Jayna Zweiman on Craft, Community, and the Pussyhat Project

Jayna Zweiman, an architecturally trained artist and designer, discusses her creative practice, personal experiences, and the motivations behind her projects in an interview with PRINT Magazine. Zweiman is the founder of Welcome Blanket and co-founder of the Pussyhat Project, initiatives that use fiber art to foster cultural intimacy and social connection. In the interview, she reflects on her first memory of creativity, which involved holding her father's Nikon SLR camera as a child, and shares her regrets about not sending letters and assuming more time with loved ones. She talks about overcoming heartbreak, including the isolation she felt after a life-altering head and neck injury in 2013 and another in 2022, which led her to create Welcome Blanket as a way to connect with others. Zweiman expresses her belief in using joy and collaborative action to address societal issues, and she finds lasting fulfillment in seeing people connect through her projects. She also shares personal details, such as her love for cloudy mornings on Venice Beach, her favorite meal involving grilled branzino at Bacetti, and her hope for an afterlife with chocolate and art supplies. The interview highlights her philosophy of turning pain into belonging and her commitment to designing structures for community engagement.