Conversations with Jazmin Jude

Today we’d like to introduce you to Jazmin Jude.

Hi Jazmin, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
So, I started my art business in my high school world history class after I drew a weird monster in my folder; the reaction from my classmate sparked my interest in Illustration. Though, when my father suddenly passed away, I decided that I needed to pursue art, and I decided to go to art school. I was struggling with a learning disability throughout my school years, and I used art as a way to escape my reality and express how I felt at that time. I have since graduated from art school and have gone out into the world to share my work with others both online and in real life.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
My journey with art has not been a smooth road; I had to overcome a learning disability, bullying, and an unpredictable environment. My learning disability left me with feeling as if I will never fit in with the rest of the world; it made me feel like I may never be successful or live the life I always wanted to live. It made me feel like I was missing a very important piece to being like the rest of my peers. That sad thought itself would always leave me feeling defeated every single day after school, no matter how many hours I put into my school work; when the tests came, it was such a disappointing result. The bullying was also a result of my learning disability, which left me to feel even more alienated than I already was feeling. As I grew up, I learned that asking for help was okay, but before then, I didn’t want to seem like I was flawed, so asking for help was difficult for me. I learned to have patience with myself, with the way I learned and how I process information. I learned that it’s okay to speak up and say, “I don’t quite. understand that, can you explain it again?” I learned that asking for help is a form of self-love and self-care. Making art helps me process my past struggles and helps me understand myself and accept myself for who I am, and I am proud of who I am today. Looking back now, I really cannot believe I went through what I did, but at the same time, it makes me realize how resilient I am, and that is a huge part to being an artist, is having resilience.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I initially started doing art as a form of therapy for myself, to soothe myself, and used it as a form of escapism, but as I have gone into the world and showcased my work to others, I think it helps them more than it helps me. I have had people admit to me that one of my pieces have moved them, and it gets really emotional. I wasn’t expecting that type of reaction when I first started doing this work, but now it changes the way I think about art and about making it. I wonder how it will help someone else and how it can help me in the process?

I started making art with just a ballpoint pen that I always had in my bag, and I began drawing on the sides of my school notes. It then progressed into a sketchbook, and then suddenly I had a collection of completed drawings that I would end up ripping out of my books and making them into prints because I was proud of them! I moved on over to acrylic, watercolor, and oil painting. With each challenge, I think my art has taken a new shape. Recently I have been experimenting with watercolor and oil painting; I have been destroying a lot of my old paintings and giving them a new life. I am teaching myself that it is okay to not hold back. I am destroying the idea that each painting has to be “perfect or polished” and trying not to be so harsh on myself. I am giving myself grace and patience to grow and go onto make art I thought I never would make.

What matters most to you?
In this point in time, my creativity and my ability to use it. I don’t know where I would be without it; it has helped me through the lowest points in my life, and it has helped me process experiences and people that I have had in my life. I don’t just draw and paint; I make music too! I love to sit down with my guitar and work out some lyrics to a melody I had just made. I love setting up my computer to record it and then sharing it with the world. Being in my 30s now, I feel more compelled to keep that creative spark alive; it’s hard to not get burnt out with the daily responsibilities of being an adult; you have your job, bills, and family obligations, it all begins to pile up and sometimes, it can get overwhelming, and I can choose to sink myself into some pretty bad habits or I can choose to keep my creativity alive and spend my time doing what I love to do.

My creativity also helps me connect with other people and it’s such a big part of who I am. Growing up as an only child, I felt like I didn’t have a close community of people that understood me. Making art and being around artists has been life-changing and inspiring; I learn so much from them, and seeing other people make art and be creative really helps fuel my love for art.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.jazminjude.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jazmin.jude/?hl=en
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jazmin-salas-212812172/

Image Credits
Jazmin Jude