We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Annie Jones a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Annie, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Do you wish you had waited to pursue your creative career or do you wish you had started sooner?

I always loved dreaming and making those dreams come true From writing short stories of villains and heroes and far away adventures to making costumes for Halloween or just painting alongside my uncle in the afternoons, or making up lyrics to songs I would play on the piano at 5 years old, Since I was little I was always creating, I was always most alive when I was creating. I lived in that other world where dreams could come true. But all that creativity was diverted and redirected to other more earth-bound endeavors. Being brought up in a family of Cuban refugees, I watched as dreams were put aside for more practical needs. Life was a struggle and their greatest dreams of coming to the USA came with the responsibility of hard work and efforts to save to get by. As I went through school, I was pushed to excel in my studies and to focus on the more practical courses, though creative writing, acting, and drawing were more to the core of who I was. I graduated as an honor student and started college, in a sensible career path such as finance and business. Additionally, I had to work full-time to cover my college tuition and costs, leaving little if any time to pursue of more creative endeavors. then an MBA followed by numerous occupations at large US companies in which I was further entrenched in the business world. Eventually, marriage and children continued the need for sensible choices.
It wasn’t until there was a shock to my life that I had to turn back to my creative skills to keep me motivated.
After 15 years of marriage, I was now a single mother who had changed her career to working part-time to be home for the kids. I was working at a large international book fair and had tapped back into my love for writing. From there i became a part-time freelance writer. I was also working for an international film festival where I was approached to act in a short film. That started me off on an unplanned acting career which I love and am still active in today. The acting was a catalyst for another realm for me as I began to produce content on YouTube, being able to both craft, act, create parodies and skits it was everything I truly enjoyed all wrapped up into one.
I had a long and winding trajectory to my creative career, and although I am only working on that aspect of my life part time, I am laying down the groundwork to be able to focus entirely on the pursuit of truly creating fun and enjoyable as well as instructive content full time.
Though sometimes I wish I had started my creative career in acting and content creation sooner in life, I also feel that life itself was rpreparing me to be more grateful for the opportunities i have now later in life.

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?

I am a content creator on YouTube with my channel and alter ego, Indie-Annie Jones. I create what I like to consider edutainment, where I teach about crafting and other similar projects with fun and entertaining concepts. Whether it’s a parody of a famous movie or TV show or dressing up as characters, I love to infuse my crafty ideas with fun and memorable content. I started my channel a little over 6 years ago and I am still creating and crafting and enjoying every minute of it. Join me at https://www.youtube.com/c/IndieAnnieJones1 and I know that you will always learn something new and laugh about it too!

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

For me it goes beyond what I ever expected would happen as a content creator on Youtube. I never realized how many lives you can touch and affect through creativity. Just by doing something that I love, that comes naturally to me, I realized how much more of an impact I have on the lives of people I might not have otherwise met in my life journey. Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic and shutdowns, i decided to go live every night at 9 pm to share some crafting ideas and projects, It was through this idea that I began to realize how much people not only wanted to be entertained but to be heard. A community of audience members began where my subscribers would share their stories, their fears, their triumphs, and their tragedies all the while I was creating an item that may perhaps not be that memorable, but the time we shared together became priceless to those involved. Through laughter and just relating to each individual as they came to my live streams, I was able to inspire, encourage and even pray for friends who I might never meet. Many individuals who watched I also encouraged to delve into their creative side and not only would they craft along with me but also have the courage to begin their own content creation on YouTube or other social media, helping them also to expand their own opportunities.

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

My mission is always to inspire hope, to help other to dream, and to show others that creativity can be part of their everyday life, I also hope to show how by my own experience, being able to tap into my creative origins helped me to cope with changes in life, with disappointments and with unexpected sadness. creativity in all facets truly deepens our own spiritual development, tying us closer to God in some instances. I feel more at peace and more at one with who God made me to be when I am exploring new ways to express myself creatively, and helping to create in me a more empathetic and caring human spirit.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.youtube.com/c/IndieAnnieJones1
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/indieanniejones1/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/IndieAnnieJones1