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

Jasmine, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Can you take us back in time to the first dollar you earned as a creative – how did it happen? What’s the story?

The first time I ever sold a piece was, in my mind, the true beginning of my career as an artist. It happened right after an unsuccessful art exhibition. I, and my team had spent months preparing for this exhibition, and we had two sessions. It was school ran, so the first session was during school hours, and the second, after. I remember my disappointment when no one showed up to the second session. I’ve never felt so defeated in my life. Me and my peers had spent so long on these prices and their meanings, just for no one to truely see their worth. But, the very next day, a teacher approached me. My English teacher. He’d seen the peices I’d made and, according to him, he was astonished that I hadn’t sold any. Then, he asked to purchase the biggest piece I had. My first, and biggest, landscape painting. Said it would look amazing over his couch. My first instinct was to question; to criticize. You know, that gnawing voice at the back of every artist head that says, “Is this really good enough?” But when I finally got that check, $350, in my hand, I felt it. He gave me the check during my highschool graduation. I was already on a joyride, and just the action sent me over the moon. I was so proud of myself. I finally accepted that, maybe, after all that hard work, I did deserve this.

Jasmine, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I’m an artist, I always have been. Writing, painting, drawing, I even tried singing and dancing once, any form of creative expression one could think of, I’ve always found it fascinating. Even before I realized it. I was simply written into my bones. Art, in any of its many forms, and it’s connection to the world around me never failed to amaze me. So I want to send that feeling, awe, shock, confusion, all of it, back to people. I want to be the observed as well as the observer. Selling art is obviously the end goal, but you can’t buy the emotions that come with a truely gut wretching peice. I’d like to sell physical and digital art, as I am a multi-media artist. As previously stated, selling prices is a goal of mine, but I believe that, what sets me apart from other artist, and maybe even other people, is that not only do I want my art to fight, to push and prove and scream, but I’m also not entirely in it for the money. Money can come from anywhere. Learn the game, and eventually, you’ll learn where to get it and how to maintain it. Art, however, is an experience. It’s a statement. A voice for the voiceless. Money can’t buy that. Not truely. I’m only an up incoming freshman in college, do I don’t have much under my belt brand wise. I call myself JAS, fairly uncreative but I’m working on it it, and as of right now, I’m apart of an organization called Cre8tive Expression. We’re an organization of young, black artist in Baltimore City with the main goal of bringing art back to it’s original place in history, front and center. I plan to go very far, with my message and my art, so I hope people will be around to see the journey.

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

The complete elimination of AI in creative spaces. AI can be a useful tool, no doubt about it, but in art, the essence of the human soul and experience, there is no place for it. A machine does not yearn, hurt, or grieve. A machine cannot feel excitement, joy, or love. It simply makes no sense for AI to be used for something so organic. Plus, it’s killing our planet, and we need her more than anything.

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative?

Everything is that deep. There is a meaning, a reason, a story behind everything. The curtains are never just blue. Someone is never just evil. It is always that deep. Somewhere along the way, we’ve lost our ability to care. To analyze and dive deeper than needed. So many people claim to overthink, but a true over thinker knows that now situation, story, painting, song, dance, nothing is purely black and white. If it wasn’t that deep than you wouldn’t second guess it. If it wasn’t that deep than they wouldn’t have reacted that way. If it wasn’t that deep, they’d still be here. Anything, any scenario you can think of always had more to it.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: jxs._.cx

Image Credits

All of the previous pictures are recent digital/traditional art pieces by me.