Jeanna “Gigi” Fearon, Founder/Director
Jeanna Fearon, affectionately known as “Gigi,” holds a Master’s Degree in Sociology and another in Art Therapy from Illinois State University. She is a Registered and Board-Certified Art Therapist (ATR-BC) and a Nationally Certified Hypnotherapist (CHt.), having graduated with honors from the Hypnosis Motivation Institute in Tarzana, California. Jeanna recently took Neurographica Specialist Training and is now in process of becoming a Certified Neurographica Instructor. It has been her honor to work under the supervision of Dr. Piscal Piscerev, the Founder of Neurographica at the Institute of Creativity in Russia.
Jeanna brings over 25 years of experience working with individuals, groups, and art students at a Montessori School. She draws, paints, and is passionate about working on special projects about her lion friends at Chicago’s Lincoln Park Zoo.
Meriah Fearon, Assistant Manager
Meriah is the youngest child of Jeanna Fearon, founder of Shine Bright. She graduated from Columbia College Chicago with a BA in Music Business in 2024. In her free time, she works with local musicians through her music discovery platform, Amplified Chicago, teaches at the School of Rock, and plays bass in her band PDA.
MEET OUR TEAM
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Jeanna Fearon
SHE/HER
FOUNDER AND DIRECTOR
Jeanna Fearon, affectionately known as “Gigi,” holds a Master’s Degree in Sociology and another in Art Therapy from Illinois State University. She is a Registered and Board-Certified Art Therapist (ATR-BC) and a Nationally Certified Hypnotherapist (CHt.), having graduated with honors from the Hypnosis Motivation Institute in Tarzana, California. Jeanna recently took Neurographica Specialist Training and is now in process of becoming a Certified Neurographica Instructor. It has been her honor to work under the supervision of Dr. Piscal Piscerev, the Founder of Neurographica at the Institute of Creativity in Russia.Jeanna brings over 25 years of experience working with individuals, groups, and art students at a Montessori School. She draws, paints, and is passionate about working on special projects about her lion friends at Chicago’s Lincoln Park Zoo.
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Meriah Fearon
SHE/HER
ASSISTANT MANAGER
Meriah is the youngest child of Jeanna Fearon, founder of Shine Bright. She graduated from Columbia College Chicago with a BA in Music Business in 2024. In her free time, she works with local musicians through her music discovery platform, Amplified Chicago, teaches at the School of Rock, and plays bass in her band PDA.
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Brea Fearon
RESIDENT LIBRARIAN
Brea is the eldest child of Jeanna Fearon, founder of Shine Bright, and has been art journaling since early childhood. Brea has a BA in English Literature and Gender Studies from Kenyon College and a Masters in Library and Information Science from University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign, and is currently working as a children’s librarian in Central Illinois. Brea’s special interests include books, Legos, animal care, and slandering the Dewey Decimal System.
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JJ Poody
HE/HIM
THERAPY CAT
JJ Poody is Shine Bright’s therapy cat extraordinaire. You’ll find him at many one-on one-sessions with Jeanna wearing his signature bowtie.
“Shine Bright in Life changed my life. I visited the studio for the first time months ago. In taking an art class with Gigi, I was able to learn how to view my work with eyes of admiration, rather than eyes of criticism. Specifically, Gigi taught me how to overcome my toxic perfectionism and appreciate what I was making. In learning how to do that, I not only learned how to enjoy creating more, but I also learned how to enjoy my life even more.
Another lesson I learned from Shine Bright in Life’s hypnosis class is how to set your intentions. In this class, we were instructed to make a dream jar. The dream jar required us to write an intention and put it in the jar nightly. This would lead us to consider our thoughts and dreams more seriously. In creating this jar and setting my intentions nightly, I finally went after my life long dream of flying a plane. I credit this accomplishment to Shine Bright in Life because I never would have seriously gone after my dreams if I hadn’t considered it nightly like Gigi had taught me.
Overall, Shine Bright in Life is a phenomenon. I have been there twice and it is my favorite place in Chicago. You don’t only learn how to paint, you learn how to understand yourself and your motives better. More specifically, you gain a deeper understanding of why you do the things you do and why it’s important, which in turn, allows you to live your life more thoughtfully and transform your life into what you always hoped it would be.” - Malika
“Two years ago, a Facebook post about an art class at Shine Bright in Life caught my eye. Learning to paint had been a dream of mine. I was at a crossroads in my life, and it felt like fate nudging me to explore further. Stepping into Shine Bright wasn't just about fulfilling a dream; it was about embracing the journey of healing through art. I’m grateful every day for listening to that inner voice; my life would have taken a vastly different path had I not taken that leap of faith and stepped into Shine Bright.” - Gail