ve been doing that for 30 years. But I think I’m going to just keep going with it because I really like them.
Shannon Grissom (25:49)
that’s cool. I have the same thing in reverse with the oil. So ⁓ I mostly work with oils, but right now I’m working on an acrylic portrait and and I’m tempted to shift back to paint oils over the top just to. And I’m like, no, you got to keep going. Keep going. You’ll get there. And yeah. And there are things I like about both mediums. And once I decided that.
I would honor each one as it is with their strengths rather than trying to make the acrylics like oils or the oils like acrylics, then things started working better. And I think you’re right about ⁓ back to what you were telling yourself and then shifting your thought process on that makes everything work going forward. So that was good.
JoAnne Perez Robinson (26:36)
There’s no reason why you can’t do more than one medium. Yeah? You know, it’s the reason that you can’t.
Shannon Grissom (26:40)
I mean…
We want the whole box of crayons, right? Yeah.
JoAnne Perez Robinson (26:46)
I even did some collages this Christmas ⁓ and I had this huge mess and I told my daughter I showed her a picture and I’m like, you would have got so kicked out of the art room for this. She was like, yeah, you would have banned me from the art room because I just had this huge mess on my table. ⁓ It was hard, you know, I’m an artist and it was still, it was like, well I have to figure out how to do this. You just have to figure it out.
And it’s, but I kept going and I was kind of happy with what I did. So might explore that even more.
Shannon Grissom (27:22)
Yeah, that sounds like fun.
JoAnne Perez Robinson (27:25)
Yeah, I like that I’m able to kind of do more things now.
Shannon Grissom (27:32)
What would you say to somebody who wants to have a creative life and switch from the day job? How would you help them make that transition?
JoAnne Perez Robinson (27:45)
I would say that for me, it was lucky that my husband was really supportive and he worked. So he had to pay check. You know, so I didn’t really, I mean, I paid a few PG &E and phone bills and you know, with my art, I helped, but yeah, I had that. So I didn’t have to totally freak out and worry. And so I would say maybe not quit your job all at once, maybe part-time.
maybe, you know, or maybe do it in the night or the morning like I did at first. ⁓ But definitely that there’s going to be highs and lows. It’s not going to all be great and it’s not going to all be bad. It’s some, it’s just always fluctuating. And I’ve kind of finally gotten into that rhythm and okay, I didn’t, I didn’t get in that show or I didn’t win that, but then, ⁓ I won this, you know, it’s just like, it it goes, you know, so I’m kind of.
really realizing that that’s what it is, the life of an artist is just, you gotta keep working. ⁓ You gotta have people who support you. I don’t know how you do it without that. know, because my parents really supported what I was doing, my husband, my family, so it was, that really helped. Because I felt like encouraged and like I was supposed to be doing that. And if someone tells you you shouldn’t be, that could really be hard. So I would…
banish them. Yes. stay with the positive and realize that there’s highs and lows. And if you don’t get into that show or you didn’t win that contest, enter another one. Just keep going. know, just paint another picture. Just keep painting.
Shannon Grissom (29:10)
Yes.
That’s great advice. ⁓ And even ⁓ successfully as far as sales goes or even the whole rest of it, you know, you’re going to, know that over my many years I’ve had, ⁓ you know, it’s like the Dire Straits song, sometimes you’re the windshield, sometimes you’re the bug. And you know what? You gotta, you gotta keep driving.
JoAnne Perez Robinson (29:29)
Yeah.
Exactly
I
I know. You know, and I keep track of everything I’ve sold and some years were fantastic. Just crazy. And then some years were slow. You know, kind of like when I was taking care of my mom or, you know, ⁓ just certain times in your life, life, like you have to like, life gets in the way sometimes. That’s why it’s really good that you go in your studio early because in the morning and get that done. Cause life can, you know, it’s easy to put art on the back burner.
Shannon Grissom (30:24)
It is. And there are just demands from family and other obligations that you need to attend to. And so if I do it first thing in the morning, heck, before anybody else is up, ⁓ I’ve got that sacred time and then I’m in a stronger position for whatever the day brings.
JoAnne Perez Robinson (30:43)
Yes, I love the morning time too because no one bugs you. It’s like if I’m up early at six in my studio, no one’s going to bother me. It’s great. The phone doesn’t ring. It’s just good. Yeah, it’s a good time. You’re fresh. You know, you’re kind of fresh. And yeah, it’s not like at the end of the day where you’re, I’ll do this tomorrow because I’m tired or whatever.
