Life & Work with Jasmin Benward

Today we’d like to introduce you to Jasmin Benward.

Hi Jasmin, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
My story is evolving and while I’ve literally gone through the wringer time and time again, each moment has shaped today’s version of me for the better. I laugh that I’m on my ninth life right now at 31 years old. My origins involve coming from a humble, matriarchy-run household full of closeted artists. I’ve taken bits and pieces of the interests and habits of the women in my family–my grandmothers, mother, and aunts to make my own. I’d find their journals, photos, letters, books, recipes, crafts, watch film and television with them, jam to international and decade-spanning music with them. An accumulation of these shared moments have sparked my interest as a multi-hyphenate artist myself.

Being well-versed across multidisciplinary arts deeply motivates and excites me. I’ve tried to narrow down exactly what I do to single words, they typically come up as “create” and “storytell” mostly through sound/music (composing, music supervising), words (screenplays, books, poems, songs), cooking for pleasure, really any and everything that allows me to be curious and experiment.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
My road has been about as smooth as extra crunchy peanut butter, but the bumps along the way have undoubtedly made me stronger, wiser, and even more reflective of myself. Obstacles and challenges have come in each domain for me: heavy, lingering stuff. In romance, with friends, navigating professional connections both creative and non, family stuff- you name it. I laugh that this year marks my villain origin story because of all the adversities I’ve faced, but inevitably these challenges were orchestrated by Source to get me back on track with things that were out of whack: my mental health, work-life balance, my boundaries.

The biggest challenges I’d say involve project management and personal finance. I work on a hybrid schedule with an in-person day job as an art educator, my free moments are used creating said works–it gets crazy sometimes. There have been access issues/crashes with DAWs I’ve wanted to learn or industry software that I’ve had to use on multiple trials offers but that I needed (and to some degree still do) to properly do my job. At one point I was scoring with airplane-provided earphones because that’s what I had. I’m built tough, but that’s not a state I want to stay in. I’m constantly working on ways to improve my methods and processes so that I can be more efficient and not burn myself out to the point of insanity– it’s been tricky to reclaim my mind once I feel I’ve lost it. My bounce back generally takes two years (this is how aware I am becoming!).

As of late, I’ve come to the realization that after 10 years of teaching Special Education, I too may be on the spectrum–this thought continues to blow my mind as I investigate my next best steps and work towards progressive access and support on my diagnosis journey.

Ultimately, in close conversations with friends, I’ve shared that this year alone has been one of the most insightful for me. I feel like I have a replenished awareness of myself and of people. I’ve broken personal disruptive patterns that have spanned over the last decade – I literally feel brand new in so many ways. I feel empowered by my obstacles having survived them all for the better. I know that I am a beacon in my family and that my challenges are only beginning, but with each passing day, I feel I’m equipping myself with a toolbox and genuine community to see me through. Heavy is the head that wears the crown.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I’m really proud of the range and scope of my work. Formally trained in education and informally self-taught in everything else, as a career pivoter I’ve really been busting my chops to learn by doing: taking master classes, participating in writing incubators, attending conferences, ingesting and analyzing so much media, leaning into music theory, and going to shows, etc. to further develop my craft. I am a freelance writer (specializing in personal essays/ media analysis), an author (children’s- adult fiction), screenwriter (family, coming of age/ queer-led), singer-songwriter (new western/trap vibes), music composer and supervisor (on the indie level–for now.)

I’m under the radar and low-key for now, but I’m really excited for a handful of projects to air in early 2023 that I’m involved with on the music side. It’s been really fun to pitch music, get clearances, draft agreements, and champion other indie artists. Creating calling cards for myself now on the micro end will for sure bring a payoff later.

I’m super proud of an early 00’s short film that I’m working on. We’re nearly wrapped. I will have original music on the project as well as be credited as the music supervisor. It’s just the nudge that I need to keep going and to remind myself that I can be anyone I want to be at any given time.

Any advice for finding a mentor or networking in general?
Slide in those DMs, cold email, make your presence known across multiple spaces. Social media is a world of its own, like different rooms. Take up space and make it known what you want to do and who you want to work with often. They take notes and standby. It really is about who you know, get in however you can. Have a strategy. Make a degree of separation chart and see who knows who and how you can get to them. Be respectful, but be bold. Closed mouths don’t get fed. Linkedin, trades, organizations are your friends, even if your membership is on the associate level.

Journal and retrace your steps. Because I messaged one single person, I have a mentor and budding friend, I’ve been able to travel internationally and get paid to learn, I’m being considered for jobs with first preference- my move evolved into a continuous blessing.

Wash, rinse, repeat. Plant seeds all over the place, they will connect. The world is small. Have a portfolio and get any tangible, digital, visuals, etc. out. Do whatever you can with what you have. What and who you seek is seeking you back, but you have to provide a framework to be found.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @writeonjas
• Facebook: Jasmin Benward
• Twitter: @writeonjas
• Other: https://linktr.ee/writeonjas