Meet Jessica Nguyen

Today we’d like to introduce you to Jessica Nguyen.

Hi Jessica, 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?
Ever since I was a young girl, I have always occupied myself with different forms of artistic expression to escape the mundane routine of everyday life. Whether I’m creative directing personal photoshoots or sewing one-of-one pieces, I like to explore the extent of my creative ability through different media. I enjoy being involved in every step of the creative process from organizing vision boards to modeling in photoshoots and even editing visuals in postproduction. Embracing my love for fashion and creative direction in particular has helped me discover myself as a creative who channels her emotions in her digital work. I believe that making art that validates any emotion I may be feeling at the time allows me to understand all aspects of myself in a healthy way.

Being born and raised in the DMV has shown me that almost everyone has their creative outlet regardless of the medium. I am thankful to grow up in a place with such rich underground art culture where art shows were the staple of high school weekends and being a part-time photographer, model, or rapper drives individuals to soar their artistic oats. The creative scene has always been prominent in Maryland and D.C., specifically, so inspiration and networking opportunities were always at my disposal.

With the support of my family and friends, I have had the opportunity to get paid for what I love through freelance modeling and creative directing jobs. My latest work is a digital zine called “Meta” depicting the tensions that online artists experience when producing art for online environments. I wanted to capture the essence of using a medium that limits creatives of color/queer creatives to break out of restrictive barriers of online pressures. Utilizing the same thing that can hurt us as small creators to exponentially grow our supportive network is the art that is “Meta.”

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Being a first-generation Asian-American woman, I have always struggled with forcing myself into a category in order to make myself palatable enough for other people. How do I force myself out of the stereotypical image of the shy, docile Asian woman while still remaining true to who I am? I confused being soft-spoken as being weak, but in reality, I am allowed to be whoever I want to be. I allowed the very thing I was working against to control my actions and self-perception from a very young age. Yet, I can be butch and opinionated while still being gentle and feminine simply because I can and I will. This internal struggle was also met with the pressure to hone in on a single skill to pave a path to success. Needless to say, the phrase “jack of all trades, master of none” still haunts me to this day. I like music, photo and video editing, design, modeling, beauty, and so much more, so sacrificing all of my interests for the sake of perfecting one seemed restrictive to me. I believed that I would be doing myself a disservice if I did not pursue all of my interests because that is just who I am. Although I do recommend choosing a general direction to work towards, keeping an arsenal of well-rounded skills can separate the great from the mediocre.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I am currently a part of The Üth Club team (Lawrence Kouadio, Ian Piyadasa, Adrian Torres-Vista, Aj Cabotaje, and Tyler Valen), providing creative input on our clothing drops and content creation. The Üth Club is a DMV/California-based brand that empowers those of all ages to make a difference in their communities through fashion. Working with the team and seeing my ideas come to life on garments is one of the most gratifying experiences I have ever had as a creative. Shifting from a “one woman band” mindset to a diverse collaborative environment has taught me that fashion is more than just innovation but rather the bridge to understanding one another.

In terms of personal projects, I mainly creative direct, model, and edit photoshoots. Throughout my creative journey, I have developed original concepts for myself and local brands and executed them with photographers I have connected with along the way. A project I am most proud of is my 21st birthday shoot called “a woman” that I executed with photographer and friend Emmanuel Porquin in February. This work encapsulates my creative process to a tee by showing the intense emotional ups and downs that go into my art. The piece draws on an old Vietnamese beauty practice of blackening teeth to ward off evil spirits and simultaneously displays the variations of myself that contribute to my identity. Incorporating my culture and multi-faceted personality into what I create is the essence of “a woman.” Like all of my work, “a woman” was edited entirely on my phone. It is important that I use resources that are available to anyone with access to the internet and a smartphone.

We all have a different way of looking at and defining success. How do you define success?
Success is something that comes and goes, and that’s okay. I measure success by how content I feel with what I have done. It’s a complicated process, but just as quickly as emotions come and go, so does that feeling of success. Basing personal success on the accomplishments of others or an assumed construct of what I should be doing with my life can be draining, so I believe that the subjectivity of success makes it a special concept. Appreciating my small successes keeps me going and prepares me for the next successful venture I will take. My idea of success changes as I achieve more and grow older; therefore, success is essentially anything I want it to be.

Contact Info:

• Email: [email protected]
• Website: https://jessicatnguyen.wixsite.com/creativeportfolio
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yungidealist/

Image Credits
Emmanuel Porquin BEX Sharmeen Chaudhary