Today we’d like to introduce you to Jada Lucas
Jada, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
My journey as a storyteller and creative started before I ever dreamt of moving to Los Angeles. The turning point was participating in Scholastic as a kid! They had these book competitions – you fill out the blank pages with illustrations and a short story. This coupled with the confidence instilled in me by my middle school art teacher, Mrs.Waldschmidt, unlocked the desire to share my creativity with others. I immersed myself in all forms of storytelling whether that was TV, Movies, and Books. My mom’s magazines became look books and weekly trips to Family Video with my dad became inspiration. Those stories, visuals, and ideas just got bigger.
As I explored media in college, I found I could bring those ideas to life with an entertainment career. One problem, I would need to move to do it. Despite the pandemic, I moved to Los Angeles after graduation. As you can imagine, it wasn’t easy to secure a job in that climate. I transferred my retail job and worked a few production gigs. In the interim, I continued to pour into my projects. It was about a year before I landed my first full-time job in the industry. This catapulted the next phase of my career in creative marketing. Finally, I was able to apply those creative skills. As “typical” as it may sound, I attribute much of my growth to hard work, perseverance, and authenticity. I didn’t allow life to tell me that what I want for myself is impossible. I truly believe in the underdog – hence my love of Harry Potter. It’s that belief that also guides the stories that I tell and creative approach!
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?
Any creative can tell you that on this road you may take some detours, but that’s okay! For me, it was honestly learning to become comfortable with my goals taking time. As someone who loves to plan, I had a clear trajectory on how I wanted things to pan out. I had to accept that those things are often out of our hands. I would also say learning how to navigate the industry without prior experience can be a learning curve!
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I’m a creative marketer & writer! I work on creative campaigns in entertainment and write screenplays. As a multi-hyphenate I find myself creating in many different capacities. However, I think at the core of both my passions – I like to connect to people. Whether it’s coming up with strategies for marketing or writing a new piece, my goal is to create a narrative highlighting their unique perspectives. I’d say being deeply introspective and emphatic is what defines my approach. By actively listening to people talk about their dreams, lives, interests, and experiences it shapes the way I tell stories. I ask a lot of questions (blame my Journalism background). I’m always interested in understanding others and their “why.” I’ve seen how powerful expression in the media has been in my life. I’m most proud of a recent sci-fi pilot that I completed! I’m excited to see where that story takes me.
So, before we go, how can our readers or others connect or collaborate with you? How can they support you?
Connecting with me through Instagram is a great way to collaborate! I’m working on launching a few projects through there.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jadaraynedrop/
Image Credits
Qurissy Lopez
Christian David Gonzalez
