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

Jaida, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Let’s start with the story of your mission. What should we know?

When it comes to my creative services, my mission is to be able to help a person, brand or company reach their highest potential. Whether it’s photos from events that I capture, bringing out a brand’s identity using graphic design, or collaborating with other creative people on projects, I want to be able to help.

It means a lot to me to be able to help people because of how my journey started in graphic design. My first real project was for the Nicky Green Foundation, a nonprofit based in New Jersey that advocates for the prevention of youth suicide. It was a t-shirt competition that my high school hosts every year for their annual 5k run. After my first year participating, I didn’t get selected so after a year of further practice I submitted another design and it got used for their 2020 Virtual Run, since the pandemic happened. I was able to get prints of the shirt for my family and I saw people posting themselves wearing the shirt on Instagram. My stepdad even saw someone wearing the shirt while he was at work so he took a picture.

That was my first time seeing my designs printed, let alone on other people. That’s when I realized graphic design was definitely the career I wanted to get into. I felt a lot of pride with my work and it felt even better knowing that the design was for a good cause. I met with the founder of the nonprofit, Patty Green and talking with her about my design and her organization was a meaningful experience for me. I want to be able to share my work with others while also working with others to bring concepts to life.

Jaida, 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?

My name is Jaida Owens and I’m a senior graphic design student going to Drexel University. My love for graphic design came during high school after I took my first Design class and we were taught Adobe Photoshop. Ever since, I practiced before and after school on the computer, trying to better understand how to create things using the software. I submitted designs for t-shirt competitions and eventually won my first contest for the Nicky Green Foundation in 2020. I’m originally from New Jersey and graduated from Rowan College at Burlington County in 2022 with an associate’s degree in Liberal Arts & Sciences. Afterwards, I moved to Philadelphia after working almost two years as a Marketing and Communications Intern at RCBC’s Marketing Department.

I’ve tried to take as many opportunities as I could in my life so far, being part of the KYW Newstudies program in high school, doing an Apiary poetry workshop and getting my poem published, working with the Blues Babe Foundation, We Are Tech and Revive Radio during Made in America and the Roots Picnic and doing other work, working with AIB Marketing & Consulting, taking freelance commissions for designs and event photography, and working with AIGA Philadelphia on taking photos for their events. I’ve recently become further involved with AIGA by becoming an officer in their Drexel chapter. I want to be able to grow and constantly learn to develop my creative and professional skills so I can have a fulfilling and stable creative career after I graduate.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

I moved from my parent’s home at 18 and went to school at Rowan College at Burlington County. I applied for the college on my own and worked on balancing my internship with being a full time student. I worked as a Marketing and Communications intern in RCBC’s Marketing Department. I saved up money to move out and get my own studio apartment in Philadelphia to transfer to Drexel University. My previous employer recommended me for an internship with the New Jersey Council for Community Colleges. As a first time apartment owner, I was truly independent for the first time and it was a hard time balancing paying bills, going to school and working in the beginning. After my internship with NJCCC, my life was starting to hit a low point with me being unable to find another job. Eventually I started to work at Staples and was able to find relative stability. I was working at Staples and doing work study at the same time, which made my life overwhelming and busy. I was still open to getting extra money to support myself and to put myself through school, so I was also taking freelance commissions during this time. Later on, I started my co-op and was getting used to being in a full time position when I was faced with a possible eviction. I reached out to a lawyer and having co-op at the same time really put into perspective how low of a point I was in, especially being financially independent for the most part. But I overcame this turbulent time and paid everything that was overdue and the case was settled.

Now, I finished my co-op and I’m more stable financially, mentally and emotionally. That experience taught me to think ahead and do more to plan for the future. I especially learned to do things in moderation and to not let myself be put in that kind of position again, giving myself more grace with mental health while also pushing myself when I can handle it.

Looking back, are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?

In terms of resources, I wish I had known how valuable making connections were. I would’ve done more to keep in touch with people from my days in community college and putting myself out there more to meet people in my field. Meeting other creative people is so important to not only feel less alone in the creative journey but to enrich and enhance it.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.jaidaowens.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jaidasdesigns_/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jaida-owens-9065a0203/