Exploring the Artistic Journey of Painter Megan Jentsch
- Hawk-IT Interviews
- 10 hours ago
- 9 min read
Welcome to Hawk-IT Interviews! Today, I had the pleasure of doing a Q&A session with artist Megan Jentesch, a talented painter based in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. In this interview, we discuss Megan's artistic journey, explore the inspiration behind her work, and learn more about her creative process, experiences, and interests. Join us as we get to know the artist behind the canvas and gain insight into her unique perspective on art and life.
Amit Ahuja: To begin at the very foundation of your story, we’d love to step back into your early years. What were the environments you grew up in like—your hometown, the culture, the people, the energy, and the sense of community surrounding you during childhood and your teenage years? Looking back now, how do you feel those formative experiences, relationships, struggles, and moments of inspiration shaped not only the person you became, but also your emotional depth, artistic perspective, and the way you approach creativity and self-expression today?
Megan Jentsch: I grew up in Oliver, which is a small town in British Columbia, Canada. During childhood & teenage years, my parents had a fruit farming business, which allowed me to spend a lot of time outdoors with nature. It felt so freeing to roam free at such a young age and to be curious about the world. My parents always nurtured my creativity. I remember one spring my dad hired me to draw the cherry trees on his farm. It was such a blessing to be around a loving family that encourage me to strengthen my creativity rather than silence it.
Amit Ahuja: Canada has such a rich and diverse creative landscape. From your experience as an artist, how would you describe the art community there overall? What makes the Canadian art scene unique, and how have the people, support systems, galleries, exhibitions, and creative culture within Canada influenced your journey and growth as an artist?
Megan Jentsch: When we talk about the art communities, we have to remember that they are built by people who carry the same emotional tool belt as any where else in the world. Environments can bring out different characteristics. As an artist creating in Vancouver, I personally feel the environment to be healing, both spiritually and mentally, so it has a calming effect on my soul. The art community is filled with lovely, open people ready to help you.
Amit Ahuja: You’ve participated in so many group exhibitions and art fairs throughout Canada. What has the experience been like sharing your artwork with the public in those spaces, connecting with different audiences, and seeing people respond to your work in person? Looking back on those exhibitions and fairs, are there any memorable moments, meaningful interactions, or stories that have stayed with you and made a lasting impact on you as an artist?
Megan Jentsch: Most of my artist journey I’ve leaned into abstraction. I love the challenge of creating what we feel. Most people that view my work try to see something they recognize in the physical world, like a bird or a face. There is nothing wrong with that. I’ve learned to accept all feedback and understand it’s a mirror for the person looking at it to learn more about themselves. I really enjoy talking to people and the life stories that come up during conversation.
Amit Ahuja: Now, let’s turn the conversation toward your art and creative journey. Can you take us back to the beginning and share how your relationship with creativity first started to develop? Was there a particular artwork, person, memory, emotion, or period in your life that awakened your passion for art and made you realize painting was something you wanted to pursue seriously? At what point did creativity evolve from simply an interest into something deeply personal and essential to who you are today?
Megan Jentsch: At first painting was an experiment. I remember being too scared to even walk into an art store and select a couple tubes of paint - it was all very intimidating. I remember seeing the works of Franz Kline and being so engulfed in the simple brush work. I still remember the challenge of my first painting, in the sense that it was a whole world you could create and stand by. That challenge stuck to me with all my works and the calling evolved into who I am today
Amit Ahuja: In what ways can those early influences still be seen in your work today—whether through your creative process, artistic style, choice of subjects, use of color, texture, or the emotions and stories you aim to express through your paintings?
Megan Jentsch: At one point on my journey, I was really into learning about the lives of artists that inspired me. I found it interesting that the common thread was this unstoppable pull to create through all odds. For me, the answer is always to make art. It heals and helps process life.
Amit Ahuja: How has your artistic style evolved throughout the years, and what experiences—both personal and creative—have influenced those transformations the most? I started very much painting abstract expressionism. Paint how we feel.
Megan Jentsch: My creative spaces were insanely messy, disorganized and reactive. In the past five years or so my personality has changed into being more intentional and slowing down the process. This is why I have incorporated masking techniques and gradients that take more time to create.
Amit Ahuja: Every creative journey comes with obstacles. What were some of the biggest struggles or challenges you faced early on as an artist, and how did those experiences shape your resilience and growth both personally and creatively?
Megan Jentsch: My biggest obstacle in the creative journey is when I got diagnosed with Bipolar. I went through two psychosis episodes (your mind loses sense of reality). It was really scary. I had to slow down my lifestyle and make healing front and centre - even above art. I look back and thank the diagnosis, because now I’m able to live a balance lifestyle that isn’t so extreme (ex. Staying up all night to make a painting).
Amit Ahuja: If your younger self could see the artist, you’ve become today, what do you think they would feel most proud of—or perhaps most surprised by?
Megan Jentsch: I think they would be the most surprised by how simple life really is. Today I honour the small wins like exercising or showing up for an hour or two in the studio. I think when I was younger, I would dream too big and have unrealistic goals for myself.
Amit Ahuja: Were there moments throughout your journey where you questioned yourself or even considered giving up? During those difficult periods, what kept you motivated to continue creating and believing in your vision? Yes absolutely.
