Today we’d like to introduce you to Jasmin Ayala.
Hi Jasmin, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
My creative journey has been a very dynamic and constantly evolving path that shifts with the seasons of my life. In retrospect, I’ve always been a creative person but never really had a proper outlet to hone it until I got to UCLA. Following a traumatic event that occurred in my first year at university, I began writing. It was a way of releasing my pent up thoughts and emotions and coming to terms with the complicated nature of trauma, navigating young adulthood as a first gen college student and connecting to my peers in an otherwise large university community. After college, I continued writing on my blog and for various media websites. For a while, I even pursued it as a career, landing an internship at BuzzFeed in the Fall of 2017. My writing took me to many exciting places, from the offices of BuzzFeed (a dream job at the time) to music festivals across the US as a music festival blogger, to ultimately an interview for the current full-time job I hold in publishing today.
Naturally, as I made the career transition from freelance writing to full-time work in publishing, I’ve spent less time blogging in the traditional form and instead have shifted to producing visual content on Instagram and Pinterest, and now TikTok too. Writing will always hold a special place in my heart as the vulnerability and passion that I spilled into words led me to so many beautiful places including where I am now. I enjoy directing that same passionate vulnerability into visual stories through artful photography and cinematic-esque videos. My handle @sentimentallatina is a nod to my roots and sentimental nature, it’s an aspirational portrait of my life, and it’s sort of my muse by which I aim to inspire others to romanticize every inch of their life with love and intention.
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?
I can’t say it’s been a smooth road, as I’ve had my fair share of highs and lows, including recurring bouts of imposter syndrome, but what’s kept me grounded in my darker moments has been the light and love from my tight-knit circle of best friends, family, and therapy. I am a naturally sensitive person, who tends to feel a lot and get stuck inside my head, I like to joke that I’m paying money to live in LA but live rent-free inside my head. Like many humans before me, I have struggled with bouts of depression and anxiety, especially in the period of my life when I was freelancing and trying to find a job in the post-grad job market. Looking back now, I have so much empathy for my younger self who was just trying to do her best to heal and grow but in turn was so hard on herself. I’m certain in a few years I will say the same exact thing about my current self, so I try to stay mindful of this and not get too wrapped up in the future because the present moment is literally the only moment that truly matters.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
So my day job is in publishing, production specifically, but I am making the moves at the moment to transition into marketing because that field is so interesting to me. I studied social anthropology in college, so I am fascinated by the mechanisms by which companies market products, ideas, or stories to users that in turn persuades them to buy, think, or feel a certain way. And on the other side of the coin is my content creation, which you could say is its own form of marketing. I produce authentic and aesthetically pleasing content for myself, but also for brands. I’m all about living an intentional and romanticized lifestyle, so my content is very reflective of that, and in turn I gravitate towards brands that share those similar values. I am most proud of how my creative skillset has grown and flourished over the years, and it’s such a satisfying experience to witness a creative vision come to fruition—from the moment the idea popped into your head to the moment you finally hit ‘publish.”
What has been the most important lesson you’ve learned along your journey?
The most important lesson by far has been that doubt will always creep in but you just have to move along and pay no mind to it. This can be applied to other things too, like fear and anxiety, and it’s something I’ve learned through mindful meditation. You don’t have to pretend that doubt doesn’t exist, you can acknowledge it’s there, but above all else recognize that you are capable and worthy of whatever it is you desire to achieve.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.jasayala.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sentimentallatina/
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@sentimentallia
