Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to James Warrick. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

James, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Do you wish you had waited to pursue your creative career or do you wish you had started sooner?

If I could go back in time I most definitely would have started my creative career sooner! I don’t think I really started making content with the idea of making it a career or earning money, I am not sure any of todays most notable Influencers or creators really did either, I think it just became a career when. social media and marketing collided then all of a sudden these people on these platforms with large followings became lucrative assets for brands and marketing firms.

I have always been creative/artistic, from making “my dream houses” out of shoe boxes when I was in elementary school to fashion design and sculpting classes in high school to now, creating content and starting to break into the influencer sphere. I originally wanted to start a YouTube channel back in 2016 when I was a freshman in college. I had a GoPro and I remember taking it with me places and filming random clips of my lectures and studying at the student center but that footage never made it to the internet. It wasn’t until I think 2018 that I really started to take photos solely to post on social media and “create content” intentionally. It started with my unwary love of clothes and fashion and wanting to share the “looks” I would style and eventually became sharing my life, experiences, travel.

I do wish I would have had the discipline and the vision I have for myself and career now back in 2016. I believe if I would have started sooner than maybe now I would be just that much closer to some of my goals and who knows maybe have accomplished some already. Although its not always about the destination and more so the journey, which I have embraced so much this passed year with the growth and opportunities that have come my way, if I would have started sooner I would just be further on my journey. There is a side of me that truly believes everything happens for a reason, when its supposed to, how its supposed to, so I guess I am exactly where I am supposed to be doing what I am supposed to be doing. learning as I go. One major aspect of starting sooner that would have been an advantage is less “competition” by that I really mean a less saturated market of influencers. Everyone should get their bag if they want it and work for it but there are so many people influencing that it makes it feel overwhelming to stand out and be original. I do think the influencers that had their foot in the game 5 years ago definitely have an upper hand because with that time comes experience and more time to grow and create a strong, loyal community which ultimately is what makes those influencers so powerful today.

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

My name is James Warrick, I am a 25 year old creative based out of St. Louis Missouri. for all my astrology lovers my big three are sun in Taurus, moon in Sagittarius, rising in Gemini, do with that information as you wish. I am a fashion enthusiast or in other words a shopaholic. I love thrifting and sustainable alternatives to shopping, traveling as much as possible, trying new things, eating good food, dancing the night away, spending quality time with the people I love and always welcoming positive new people into my life. I create YouTube videos that chronicle my life in vlogs, travel vlogs, fashion styling and haul videos. My instagram is a polished curated collection of some of my favorite outfits and memories, while my Tik Tok is a more raw unfiltered and humorous outlet for literally anything and everything I feel like posting. As far as how I got into the industry, I really have to credit a friend of mine Betsy, she’s an incredible, hilarious human and ridiculously beautiful model. We went to school together growing up and while Betsy has always been a unique beauty, who began her modeling career while we were young, I was not necessarily as fortunate. However as we got older and Betsy’s career began to take her places we stayed in touch and one day while I was visiting her for her 21st birthday, the stars aligned and through her connections in NYC (where she was based at the time) she was able to land me a gig in the city that would truthfully change my life forever and ultimately redirect the trajectory of where I thought and pictured my life to be going. I ended up moving to NYC a month after the opportunity presented itself and once I was there everything I thought I was capable of expanded. That city is even more inspiring than people always say. I met so many creatives and different artists from comedians, to musicians, models, actors, dancers, and the one thing everyone had in common was social media and everyone was using it as a branding tool for their careers and I thought to myself I can do that.

As mentioned above, I create lifestyle and fashion content across a variety of social media platforms, collaborating and working with businesses and brands to highlight products, services, and places that I love or have found useful or even entertaining. This comes in many forms wether its long form or short form video content showcasing recent clothing pick ups, restaurants, styled outfits or photos I’ve shot for outfit of the day posts and publications I’ve modeled for.

I like to think my energy sets me apart from other influencers and that is not to say that other influencers and models don’t have good energy because most of them really do! and its not just in this industry either, I mean I think I am unlike anyone and nobody is quite like me but I believe we are all uniquely special, but I think I am memorable or at least I hope to be, I have a big personality and lots of energy! Im very social and outgoing but I value deep human connection and usually get straight to the core of someone within a short time of interacting with them. I think human connection is so special, powerful and unique. We are all here experiencing this existence together in this physical form with this consciousness that none of us can really explain. I want my energy and influence to bring people back to their humanity, their connectedness. I hope my interactions with others make them feel seen and loved. At the end of this life I know at my core my impact will not be from a photo I posted or a video I made but how the people who knew me and met me felt after our exchanges. This industry and career are merely a tool or portal for me to be able to reach more people in this way. I was given the talents and skills I possess in order to be successful in this industry to not only reach my goals and dreams but to amplify my souls purpose and mission. This is what I want people to see from me and also what makes me most proud, every magical connection I have ever made.

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

Hands down has to be working with other creatives. There is nothing quite like having an idea and then watching that idea turn into a dream with the nurturing and collaboration of other genius creatives and then when its reached its final form you know it couldn’t have been possible without the gifts of everyone who worked together. This process inspires me more than anything and being around other artists and creatives pushes me to grow as one myself.

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can provide some insight – you never know who might benefit from the enlightenment.

I think non creatives will struggle to understand most things about my journey as a creative. from the silly small things like why I carry around a digital point and shoot camera or why it takes me two hours before anything to get ready so I have time to take photos, film tik toks, update the vlog etc. to bigger things like feeling isolated because one thing I have realized is that especially with youtube and vlogging, it can get lonely because filming is just easier when you’re alone and some people also don’t like or want to be on camera, editing takes time and also requires solitude (if you’re editing your own videos some creators outsource that process) but still it applies. Even the idea that being a creator is easy LOL I should have started with this point because I think it is what people struggle with the most, they think its so easy to just take a pic and post it, while yes there are creators where that may be their style or niche however I still bet you more planning and effort goes into those than one would think and some would like to admit. It takes hours of planning, sometimes script outline writing, outfit planning, setting up and breaking down to film, post production editing, technical difficulties, don’t even get me started with those. Sometimes you have to re-film things multiple times. It all takes lots of time, energy and dedication, especially if you’re not quite full time like myself and you also work a 9-5 then you are working enough for two full time jobs but only seeing one and half in the return on effort. I hope that makes sense. Its exhausting. Ultimately though as a creative and as people in general its not our job or responsibility to make others understand us, or goals and dreams, our journey. its simply for us each individually.

I want to add a note to non creatives – SUPPORT YOUR CREATIVE FRIENDS! like, comment, share their posts, buy their art, compensate them for their products and services. you don’t have to understand their intentions or journey to help them be successful.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @Jamesswarrick
• Twitter: @jamesswarrick
• Youtube: James Warrick
• Other: Tik Tok: @jamesswarrick

Image Credits
Timara Wright John Harder Miss N Scene