Meet Jennifer DeRosa

We recently connected with Jennifer DeRosa and have shared our conversation below.

Jennifer, we’re thrilled to have you on our platform and we think there is so much folks can learn from you and your story. Something that matters deeply to us is living a life and leading a career filled with purpose and so let’s start by chatting about how you found your purpose.

It’s been a winding path for me. In college, I wanted to be an actor, an internship in casting quickly beat the desire to be the person auditioning in that room away. Luckily, my theatre program trained us with additional skills, my time working in the Costume Shop in school is ultimately what gave me my toe hold in the film industry. I did retail, makeup, skincare, fashion design and finally landed in Costume Design for Film, TV and Theatre. In all that time, over the last 20 or so years, I always had something itching in my brain in regards to Interior Design. After over a decade in the film industry, I am too familiar with the machine that churns through young hopeful artists. It’s not just that the film scene is hard — hard I can handle — but it’s rude and ungrateful. So, I started a certification in Interior Design, A few classes in I was working a Costume gig that gave me multiple panic attacks and the people I was working for gave me serious ick. That gig reassured me that switching toward Interior Design and away from Film was going to be the right path. I still act (in theater), I still do costumes for film (for now) but re-camping living spaces is where it’s most exciting for me at this moment.

The problem with me is that I am a multi-tool of a human, when people ask what I do — my answer is I’m a Designer. That is usually followed up with what kind? What kind do you need? Do you have an interesting project? Cause I am usually willing to give it a go. I have that brain that sees potential — in a person, in a space, in a vision that can push you a few inches beyond your comfort zone. I blame Theatre. It taught me to do a bunch of things, or to dare to even try to do something I haven’t tried before. So how did I find my way here? I tried a bunch of doors. With every project I evaluate if it brings me joy, because if it doesn’t I work too dang hard to do something I don’t like. That right there is a gospel I will sing to anyone who will listen — life is too short for you to not love what you do.

Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?

These days I’m focused on Interior Design, it’s a frontier that brings a new puzzle to me every time. I’ve had a few conversations recently about what do Interior designers do? It’s not just paint and curtains and furniture, at least it’s not for me. It’s floor plans, presentation, research and for me a hands on experience. I take an intimate approach, I like to get a feel for what my client may want but don’t know how to communicate. Where my Fashion and Costume experience give me a tiny leg up is that I like to look at someone’s wardrobe, what’s their favorite thing to wear? What makes them feel special? What colors do they look good in? Clothing can tell me volumes! But also, for me Interiors aren’t just curating a beautiful magazine picture, it’s curating a space that makes you feel at home, a sanctuary, a representation of you that other people get to see. For me design is personal, it’s a love language for me to give a client the thing they didn’t even know they wanted.

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

Empathy, Creativity and Organization are my big hitters. Without the ability to tap into a relationship with another person fairly quickly, I wouldn’t be as qualified in all the corners of my life as I am. Practical skills of course, the sewing, the painting, the ability to build (moderately), teamwork, almost all of that I got from doing theatre. I’ve had some conversations recently about how do you get into the interior design field? You don’t have to get a certification to be a decorator, it helps so much though. Learning drafting, space planning, presentation work, it definitely helps to go through classes for all of that. But, none of that will teach you instinct or intuition. Creativity is a superpower, the rest is just teaching you how to harness it.

Awesome, really appreciate you opening up with us today and before we close maybe you can share a book recommendation with us. Has there been a book that’s been impactful in your growth and development?

The War of Art by Stephen Pressfield is a book I occasionally go back to. He is a writer so the journey is told through a writers point of view for Writing, but the lessons are so applicable to any creative job. He highlights the idea that you have to do your art, every day, not just when you’re getting paid. You only get better by doing. He also talks a lot about resistance and how many things in our daily lives distracts us from doing our art. Even if you scrap the work you did that day it taught you something, so it’s worth doing.
I’m a big believer that every path we take offers a lesson, the hard ones or the ones we would label as mistakes are often the biggest lessons. I encourage everyone to take the leap, try the thing and be bold heading into the unknown.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://designerderosa.wixsite.com/designs
• Instagram: @jenderosadesigns

Image Credits

Headshot image by Troy Blendell Instagram @troyblendell