Jana Dunn

I started during the Great Recession, when my business management job left me craving something to make with my own hands. Painting, ceramics, and sculpture all felt out of reach. Paper was different: inexpensive, available everywhere, and asking for no tools beyond my hands.

It was familiar, too. I'd worked for a well-known greeting card company early on, then spent sixteen years in interior design. So when I walked into Paper Source and saw all those colors at the Paper Bar, I felt at home. I could practice quietly, at my own kitchen table, on a budget that made sense.

In the early years, I simply cut and folded paper into shapes—drawn more to the meditative motion than any finished piece. That motion mattered more than I expected. Working with paper taught me to pay attention to the thoughts that surface while I create, and that reshaped how I think about creativity altogether.

It also led somewhere I never planned to go. Alongside J. Dunn Studio, I created The Studio Authentic, a space where I blend creativity with reflection to help others find clarity, courage, and a path to their own self-discovery. If that resonates, I'd love for you to come see what it's about.