Megan Jentsch: There were a couple years after my psychosis where I didn’t paint one thing or even feel like an artist. The good news is being an artist isn’t a job; it’s a way of being. There has to be lows to feel the highs. One thing that help me keep going is that the reminder that it is a life journey, this makes me feel like time is on my side.
Amit Ahuja: When you begin a painting, do you usually start with a clear vision, concept, or emotional message already in mind, or does the artwork naturally evolve throughout the process as you experiment with movement, texture, color, and emotion on the canvas?
Megan Jentsch: I start with layers of how my paintings were in my early career. Abstract brushstroke that are free and uncalculated. Next I take the painting and bring it into Adobe Illustrator to map out the compositions of the gradients. I would say work is a mix of both an intuitive and thoughtful process.
Amit Ahuja: Your artistic style feels incredibly distinctive and emotionally layered. What inspired you to develop the creative approach you’re known for today, and how has that vision evolved over time? Looking specifically at some of the works you’ve created from 2023 until now, can you share the stories, emotions, or experiences behind a few of those pieces and what you hoped audiences would connect with or understand through them?
Megan Jentsch: Thank you. In order to create the work i’m making today, was build off many trials and errors. In order to create authentic work, you must look within and every decision has to come from what resonates. That’s how I try to move through the work, honest choices, that reflect who I am and what I want to leave behind.
Amit Ahuja: How long does a piece typically take for you to complete, and how does the artwork emotionally or visually evolve throughout that process?
Megan Jentsch: For me painting starts in the mind, before the physical components are in front of you. So truly it’s hard to say how long it does take to make. Visually the piece will change quite a bit from start to finish.
Amit Ahuja: Do you believe your artwork reflects more of your conscious thoughts and intentions, or do you feel it often reveals emotions and truths coming from a deeper subconscious place?
Megan Jentsch: I would say it comes from a deeper subconscious place.
Amit Ahuja: What details or emotional elements within your work do you feel audiences tend to connect with the most deeply?
Megan Jentsch: If I had to guess, I’d say the colors and energized compositions are what people connect with.
Amit Ahuja: If one of your paintings could speak directly to the audience, what do you think it would say? One thing it would never say is “do you like me”.
Megan Jentsch: One thing it would never say is “do you like me”.
Amit Ahuja: On a personal and emotional level, what does art truly mean to you today?
Megan Jentsch: On a personal level art means telling your truth. In my opinion it's the bravest thing you can do for the world and the collective consciousness.
Amit Ahuja: What do you think people misunderstand the most about art—or about artists themselves?
Megan Jentsch: That you are either creative or not. When in reality, we are all creatives.
Amit Ahuja: As artificial intelligence continues becoming a major topic within creative industries, what are your thoughts on its growing presence in the art world? As someone who creates with their hands and emotions, do you feel AI could impact originality, creativity, or the value of human-made art in the long run?
Megan Jentsch: I don’t believe AI will replace art.
Amit Ahuja: There’s often a strong relationship between creativity and mental health. Throughout your journey, how have you balanced emotional well-being while pursuing something so personal and emotionally demanding? Were there certain habits, practices, or support systems that helped ground you through both the highs and lows of being an artist?
Megan Jentsch: As I mentioned before, my life does not revolve around art like it used to. For me the most important thing is my health and balance in my daily life. It’s not healthy to create art when you have lost your mind (talking from personal experience).
Amit Ahuja: Outside of painting, what are some of the hobbies, films, books, music, or other forms of art that naturally inspire you? What kinds of stories, visuals, or experiences tend to capture your attention and influence your creativity, even indirectly?
Megan Jentsch: I love to learn about human emotions and read about philosophy. I love all types of music - I’m one of those people that always have headphones on when walking the city. I’m inspired by fashion, graphic design and typography.
Amit Ahuja: On a deeper level, what does creating art truly represent for you personally? Would you describe it as healing, emotional release, self-discovery, confrontation, or perhaps a combination of all of those things? How do those emotions, internal struggles, and life experiences ultimately shape the movement, energy, and emotional atmosphere that appears on the canvas?
Megan Jentsch: I’d say my biggest goal is to create safe spaces for people to be themselves. I don’t tend to show how hard something is and only filter the good. I think my paintings are like that, they present quite energized and positive.
The creative journey is often filled with rejection, setbacks, and moments of self-doubt. What advice would you give to emerging artists trying to navigate those difficult experiences? How can they transform failure, uncertainty, and criticism into motivation and long-term creative growth?
Megan Jentsch: No one can see your vision for your life but you. You have to believe in that and trust it before anything else. People say wrong things all the time.
Amit Ahuja: As we wrap up, what message would you most like to leave your supporters, readers, and anyone still searching for their own creative voice? For people out there chasing a dream or struggling to believe in themselves, what feels most important for you to share right now?
Megan Jentsch: Megan Jentsch: Never give up on yourself.
Amit Ahuja: Thank You So Much to Megan Jentsch for sharing your story with us today.
If you enjoyed this piece, please consider supporting Megan Jentsch by exploring more of her work at the link below. You can also follow her on social media to keep up with her newest creations and updates.
Megan Jentsch Website:
Megan Jentsch Instagram:
***All photos used by Hawk-IT Media are credited to Megan Jentsch.***
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