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work to inspire Beyond Business: Artworking By Carleen Wild Jacob Slovacek still can't believe he has his own business. At just 21 years old, the graphic illustrator from Stoughton has created his first batch of holiday greeting cards. Three very simple, very sweet cards. His favorite is the one with a sketch of Santa and Rudolph on the front. I ask him why that particular card is his favorite. "Because I did it," he answers. Three of us are sitting in his small, shared office space at Art- working on Madison's southwest side: myself, Slovacek and Lance Owens, Jacob's project manager. Owens is also the founder of Art- working, a nonprofit art program that offers vocational support to people with cognitive and physical disabilities. Essentially, the studio and team there give people like Slovacek, often underutilized. They have a wide range of abilities and aspira- tions, but they don't get that chance [to hone them] because most jobs developed for people with disabilities are cleaning toilets and washing dishes," Owens says, describing what inspired him to launch Artworking. "There are a lot of people with a gift for making art. I thought, if I who has autism spectrum disorder, an opportunity to turn their artistic talents into a career. "People [with disabilities] like Jacob have skill sets that are so one thinks it's cool because you have a disability, but because it's just great, you really can't measure the impact that has on a per- son's sense of self-worth," Owens says. "How does all this feel?" I ask Slovacek. "Happy," he answers. Slovacek has sat watching me this whole time, very quietly with "If what you do is needed or it has value, not just because some- can pair that with support for people with disabilities, we can come up with work these people enjoy," he explains. But what Slovacek says he loves most about the various artists' work is that it is about their ability—not a disability. "[It's about] seeing people with wide ranges of disabilities being able to compete on the open market for goods and services with people without disabilities," Owens explains. "Jacob's custom- ers don't know he has a disability. [To them] it's just a really cool card." Slovacek has even been hired to design some specific holiday a nervous half smile. Wondering from the get-go I think, when the interview will be over. For the most part Slovacek would prefer to be watching cartoons on YouTube, a place he finds inspiration for some of his work. Laughter. And comfort when he is not working in his drawings. "He's a really good drawer and makes awesome designs," Owens asserts. "That is my dream. If someone can use their skill, become independent, earn income and become part of the community, competing for sales with people without disabilities…[that] is my goal." greeting cards for a few area companies. He tells me he enjoys hav- ing his own business and the best part about it is working. He is now also earning more of a living for himself—something that offers Slovacek and others like him a better quality of life. Nonprofit Profile: Artworking What it is: An organiza- tion devoted to providing career-oriented support to adult artists with cognitive disabilities. What they provide: Artists have access to a studio and are given training by staff to help them be successful in the mainstream art world. The artists: Artworking currently works with artists active in a range of mediums, from painting to ceramics, illustration and more. How to help: Artworking accepts donations through its website. For more information: Find out more about the artists, studio space or donate by visiting artworking.org. Slovacek's Hey Mister Designs holiday cards can be found at Absolutely Art or ordered online at heymister.org. See Slovacek on NBC15 Dec. 6 at 5 p.m. ••• Carleen Wild is an anchor with NBC15 in Madison. She can be reached at cwild@nbc15.com. 32 BRAVA Magazine December 2012 Photo by Carleen Wild