We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Jae Elizabeth a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Jae, thanks for joining us today. What sort of legacy are you hoping to build. What do you think people will say about you after you are gone, what do you hope to be remembered for?
As an artist, I want to create a world that is filled with my ideas and experiences. I want people to see the intention and thought behind my pieces and come up with their own interpretations relating to their own lives. I want to tell stories through the lens of visuals. In a world that is ever changing, especially with the addition of AI, it is more important than ever that artists are allowed to carve a space into the world.
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.
I am still very new to the art industry. I’ve been creating art seriously since I was twelve, trying to evolve and get better at my craft. During my high school years, I had forgotten about art entirely. I wanted to focus on a music career, and so I began to learn production, and writing songs. It wasn’t until someone very close to me had passed that I began to explore art again. He was also an artist, and someone that I looked up to and admired. I was offered a scholarship from a local comic con that he had attended for years in his honor, and I applied, not thinking I would be accepted after taking a break from art for years. After that experience, I began to create again, and quickly found a passion for the craft once more. Since then, I have created products from my art which include art prints, stickers, and keychains, and I plan to extend the list in the future. I’ve been traveling and attending cons like this since I was sixteen years old, and I’ve definitely grown since then. I’ve been able to meet and give art to people I never thought I’d get to( Brandon Rogers is a highlight!!!). I’ve made friends with people that I hope I remain close with forever. I’ve gotten to travel the U.S. and I hope to travel internationally one day! I’m very proud of where I’m at and how far I’ve come. I know I have much to learn still, and I’m very excited to see what the future holds. I want to inspire others the way I’ve been inspired by artists that I look up to. It’s truly a dream come true to have the opportunities that I’ve been given, and I’m incredibly grateful for it.
We’d love to hear about how you keep in touch with clients.
Having a presence on social media is so important. Sharing your day to day life, a project you’re working on, or just ideas/thoughts that you have is crucial for creating an environment in which followers can engage. The more engaging something is, the more support you’re likely to get. Authenticity is also incredibly valuable. People can tell when something is true to you, and being vulnerable and real with your audience is key if you want to create trust among you. Being able to reach out is necessary if you want to market yourself, and grow connections.
Are there any books, videos, essays or other resources that have significantly impacted your management and entrepreneurial thinking and philosophy?
Because of the internet, there are so many resources out there. I look for a wide range of resources whether it be from searching online, to podcasts, to videos, and much more. I work mostly in convention spaces and online, so my go-to’s are Maulcaina, Inkwell, and David Choe, which are all accessible through youtube. Maulcaina offers great advice for artist alley artists, and which conventions are worth attending. She also has a podcast where she speaks with other artists who are in similar positions, which I have found very insightful. Inkwell is someone I found who speaks a lot on the art industry itself, and topics that are relevant within today’s industry. He also does artist alley! David Choe Is a visual and performance artist, and while most of his videos are less to due with the industry, and more to do with actual art, I find his ideas very fascinating, and the style of his videos to be quite entertaining. I also look to other influences, such as Studio Ghibli, and namely, Hayao Miyazaki, who has interesting ideologies and processes if you look behind the scenes with his creations.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: stolenstars.art