[5] During her high school years, Schulze was introduced to sewing in a home economics class that taught her how to fashion her own articles of clothing.
[5] Her new environment nourished her artistic inclinations: she was inspired by the rich and picturesque terrain that California offered, sceneries that contrasted greatly with Chicago's cityscapes.
[10] After realizing it would not be sustainable to return to her career as an elementary school teacher, Schulze made the decision to officially pursue art full-time in 1970.
[13] Schulze, a self-proclaimed “autodidact,” received no formal training and little art instruction before and during her career as an artist, choosing instead to rely on instinct and experimentation.
[12] Apart from two art courses in high school and college, Schulze attributes three formative learning experiences with providing her the necessary tools and inspiration to bring her visions to life: single-day workshops with the Peninsula Stitchery Guild, a year-long photography course at DeAnza College, and a week-long quilt workshop with Constance Howard (artist) in San Francisco in 1974.
[15] Schulze prefers to create with what she has & what speaks to her in the moment,[17] a habit of improvisation that writer Sarah E. Tucker likens to that of a jazz musician.
[18] Schulze, who finds inspiration in music (specifically jazz and blues genres), has earned the nickname “the Artist Who Dances.”[18] As her career has evolved, Joan has introduced a variety of techniques into her art.
For Schulze, her photographs can serve as means of inspiration, but more importantly these images are oftentimes transferred onto fabric or paper, becoming the work of art itself.
[22] After exhibiting and teaching at Shenzhen University in China in 2016, Schulze was gifted a tea bowl from the Tang dynasty as an expression of gratitude from the museum's director, Wu Fan.
In her workshops, Schulze has covered a number of topics, including collage, fiber art technique, quiltmaking, alternative printing, fan design & construction, and book assembly.