Today we’d like to introduce you to Jon Jimenez.
Jon, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I grew up in Dallas, TX since the age of five. I had a lot of interests in the arts since I was very young. I was also into ceramics, drawing, painting, photography, videography and of course, dance. So, my artistic spirit was ignited at a young age but never truly fed until I graduated high school. I used to skateboard throughout junior high, high school & I was adamant on becoming a professional skateboarder. Then on one fine day where I was trying to practice on a new trick, my board broke & from that moment on I decided I was going to dive into the dance scene in Dallas. I started with a team of friends that went by FLS & was fortunate to travel with them and do a fair share of shows & competitions that lead me to seeking a deeper form of artistic exploration within the dance community. From there I went and started exploring the freestyle scene which brought me this new found freedom that I was seeking from the beginning. From there I took my efforts in seeking a deeper understanding in self & exploration to Los Angeles.
While also pursuing a commercial career, I kept digging into other cultures and forms of expression. There is where I truly found myself & my voice in the movement, I now hold so near and dear to my heart. Over the years I’ve experienced loss in relationships, friends & family that movement has helped me move through. I’ve never been one to be very open & vocal with the things that trouble my mind & heart. However, when I’m given the opportunity to share in a performative setting where my movement becomes the lead speaker, my spirit begins to ignite & that is where a majority of my healing comes. After finding the joy & love that movement has brought me, I have now felt it is my purpose to share the same findings I’ve discovered with others who wish to do the same. By helping them find self-love in their individuality as well as giving my understanding of what love is in ALL that we do.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It definitely wasn’t a smooth road from the beginning of my journey moving to Los Angeles. The funny thing is, I never really “planned” on moving to LA. It was always just a thought & something that I told myself would be a goal for the future whenever I felt I was “ready”. One of my really close friends just graduated college and one day decide, “hey, Jon! I’m moving to LA.” With me being the not so spontaneous person, I am, I wanted to change that and said “Alright, I’m coming with you.” So, we gathered up about $2-3,000 to move to LA with no real idea of where to stay & drove out January 28th of 2015.
Fast forward a few months we managed to find a friend that would let us crash on their couch & from then on was the infamous couch surfing game for a while. I never truly had a concrete living space until about 2017. After getting my car repossessed because I was a starving artist needing food. I realized I needed to make a change. I decided allow myself to use my other artistic talents to help bring in money. I started doing a lot of freelance videography jobs. Which brought me to a dance company that I now work with as an Educator & a Content Creator. From there I was able to find stability & security to help build myself and my brand comfortably without having to worry about the next meal or next couch I was going to be staying on. I very much believe I have angels looking out for me every step of the way. Because there were so many opportunities where I could have just packed my bags & went back to Dallas. But God had other plans.
Gifted – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
As of today “Gifted” or “GFTDDD” has become a service that can bring people knowledge of themselves at an introspective level & provide visual aid to help bring any necessary expression to life. My goal with this brand is to help give others the opportunity to find their voice and share it with the world. Provide them a means to learn how to create & facilitate any vision their heart desires. Bringing film & dance into a medium that breeds infinite moments of love, truth & beauty.
Contact Info:
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jongifted/
- Other: https://www.instagram.com/gftddd/
Image Credit:
Dallas Trujillo, Drew “Dizzy” Graham, Allie Costello
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