We were lucky to catch up with Jewel Thompson recently and have shared our conversation below.

Jewel, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Is there a lesson you learned in school that’s stuck with you and has meaningfully impacted your journey?

I earned a B.A. in Journalism from the University of Oklahoma with an emphasis in Professional Writing. My core professor, Mel Odom, was an incredible teacher and mentor throughout my time in the program. Mel was tough and firm yet understanding and flexible. Through his instruction, I learned very quickly that my creative work was separate from my own self worth. Mel would not shy away from ruthlessly critiquing and tearing up our precious, creative short stories and novels. To get through the program it was an absolute necessity to develop tough skin. To pick yourself back up, fix your work, and continue writing and creating. To this day, I refer back to those experiences to remind myself that I am separate from what I create. I’m very proud of my ability to be adaptable when receiving criticism. No pity party here. I have Mel to thank for that.

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 stumbled into my career as a photographer and graphic designer. In high school, I wanted to be a novelist which led me to the University of Oklahoma to study Professional Writing. On break the summer after my Freshmen year, I picked up my mom’s Nikon FE after watching a YouTube video about film photography. I immediately felt that I had found the thing that made me tick. Photography became this craft that opened a whole new world to me. I could now take the words in my head and create visual art to represent my creativity across a variety of mediums.

As I explored the visual side of my creativity, graphic design as a discipline became a focus of mine. I saw it as a way to combine my talent for writing and ideation with my love of visual execution. All three of my creative skills work in tandem to create visual methods of communication.

I’m really proud of the work I’ve put in to be able to use a variety of skills to set me apart as a creative. I don’t know a lot of people who have been able to wrangle the skills I possess. Because it’s no small feat! It’s taken me a really long time to get where I am now, and I have a lot to learn. But that’s the beauty of creativity; there’s always something you can learn to improve yourself or your craft. I find that so inspiring and it pushes me to keep getting better.

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

Definitely the connections I make with people. The collaborative nature of creative work has always served as a way for me to restore my passion and hope for the future. I was initially drawn to portrait photography because you’re not just taking a picture of someone, you’re freezing time and representing someone in this very moment. And I think that’s so beautiful. After a shoot, I feel this immense joy that comes from working with another person and sharing this very small slice of our lives together. There’s something so inspiring and freeing to me about this type of human connection and it drives my passion for my craft.

Do you think there is something that non-creatives might struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can shed some light?

I get the most confused looks when I start talking about my career path. How I went from wanting to be a novelist, to pursuing photography and graphic design. I get a lot of “but you’re not using your degree”. And I think that simply isn’t true. I’m using my degree everyday because my creative skills are constantly working together. I think that’s powerful, and it sets me apart from other creatives. I bring a variety of skills to the table, and I’ve spent most of my adult life working to hone those skills to produce great work. My degree has taught me an infinite number of things about how to best live a creative life. My education brought the most wonderful people into my life who inspire me everyday. Maybe I’m not writing the next Great American Novel, but that doesn’t mean I’m not using my degree. To say that would be to belittle the lessons I learned about life and creativity.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.jewelathompson.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jewelathompson/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jewelathompson/

Image Credits
Image of Jewel: Morgan Delancy Photography 2021 All other images: Jewel A Thompson | JAT Creative LLC