Shannon Grissom (30:57)
I
We’ve had similar paths. When I was leaving my day job, I worked my way down the ladder. And so I worked part-time for a while when I made the decision to become an artist full-time. And so I worked my way down the ladder, got less stressful jobs. And I did the same thing. I would get up early in the morning and paint before work, because after work, I was fried. didn’t want to paint. And you had other stuff going on. So I did the same thing. I would get up.
You know, I set a little timer so that I wouldn’t get lost, otherwise you’d be late for work, you know, and I just kind of…
JoAnne Perez Robinson (31:44)
The first time I got a call, are you going to come pick up your daughter? Then I started setting the oven timer because I’m like, my God, I get so in my world. I think that’s why I love it. You know, like I said, it’s like meditation. It’s just me in the painting and I get so into it that nothing else penetrates. And it’s just like great. It feels good. It feels good. Yeah. You know, I had to…
Shannon Grissom (32:00)
It is.
JoAnne Perez Robinson (32:13)
kind of get a little side job too when finances were hard around 2008 and I got a part-time job and or I got a temporary job at the seed company around the corner from me at Goldsmith Seeds and I thought, well, this will be good. I don’t have to do meetings or anything, just gonna pack seeds, you know, just so I can come home and paint.
Of course it wasn’t like that. It was harder than I thought. But that’s when I really decided to, because when I left that, I only worked there like a year and a half, made some wonderful friends, but I realized I don’t want to punch in and out. I want to be an artist and I’m just going to do it no matter what. that’s when I just really just decided it. That was like halfway through and I just decided I can’t.
work for anybody else. It’s just not good for me. I mean, because really, I could probably make more money working at, I don’t know, anywhere, it’s just not fulfilling. It does hurt your soul, thank you. It does.
Shannon Grissom (33:11)
Yeah.
It would hurt your soul.
I’ve had to go back a couple times in between, you and that was the first time I had to go back to a job. thought, I was this failure, but you know what? You do what you got to do. And I did. I felt like I was this huge failure because here I’d been painting for years and then I had to suck it up and do it. And and so it was it was hard emotionally. And but, you know, I did it and.
JoAnne Perez Robinson (33:37)
That way too
Shannon Grissom (33:55)
And then I ended up meeting really cool people. And even though I may not have liked the job, was, you know, I had a couple really cool ones after that. So, yeah.
JoAnne Perez Robinson (34:06)
Yeah, I made a lot of friends at that job that I still have today and I’m really grateful for that. So I think it was where I was supposed to be. know how you look back and it’s like a mosaic of your life. You oh, that should have happened. At the time I didn’t want it to, but it should have.
Shannon Grissom (34:23)
Yeah, so yeah, it’s having that mindset that everything is happening for us rather than to us. Yeah.
JoAnne Perez Robinson (34:29)
I know sometimes maybe it’s good not to fight so much. Yeah, with it. Go with the flow ⁓
Shannon Grissom (34:33)
I’m just in the-
Yeah.
So where can people find more information about you online?
JoAnne Perez Robinson (34:42)
Okay, well, I don’t know, are you? Are you good at keeping your website up to date?
Shannon Grissom (34:48)
Yes, I am. ⁓
JoAnne Perez Robinson (34:51)
You should do a workshop on that. ⁓ I try. So my website is Joanne Perez Robinson dot com. And then you can see everything pretty much there. And also on Daily Paintworks, you can find me in the artist search. You can find my name in Daily Paintworks and it’ll show my whole gallery. It’s kind of easier to see it there. OK. And then, yeah, and then ⁓ Instagram, all this stuff. You know, I tried to do TikTok.
Shannon Grissom (34:53)
You
JoAnne Perez Robinson (35:21)
But I don’t know, it’s, you know, all the things are a little tough for me because it gets in the way of the painting. so I figured like Facebook, Instagram, Daily Paintworks, my website, those are all places that you can find me. And I do pretty good on all of them, you know, when one doesn’t work, the other ones do, so.
Shannon Grissom (35:45)
Yeah, it’s good to have them spread out like that.
JoAnne Perez Robinson (35:47)
And it’s studio studio gallery. ⁓ yeah. Yeah. Yeah.
Shannon Grissom (35:50)
⁓
Well, I will put all those links in the show notes on the website and Wow, well, thanks for being here, Joanne.
JoAnne Perez Robinson (36:00)
thank you. It so fun. I love talking about art and I don’t get you, you know, it’s like my husband’s sick of me. No, he’s not, but like, if he has a conversation with me, it usually comes up art. So it’s nice to have somebody to talk to that gets really, yeah.
Shannon Grissom (36:15)
It is.
Our creative tribe. Yes, that’s a wrap for today’s episode. Thanks for being here on the Made to Make podcast. Please be sure to like, subscribe and share so that I can bring more inspiring people to you. We’ll see you next time.