We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Jessica Nguyen. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Jessica below.

Jessica, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. What’s been the most meaningful project you’ve worked on?

One of my recent projects that have been extremely meaningful to me is my video project called “duality.” I executed this with the help of another DMV creative, Brandon Nguyen, for my 24th birthday. I always make an effort to bring in a new year with a creative project that’s intentional and reflective of my life, personal experiences, and culture.

The purpose behind the video was to express how life has been a constant push and pull between multiple dichotomies of my experience and how those “opposites” have ultimately merged together to make me the woman I am today. As a Vietnamese American woman who is masculine yet soft, structured yet fluid, and so on, I am who I am by accepting that I am a woman of duality, someone who can be all these great things at once. I have always struggled with the very binary ideas of the human experience, so I figured that I don’t have to subscribe to this or that and can just be both at the same time; I get to use my creativity to negotiate my identity that may not fit into the traditional idea of a woman.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

In terms of my career I am a communications professional who has had agency experience, working with clients in various industries (e.g., tech, health, women’s empowerment/leadership, etc.) to help them communicate with their respective audiences through digital media. In my day-to-day I plan social media campaigns and content calendars, create written and visual collateral that aligns with clients’ branding, and report on social media analytics and findings on a monthly/quarterly basis.

My communications work experience and education help me execute creative projects. When I am not carrying out my own projects, I love to collaborate with other creatives and brands as a model or assistant creative director and consultant.

How can we best help foster a strong, supportive environment for artists and creatives?

In order to support a thriving creative ecosystem, I believe that we as a society need to prioritize having a creative outlet. If we make an intentional space for people of all ages to express themselves in any way they want, then creativity can have a place to grow. I was always given some kind of art project to do when I was younger, so my parents played a big role in supporting me when I mentioned that I liked to model for fun or create photoshoots just for the heck of it. Having a personal support system early on in my life was key.

Support doesn’t just stop at creating this space, though. We need to support through our dollars, our actions, our intentions, our reshares, our networking, etc. Taking a moment to spread the word about the creative talent in your area is just one simple way to really show support for creatives and artists of any medium.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

The most rewarding aspect of being a creative is the kind words and random recognitions that I receive from others when it comes to my projects. I discovered that reassurance has been a consistent love language of mine, so when I produce something I love, I appreciate getting that extra boost of confidence when people resonate with what I put out. Yet, I don’t rely solely on what others say in order to feel satisfied with myself. The pure act of posting a creative video or photoshoot after being so engrained in the creative process (i.e., making mood boards, editing, modeling, etc.) gives me all the satisfaction I need.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://jessicatnguyen.wixsite.com/creativeportfolio
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yungidealist?igsh=NGc3cGliemlrZ2sx&utm_source=qr
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessicathaonguyen?utm_source=share&utm_campaign=share_via&utm_content=profile&utm_medium=ios_app

Image Credits
Brandon Nguyen, Emmanuel Porquin, Chantal Evans, Baqir/Riqab Styles, Erica Lin