Joanne Fink loves to draw and letter to inspire herself and others. The tag line for her Zenspirations® brand is ‘Live by inspiring others to fly’…and that’s exactly what she does.
Inspiring words and positive thoughts are always present in Joanne’s art. Her passion for drawing is evident in the huge archive of work – thousands of images – she has created over the years. No matter where Joanne goes, she always has pen and paper with her as her ideas seem to flow endlessly.
“I love the interaction of ink on paper, and draw every day…it is a form of prayer for me. Zenspirations brings me such joy, and I am glad to share my art, and the techniques I use, in hopes that others will experiment with patterning, drawing, and sharing from the heart.”
Zenspirations is the outgrowth of Joanne’s career in product development, her expertise as a world renowned calligrapher, designer, author and teacher, and her personal spiritual journey. More than simple lines on a page, her unique art style and approach to spiritual and creative expression builds bridges of understanding between people, as Zenspirations enables people to find their own voice and sets them on the path for soul/spiritual growth. Joanne encourages her fans to pair Zenspirations distinctive double-stroked illustrations with inspirational text or scripture.
“I love to engage people of all ages to use my art as a vehicle to express themselves, regardless of their creative skills. I receive letters from all over the world saying ‘thank you for teaching me how to draw something I’m proud of.”
Joanne has spent most of her 30 year career developing products for the gift, stationery, craft and faith-based industries. A popular seminar presenter, she shares her product development, trend forecasting and art licensing expertise at numerous trade shows, and coaches other artists to help them license their work.
A best-selling author with more than a million books in print, Joanne’s latest series, Create, Color, Pattern, Play! are coloring books with a twist— she designs them so others can use them as a springboard for their own creative efforts. The Zenspirations books, including Zenspirations Letters & Patterning, and Zenspirations Dangle Designs, which paved the way for the coloring book series, have been translated into five different languages. She has also authored three editions of the Speedball Textbook for Pen & Brush Lettering.
This past year, Joanne has self-published a book near and dear to her heart, When You Lose Someone You Love, which contains excerpts from the grief journals she kept after her husband’s death in 2011. “This book is a gift of comfort for those who have lost someone they love. My hope is that it will help people who are grieving know that they are not alone.”
A passionate advocate for artist’s rights, Joanne has a long history of community service. She was the Founding President of the international Association for the Calligraphic Arts, and was one of the Founding Board Members of the New York-based American Guild of Judaic Art. She served on the Board of Directors of the Greeting Card Association from 2001 – 2009, and before that served as President of the Foundation for the Calligraphic Arts. She also co-chaired the Craft and Hobby Association’s License & Design Advisory Board for several years.
Joanne works out of her Orlando area Studio, which she founded after graduating from the University of Pennsylvania in 1981. When she is not drawing, Joanne enjoys spending time with her family and friends, reading, singing, walking ten thousand steps a day…and inspiring others to create beauty in the world.