We were lucky to catch up with Jaylawn AKA Ken Doll recently and have shared our conversation below.

Jaylawn AKA Ken Doll, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today How did you learn to do what you do? Knowing what you know now, what could you have done to speed up your learning process? What skills do you think were most essential? What obstacles stood in the way of learning more?

Being an artist is a skill thats within you, a gift given from God. However, this doesn’t mean that you can hone your craft without any practice. I’ve always had musical abilities because as a kid I took several music classes. I learned how to play the recorder at a young age and eventually learned a little bit about the piano. These classes helped develop my ear which is an important skill to have when dealing with music. When I began writing music, I knew I needed to improve my vocabulary, perfect my flow and learn how to count beats. If I knew what I knew now, I would have originally started with pursuing a career in music. Had I done that, I would have taken my music theory classes more seriously. The skill that I believe is the most important is your ear of course, being able to listen closely to the beats. Versatility is also a very important skill, being able to hop on any beat and still deliver is looked highly upon. The only obstacle that stood in my way was myself. I had a hard time switching from pursuing medical to pursuing music. It took a lot because of my mindset. I was stuck in the feeling of being a failure because I dropped out of college.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

My name is Jalon, but my brand name is Jaylawn, which is the pronunciation of my original name. I’m an artist and on the side I have a party planning business. I began these two ventures after dropping out of college and exploring my creative side. Both of these works require creativity. This is an important skill to have because you have to be able to think of an idea and be able to bring it to life. I believe my authenticity is what sets me apart. You can visualize the real me through my work and understand how it connects to me. I’m most proud of myself and the person I have became. The main thing I want my supporters to know is that I’m human, just like them. Anything I accomplish, they can accomplish as well. All it takes is hard work and dedication, but you also have to remain true to yourself and never let anyone change you. At times I doubted myself, but you can do anything you put your mind to.

Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

The main goal driving my artistry is to reach those who have felt like they would never amount to anything. I want to turn doubters into believers because anything is possible. I want to be made an example of God’s love and anointing, despite your sexuality. I want people who are going through hard times to know that things can change in a blink of an eye if you just have faith. I know how it feels to go without and for this reason I want to make sure my family never goes without again. I want to be a provider for my family, especially my mom. My mom has sacrificed a lot for my family and I, so she deserves to be catered to.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

I got my first job at the age of sixteen and was so happy because I was finally making my own money. For a total of four years, I was bouncing from job to job and I couldn’t find any satisfaction within them. The money wasn’t holding me anymore because I knew that I could make money anywhere. I always kept a job because I was afraid of being broke, but I had to adapt a mindset of abundance. Shortly after, I launched my first business, PartyFyed. I had to pivot from being an employee into being a CEO. This takes a complete change of mindset and also adds more responsibility, but with hardwork and determination it’s nothing to work through.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://instagram.com/jaylawnn?igshid=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ==
• Youtube: https://youtube.com/@Jaylawn

Image Credits
imouttafilm