We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Jasmine J. Johnson a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Jasmine J. , appreciate you 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 a producer, writer and director, I want to have a reputation for prioritizing fresh perspectives and narratives that celebrate empowerment, diversity, and inclusivity. I want my projects to be know for creating experiences for audiences across genres that are cathartic and emotionally resonant in their exploration of growth and conflict. I strive to be known for using my opportunities to elevate the voices of others, especially emerging filmmakers from diverse and female backgrounds. I want people to learn something new about somebody new every time they watch something I’ve touched in some way. I want to bring people together.

Jasmine J. , before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I’m a producer, writer and director who’s been working in television and feature films for over twelve years. I’ve produced dozens of short form content, multiple digital series, a television series and recently completed my first feature. It’s my responsibility to bring stories to life. Dependent on the role that could look different for every project. But no matter the role it always involves having an eye for identify scripts with fresh ideas and fresh perspectives and problem solving…problem solving ad-nauseam until finally the impossible happens, you complete a project. I work mostly in the genre space, that’s horror, sci-fi, magical realism, dark comedy and thriller. I’m really proud of the opportunities I’ve been able to help give up-and-coming writers and directors. As a woman, as a black woman, as a queer women I understand the importance of opportunity (or how detrimental a lack-there-of can be), so to do that for others whenever you have the chance is something to be celebrated.

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

The world building you get to do. World building isn’t just for fantasy and sci-fi. The intimate details of each story are going to be totally different from character to character. We get to let people into the lives of individuals they may never have had the chance to meet, crafting characters they’ll grow to care about- in some cases care about as much as they do certain people in their lives. The specificity you can bring to stories. The culture you can introduce people to. The ways you can change minds, change hearts. It’s incredibly rewarding to get to make something that’s both nuanced, specific yet universal enough to resonant with an audience member who may be nothing like the protagonists of your story. That’s powerful. That’s important. And, it’s fun.

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

Hustle culture and the power of saying no. Starting out, the feeling of having to be everywhere, all the time- never missing a moment to network, never saying no to a project, a drinks, a meeting because you could meet the person who’s going to change your life. Or worse, miss out on an event that everyone else swears was life-changing. While some may feel like they benefit from the constant churn, for the person I am, someone particularly introverted who does better in smaller spaces, I realized that the burn-out I was feeling was counter-intuitive to the “success” I perceived I was potentially missing out on. In tandem to acknowledging this was also acknowledging a commitment to be my authentic self, not someone I thought… or was told… I needed to be. People can smell inauthenticity and desperation. As soon as I started doing what felt true to myself, including sometimes saying no, I felt like my opportunities shifted immeasurably because my ability to connect with people shifted. Do what feels true and right for you. There’s no one-size fits all for success.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jazzfacekilla/

Image Credits
First image- Jennifer Wang