SHINE! SHOWCASE: Jaye C. (jayetheartist.gather.com)

Welcome to the newest SHINE SHOWCASE!

Each week (or so... ) I  select another member of our group here on GATHER to showcase on our  GATHER site by making them a "Feature". This means that one of their works (I choose) will be shared with everyone along with a bio. Through this showcase, I hope you will learn something new about our SHINE members as well as support their creative efforts.  If you would like to be featured it's easy: You must be a member of  our SHINE group here on GATHER  and you just have to let me know! How's that for ease of use?

This week, please welcome a degreed architect and artist who also creates handcrafted jewelry, purses and home decor items. Our showcased creative is none other than Jaye Coltharp aka  Jaye C.  Hailing from the "Show Me" state  (Missouri) she certainly has a lot to show (and share with) us! 

Jaye C.  left the architecture profession after three years to become a visual artist. "I sold art on the internet for a few years, and then last year decided to open a "real" boutique and gallery." There she sells her handcrafted items in addition to her artwork. Jaye C. is the first artist to be featured on the SHINE! Gather site. 

What else can I tell you about our very ambitious featured creative? 

She's a writer. She says,"I write on the side, mostly novels, when I get the chance. I entered the First Chapters contest with my first, which is undergoing one last edit, and a second one is in progress."  How did she begin writing? " I got started writing (don't laugh) fan fiction back in college, but now mostly write about women involved in the music business in one way or another."  

She's a musician. "I have a fascination with the world of pop music, as I also dabble here and there in songwriting and singing and would have loved to have pursued a career in music beyond singing at karaoke bars and composing songs on my computer for fun."  Some of her favorite music is by Harry Connick Jr., *NSync and  AC/DC. She adds: "And 80s music. Lots of 80s music." I think Jaye C. must have a terrific sense of humor since her hero is Weird Al! 

On finding her muse she tells me she doesn't think of her creative drive very much.  "I dabble in so many different things that I seem to have more ideas than I have time to execute them...My biggest problem as far as motivation is a tendency to want to move onto a new project before finishing the last one, but I work two jobs, and that's made me better at setting my own deadlines. I do think the key to creativity is to have the right music playing while you work..."  

Jaye C. and I share a love of reading and also insufficient time to read everything on our respective "lists"! Her taste in books varies from Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum series to non-fiction especially books about "ancient history, new-age religion and philosphy (some of them are pretty far out, but interesting to read) and art theory."  

What might some find surprising about Jaye C? She has seven  tatoos so far and counting. "Someday, if I run out of creative things to pursue, I'd love to become a tattoo artist myself."

Enjoy your day and keep shining!

(c) 2007 Pamela Tyree Griffin