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Tell us your full name, age, hometown and passion.
My name is Jennifer Anne Faust. I’m 40 from Portland, OR and my passion is honesty.
What dream are you currently living out?
I am a singer/songwriter and a local clothing designer in the Northwest. I also work part-time in a bookstore, and do some interior painting to help attain the freedom to pursue my dreams.
Where were you before you decided that it was possible to pursue your dream?
I have always pursued my dreams, but my dreams change as I change. I grew up a dancer and danced with ballet companies, attended UCLA as a dance major, dropped out to model, danced in several music videos in the late ’80s to early ’90s- went to Japan during this time for work- and eventually moved to New York for a couple of years where I was dancing and modeling.
I decided I wanted to be a designer after a modeling job at F.I.T. I went back to school in California, and eventually ending up with a degree in CAD of Apparel, with the intention of starting up a company that could create individual patterns for individual people. But along the way, my world vision got small. I wanted to enjoy the craft of sewing. I became interested in salvaging old fabrics instead of creating more waste, and I loved making each garment unique. I did this for eight years, supplemented by modeling work. During this time, I had a child. I started writing songs and singing and eventually this took over all my other hobbies. After a three-year hiatus from clothing design, I’ve become inspired once again, and I am now concentrating on lingerie created out of salvaged fabrics.
Did you have an epiphany or a change in mindset when you realized that it was possible? When/what happened?
It’s not that I had an epiphany that made me realize it was possible. The epiphany for me has been this: relish the creative moment and don’t spend too much time dreaming of “making it”, because you are “making it”.
I have had a lot of depression come my way due to the frustrations of not “making it” along with the feeling that time was running out. One of the things that keeps me in check is the fact that I’m in really good company. There are too many artists, musicians, and writers to list who passionately spent their lives creating their art, dying penniless and unknown, only to be ‘discovered’ posthumously. Am I passionate enough to sacrifice comfort for creative expression? Yeah!! Hell yeah!!
When you committed yourself to walking that path, what changed for you?
What changed was less talk, more action. I spent more time creating than competing, and also really listened to inner conversation instead of being affected by, say, parental disdain and such (why can’t you just find a man/job and settle down?).
What mental barriers did you have to overcome? What fears did you have to confront?
My mental barriers involve insecurity when it comes to making connections with the outside world. I create music and designs in my basement, and in that basement, I think I’m the bomb. Outside of that basement, I start to worry about how to communicate with others, and I’ve been known to tell myself things like “I’m not gonna call that club to book a show, or contact that store to sell my goods because they won’t like my music/designs.”
The older I get, the more I realize that is the way of the world, and the chance is always 50/50, but in order to possibly even get a response from those you desire to win over, you HAVE to put yourself out there and fight being reclusive and fight worrying about rejection. I like to believe that no matter what happens, I’ll continue doing the creative things I love to do, and anything above and beyond is frosting!
What kind of feedback or advice were you given and how did you perceive it?
I’ve been given a lot of positive feedback, but I find it’s best to let talk take a back seat to action, because talk, ego-stroking, as well as criticism, can move the focus from that of creation to that of theory. Advice is a little different, and can often lead to improved creations, absolutely. But like feedback, unless it is utilized to improve the final outcome, it’s just serving as a deterrent and a time-waster, and should be recognized as such. What inspired you to reflect on your former circumstances and begin to define how you wanted to live your life?
Recently, two things. I had a succession of two separate band break ups that were initially devastating. One was with a man I loved and shared my home life with, as well as my music. The other was with my best girlfriend. Both of these projects had a lot going for them. I was working with amazing recording engineers, had label interest, and had won a radio contest out of L.A., claiming my band as ‘most sign-able’. I had such lofty hopes for both of those projects, not to mention the relationships. Through all of this, my oldest project, Cotton Jenny, continued rehearsing and gigging regularly, and those band-mates were so accepting and forgiving of me. I really learned how much I love creating music for the sake of music with musicians who feel the same way. I realized how fortunate I was to have such an unbreakable project, and to slow the hell down and concentrate on one thing at a time instead of feeling like time was running out. Since then, I’ve been practicing by myself more, and there is an amazing camaraderie amongst the Cotton Jenny mates.
How has doing what you are doing, changed how you see future possibilities and challenges?
I see future possibilities as endless, and future challenges as unavoidable. Such is life! Who knows, maybe I’ll end up singing in front of an orchestra someday, or perhaps hitting the road to tour with my daughter (who is proving to be an amazing songwriter herself). Or maybe I’ll lose my voice and put more energy into the clothing design. Maybe I’ll make dolls. Maybe I’ll start choreographing dance numbers for a traveling burlesque troupe! I may never have my art be my main source of income, but I’ll never stop being creative. It is the air I breathe.
What are your strength and weaknesses? Which are you trying to improve upon?
My strength and my weakness is my stubbornness. It keeps me on a path true to myself, but sometimes blocks out those who happen to be traveling on the same path next to me. I’m trying to be more receptive to criticism and more accepting of rejection, because they just never go away and there are important lessons to be learned from them. I’m also trying to include my daughter in the creative process more because she’s mature enough now to understand the child-like joy that comes from creating something unique.
What have you learned about life from your journey?
Slow down, get small, spend less, love yourself more, and enjoy this brief ride as much as possible.
How do you perceive society?
Society is this country reminds me of myself during adolescence; I was so influenced by those who were famous, and I wanted so badly to climb to the top and be a star, I didn’t care what happened to myself or those around me along the way. Our society is so focused on youth and beauty, and during that period of my life, I was fairly miserable. I hope someday this balances out a little. I recently went to Sicily and fell in love with the way Sicilians, young and in-between and old, all spent time together. What would be your advice to other people who want to live out their dreams?
If you set goals for realizing your dream and don’t reach them by the deadline you’ve set, re-assess the dream and be truthful to yourself about what it is you really want. It’s o.k. to change your mind, shift, rethink, or even quit! Just don’t play games with yourself because it’s wasted energy and it’s exhausting.
What is most important to you in life?
Time. I could never work a full-time job for somebody else. I need time to create, more than I need money to survive.
What are you most proud of in your life?
I’m most proud of being an example, to my daughter, of a woman who follows her heart and isn’t afraid.
What is your next dream?
My next dream…I’m too caught up in my present dreams to think that far ahead. Cotton Jenny will be going into the studio this winter to capture the current magic, and my lingerie line, Narcissia Dial, has been accepted into a couple of great local shops. I guess I’d like to find distribution for the new CD and find more shops to carry my line, but baby steps….
To learn more about Jennifer and her projects, click on the links below:
http://myspace.com/jenniferfaust
http://myspace.com/cottonjennyswings
I think you are the greatest, and keep inspiring me.
Elissa
Jesse Brian Christie
the words you use inspire me
stay loco