Meet Jerrell Conner

Today we’d like to introduce you to Jerrell Conner.

Jerrell, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
Well, I was born and raised in Long Beach, CA. The youngest of five. Both my parents and most of my older siblings were creative and I grew up seeing them draw and sketch things on paper, the walls in their rooms, etc., but I was the only one who ever really pursued anything in the creative realm. For me, my dedication and commitment to the arts was never really in question. Throughout grade, middle, and high school I was always the quiet artsy kid in the corner that was always drawing, and I would always get picked from group projects to be in charge of the “graphics” for presentations.

In 6th grade, as a freshman, I started to win school-wide art competitions open to upper classes as well. That moment was the time where I knew my art was not just something I did for fun but a viable career path for my life.

Flash forward to Otis College of Art and Design, this was the time in my life that I truly honed my skills and discovered my own voice as an artist. Going to this “Bootcamp” type of art school experience was crucial for me. I was exposed to international students, people from all different walks of life, and went from one of the best artists at my school (high school) to one of many artists that we’re the best at their schools. This was a time where my faith in God was very important, grounding me and inspiring the majority of the art that I would create in my college years. One of those projects I’m still working on today, “The Revelations” a post-apocalyptic graphic novel series I created and have published multiple books from this series. That project was the first to launch me on a path of founding / co-founding several different entertainment companies post-graduation doing animated/filmed and privately commissioned projects for celebrities. All in addition to working for companies like EA Games, MTV, Disney, Starbucks, Machinima, etc. has been a wild up and down career that has been an exciting journey!

Alright, 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?
Not so much. Much of my career has been freelance work, which definitely isn’t for everyone! The ebbs and flow of freelance can be feast or famine at times, which has been the bulk of my experience. I would be put in charge of projects that would generate jobs for myself and a group of friends and colleagues I would bring on board. They paid well and I could take care of my family for a few months, but there would also be times where there would literally be months where there was nothing. No projects or income coming in at all. These were very tough times, having a wife and kid (now kids) and not knowing when the next project was coming in was a heavy burden to bear.

We had people in the family that constantly suggested I get a “real job” and give up on this nonsense “hobby” of a career. And believe me, I didn’t brush this advice off. I applied for countless non-creative, “average normal jobs” as Some put it. Some income was better than none. But for some reason, nothing panned out, and I mean nothing.

This was a season when my wife’s and my faith took center stage. We were constantly on our faces in prayer, and this is really the moment when everything turned around. We let go of our desire to control everything and listen to everyone who was trying to Monday-Quarterback or Backseat-Drive our lives and seek God for what He wanted to accomplish through our gifts and talents. And what happened was truly life-changing. Doors began to open up with celebrity clients, colleagues, publishers, grants, etc. out of nowhere! Doors we previously tried to open on our own were now opened for us. It was an amazing night-and-day kind of difference. We were driven and dedicated, but it wasn’t because we started to wake up at 5am every day or hustled and grinded to the point where we didn’t sleep or ever see each other (we already tried that). It was all by the Grace of God, and It came stress and worry-free

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
One of the pivotal moments in my career as an artist was probably my college days. In that time, I was a bit of a fish out of water. I just came from an inner-city high school where the majority was black and brown students (probably making up 70-80% of the student body) and now I was in a private four-year art college with international students from all over the world where, as far as I can remember, was only one of maybe six or seven black students on the entire campus. Faith was also in scarcity there, being one of only a handful of Christians that I knew on campus, I initially struggled with my voice as an artist.

Over time I learned not only to share all of myself in my artwork, faith included. And as the four years went by, I finally understood just how that juxtaposition worked best for me in my work.

The juxtaposition I’m referring to is my art style. My work has been classified as “dark” and “edgy”. Not words typically used to describe “Christian Art” or Christian artists. So a lot of times, early in my career, people didn’t quite know what to do with me or my art. It was “too dark” for some church groups, and it was too “Christian” for non-believers. Some churches were hesitant about having my books there or have me do live paintings for their events, and on the other side I had situations where I would be exhibiting at conventions, like Comic-Con International, and people came to my table, picked up my book, admired the artwork, but as they read and realized that I was a Christian, I could see their face change and they LITERALLY dropped my book and stormed off as if it was a disease they could catch! Sounds comical now, but it’s a strange place to be in where you know you’re called to create, but many people reject you and your creations.

Over time, I learned that my unique style and point of view was why I was called to create illustrations, paintings, comic books, graphic novels, animated films, music videos, huge murals, privately commissioned paintings. These were works of art that, as a child, I would have loved to see growing up; sci-fi / action / fantasy stories with diverse looking characters from all walks of life and color, that even in dark scenarios there was hope woven in the telling. But, at the time, nothing existed like that for me. I realized, no one could tell my story but me. And, in my opinion, as an artist, you must create from a place that is sincere doing what you’re most passionate about.

So that’s what I’ve learned to do. Even though my style may be “dark and edgy” I can still create work that can deal with heavy authentic subject matter that people with bright and airy styles may not be able to tackle. And even though my edgy character designs, animation, and storytelling I still focus on content that is uplifting and inspirational. That is something I don’t come across often, and I feel is very much needed in our culture today.

Before we go, is there anything else you can share with us?
I would like to encourage any artists out there that have been struggling. Whether it’s because the economy has tanked recently, or you have little to no support from your family, or you’re just struggling to find your voice as a creative. All of these things can kill a career before it even gets off the ground, but I am a firm believer in following your passions and dreams. God gave them to you for a reason and no one else can fulfill your dreams (both in the sense of accomplishing your specific purpose in life and in the sense of making your dreams come true FOR you), so you have to do the work, have drive, and dedication, but all of that won’t matter if you don’t direction and first identify your purpose. Some people slave away for years caught in the “rat-race” and when they finally look up they don’t like where they’ve gotten. For me, that came by taking a step back, then through prayer, deep reflection, and eventual surrender. The sooner this is done, the clearer the path becomes, and the less time will be wasted.

“In their hearts humans plan their course, but the LORD establishes their steps.” (Proverbs 16:9)

I’ve taught and mentored a lot of college students and young adults just talking through these types of topics with them and generally trying to make myself available for anyone struggling with these areas in their lives. So feel free to reach out if you are reading this and you feel stuck and are led to.

Contact Info:

• Email: jerrelltheconner@gmail.com
• Website: www.jerrell-conner.com
• Instagram: http://instagram.com/theredr
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jerrell.conner/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/theredr
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/JerrellConner
• Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@the_red_r

Image Credits:
Photos by: Jerrell Conner + Kytia L’amour (wife)