Jan McCarthy
This 50 Women Highlight marks a big celebration this week; a milestone birthday for Jan McCarthy.
For over a decade, Jan has been an essential part of my life, continually inspiring me with her unwavering support and wisdom. Through life’s adventures, she has offered a listening ear and sage advice. Jan surrounds herself with beauty, creating a breathtaking home and studio filled with treasures she has discovered or crafted herself. Her meticulous attention to detail shines through every corner of her home and in her exquisite art.
I am fortunate to be a guest in her world, relishing every moment of her warm hospitality. Jan embraces life fully and generously shares it with those around her. As she celebrates this milestone birthday, she continues to approach life with a childlike sense of wonder and curiosity. These beautiful photos are a testament to the vitality that comes from her enduring zest for life.
Happy birthday Jan! I am deeply honored to be a part of your life and love you dearly. Here’s to many more adventures together.
What really matters to you?
What really matters to me is helping my daughters, my husband, my family members, and my friends through the rough times by offering a hug, a solution, or just a listening ear, and celebrating the wins with hoopla and genuine admiration.
What also matters to me is visiting cities that bustle with creative energy- highlighting the artisans that live and work there and curating books, fashion, and interior objects that speak to those places. I’m drawn to striking aesthetics and I’m culturally curious. I love tasting local food and drink and appreciating the influences that inspired those creations. It’s the very essence of what I yearn for. It matters to me to visit a place and study the architectural details that tell a history or visit a museum showcasing artists and stories foreign to my own.
When I look at the big picture, it matters to do what’s right for the sake of doing what’s right and to make a difference somewhere, somehow, through my art, my lifestyle, and my philosophy. Impact is everything.
What brings you happiness?
Sitting with friends and family by a fire (grandpups nestled in my lap) in a house on the water, engaged in meaningful and interesting conversation about all the important stuff, eating a plate of spaghetti al limone, fresh hot bread with butter and salt, orange wine that is just the slightest bit funky, and 70’s music playing softly in the background.
What are some of the biggest challenges you have faced?
I believe there is always a way to get beyond a challenge.
I dealt with my grief of losing both my parents in my 40’s by staying focused on taking care of my two young daughters. I made sure they had a wonderful childhood, honoring and sharing my memories of my parents’ and keeping their mottos, recipes, and lore alive.
Heart disease and surviving a physical assault from a stranger could have derailed me. Instead, I held a couple of pity parties for myself and moved on by remembering all the things to celebrate.
What would you change if you could?
Of course I have regrets, but I try to be more forward thinking. However, if you have the chance to learn multiple languages, live abroad with your children when they are young or when you are older, I say go for it! And photography and graphic art skills will always be useful. I plan to hone mine this year.
What single word do you identify with?
JOIE DE VIVRE
joie de vivre: finding joy in the everyday experiences of life and living with a sense of exuberance and vitality.
“There is freedom in thinking outside the box, going off the beaten path, coloring outside the lines, and hearing the beat of a different drum.”
Thank you Jan! Keep inspiring.
Click on A Day in the Studio With Jan McCarthy to see her at work in her art studio in Newport Beach, California. It will make you want to pull out a canvas and play with paint.
About Jan:
“I am a maker, a creator. I make art to autograph moments, the fleeting emotions and undefinable feelings that can only be expressed in imperfect swipes, lines, or ripped pieces of paper. I use my art as a way to connect and share these flashpoints of time that slip away. Every mark I make with one of my handcrafted brushes on canvas, paper or towers is a unique gesture. I find this process essential as a personal statement, a reclaiming of my point of view, of being a woman, of aging. I’ve never allowed how the world might aim to herd the masses as a reason to follow the pack. I hear the beat of a different drummer. This constant resistance feels vital to me.
Out of a need to express myself and organize my thoughts, I developed a series of notebooks that speak to the dreamer, the planner, the journaler and the notetaker. It brings me joy to know others find inspiration from these as well.
I love travel, adventure, and going off the beaten path.
I love books, fashion, unusual and unique objects.
I live life fully, sometimes on the edge, sometimes in many different places, sometimes quietly, always trying to practice carpe diem.”