Meet Joy Hagen

Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Joy Hagen. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Hi Joy, thanks for sharing your insights with our community today. Part of your success, no doubt, is due to your work ethic and so we’d love if you could open up about where you got your work ethic from?

My parents were my example when it comes to work ethic. The first five years of my life were spent living in a house built for us in the middle of the jungle on Basilan Island in the Philippines. There was no nearby town or grocery, only one neighbor, a dirt road and ever-present jungle. We attended the local church every Sunday, all dressed in our finest, and my mother even sang in the choir. We were provided with an amah (my second mom), a housekeeper, a cook and a gardener. They were all like family and we celebrated birthdays and events with their families. It was really quite idyllic. My father was a forester and my mother had been an art and music teacher. Both were well educated and well read. My father would come home with stories full of adventure. He would sing funny songs and jingles and recite poems both funny and sometimes scary. He taught my sister and me how to be very aware of our environment: what not to touch, what not to step on, what not to eat, and to always be on the alert for the unusual. My mother was a very frugal and creative do-it-yourselfer, teaching us how to make do with what little was at hand. Mornings were flannel board Bible stories she created, music and singing lessons in the piano room made just for her. Our playroom had a wall to wall chalk board where we would have story time and lessons in our ABC’s and numbers. Then it was playtime and I spent most of my time either drawing on the chalk board or bothering our gardener and the two neighbor boys.

Back home in Seattle, education, honesty, empathy and hard work were instilled in me throughout my childhood. I worked to buy the things I wanted beginning in junior high and continuing all the way through college. I learned about sticking to commitments, being honest, coping with the unexpected and always being polite and respectful. There was no swearing in our house, no yelling and screaming (or you went to your room). There was music everyday, games and puzzles, reams of paper for drawing, painting, and writing my own stories. There were shelves full of books to read or just look at the pictures, and my favorite: our annual summer vacation packing everything into the car and camping and hiking all over the West Coast.

I was raised strict and yet, I was free to be myself and explore and learn to cope and be on my own. I started traveling and seeing the world once I was in college and was very happy in my ability to support myself in my independence. I have been traveling and learning about other cultures ever since and along the way, I was always making art of one kind or another.

Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?

I’ve been making art of one kind and another ever since I can remember, But as I headed off to college, my mother said, “Whatever you do, do not major in art.” So I majored in Political Science and learned how to interview witnesses, write summaries of depositions, organize files and exhibits for court and write business letters, all of which was good training as I started my own business later in life. I owned a decorative art business for 10 years before decided to try my hand at fine art. I then formed Studio 103, located in the hub of Seattle’s art world in Pioneer Square. Studio 103 has evolved over the years to include 4 resident artists plus two annual art shows that encourage and foster up and coming and under-served artists. Studio 103 has allowed me to do what I love best – make art, have a place to exhibit and sell, create collaborations and give back to the community. Best of all, I have the freedom to make any kind of art I want and not put myself in a niche. My art is my story-telling and memory sharing of all I’ve experienced along the way. It is also my song of praise and call for stewardship for this beautiful place where I live – the Pacific Northwest.

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

A childhood of making do with what is at hand and the creative environment that was my home has everything to do with where I am now. Working in the business world developed my communication and organizational skills along with boosting my confidence in dealing with the public. Once I began my artist journey, it was a matter of taking classes, learning new skills, joining art groups and practice, practice, practice. My advice: Follow your heart and it will take you where you will grow, learn, flourish and be happy.

Alright so to wrap up, who deserves credit for helping you overcome challenges or build some of the essential skills you’ve needed?

When I first started putting my art out there to enter shows, there was one particular show I didn’t get into and was really disappointed. Another artist next to me during the reception said “Don’t worry. My “no” pile is way higher than my “yes” pile. With those words of wisdom, I realized I just needed to push on and get used to rejection. So I kept learning, making connections, attending art events, volunteering, joining art organizations and, of course, submitting, submitting, submitting. Perseverance has put my in a place in my art career and business where I am happily exploring and experimenting without regard to where the art will go after that. Making art has saved my sanity, my self doubt, and was often my only solace when I was dealing with painful and sad times. Turn on my music, start a project and I am at peace.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.joyhagenart.com www.studio103gallerytk.com

Image Credits

Larry McDaniel

City of Covington

Joy Hagen