Authentic Moments Series: Jenn River

What inspired you to begin your creative journey, and how has your creativity evolved over the years?

I’ve lived a creative life for as long as I can remember — beginning with music and writing at a young age, then expanding into photography, modeling, journalism, creative direction, and personal styling through my teens and early 20s. As the years passed and life unfolded, the pursuit of women's work, facilitation, community leadership, and mentorship really called to me. When I started my business in 2017, I was seeking purpose and new ways to weave community into my life and the lives of others. In the earlier years, my creative path felt so rooted in what I could share and the ways I could show it. Over time, I settled more deeply into myself, and my creativity matured — shifting from that outward expression to a more inward, intentional cultivation. Whether curating retreats, pouring tea, holding ceremonial space, or tending my home, my creativity has become less about doing and producing and more about being.

What challenges have you faced along the way, and how did you overcome them?

Being a spiritual entrepreneur is especially tough. Because our work is often an extension of and so intimately tied to our Self, it can be hard to draw boundaries with success and self-worth. Sometimes it can feel like a constant search for balance in this dance between purpose and productivity. I am most challenged when I know I’m out of alignment. In those moments, I focus less on what I should add and more on what needs to be taken away. It's a process of emptying, of finding magic in the spaciousness and the listening, of returning to the Void. It’s less about forcing and more about pulling back, softening, trusting, and allowing my creative energy to emerge naturally. It’s there that I plant the seeds, find the flow, and draw in the visions. I'm always the most inspired when I allow the fabric of everyday life to be my greatest muse.

Can you share a pivotal moment when you began to truly embrace self-love?

A pivotal moment in my self-love journey occurred when I was 25. I was in a toxic relationship that, over the course of 3 years, had deteriorated my self-worth and understanding. I left my home and everything I knew and moved across the world. I faced a lot of hard and ugly truths through the year I lived overseas. Although there were many moments of profound loneliness, a shift happened when I began to distinguish between "loneliness" and "aloneness." I gradually learned to savor the company I kept in the empty moments and to discover the sweetness in solitude. Over time, I learned to simply be with myself — to date myself, show up for myself, learn about myself. And in that space, I learned to love her.

What practices or routines help you maintain self-love daily?

Sitting with Tea in ceremony has been my most profound teacher. Through the ritual of this practice, I've learned patience, presence, and how to truly be with myself and others without having to fill space. It’s a practice that has shown me the power of emptying, of slowing down and tuning into the simple beauty of the present moment. Tea teaches me to create space for stillness, to listen to my body and intuition, and to honor the process of transformation. This ritual is deeply embedded in my life, and continues to deepen my connection to Self, Love and Spirit - always.

Can you share a specific affirmation that has been particularly powerful for you and why?

A powerful affirmation I use frequently, especially during my tea practice, is "Here I Am." This simple phrase brings me back to presence, especially when my mind starts to pull me away from my heart. It’s a reminder to pause, breathe and return. When the noise and the chatter start to creep in, this affirmation helps me to create space to listen - to just be - without striving for anything more.

How do you integrate creativity into your everyday life?

As women, we must tap into the remembrance that we, by nature, are creators. We innately exist in a space of creativity. Something I feel personally committed to is designing a beautiful and fulfilling life infused with joy, creativity, pleasure, depth, and purpose. I’ve witnessed deep shifts in my creativity when I invite ceremony into the perceived mundanities of our daily life, and take time to commune my Self and with Spirit. I love to just sit and observe the magic in the steam of my tea, the dancing incense smoke as I work on my computer, my crinkled undone linen sheets after I get up in the morning, the way fresh flowers open and bloom and decay in the warmth of my apartment. These observations bring a sacredness and reverence into the “ordinary”; expanding the scope of what we believe is possible for us.

What advice would you give to someone struggling with self-love in their creative journey?

If you’re struggling with self-love on your creative journey, return to your JOY. Untether yourself from your work for a moment and reconnect with who you are, when everything you feel you should be is stripped away. When you meet resistance (and you will), ask yourself: what am I opening to in this next season of myself? Life, like nature, moves through cycles of growth, release, and renewal. Your creativity mirrors these rhythms. Allow it to evolve, shapeshift, and reflect the person you’re becoming. Release expectations tied to old versions of yourself, and give yourself permission to realign, refocus, and begin again.

I always remind myself that at the end of the day, life is the ceremony, and living is the art. All that really matters is that we keep showing up for this magical and fleeting human existence. It's pretty special.