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

Jocelyn, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. We’d love to hear the backstory behind a risk you’ve taken – whether big or small, walk us through what it was like and how it ultimately turned out.

One risk I’ve taken recently was deciding to transition out of the traditional classroom and pursue a career in instructional design. For a long time, I identified myself as an educator, but I began to realize that while I loved creating lessons and supporting students, the classroom environment itself was no longer aligned with where I wanted to grow. That was a difficult realization because it meant stepping away from something stable into something uncertain.

I didn’t have a guaranteed job in instructional design when I made that decision. I was still working fulltime while trying to learn new tools, build a portfolio, and understand a completely different career field. There were moments where I questioned if I was making the right choice, especially balancing finances, time, and self-doubt.
However, I chose to trust the process and take small, consistent steps. I began creating my own learning modules, studying instructional design principles, and applying for roles even when I didn’t feel fully ready.

As a result, I’ve grown not only professionally but personally. I’ve become more disciplined, more confident in my ability to learn new skills, and more intentional about building a career that aligns with my strengths in creativity, storytelling, and education. That experience taught me that taking a risk doesn’t always mean having everything figured out—it means being willing to move forward even when things feel uncertain. And for me, that risk has been the start of a more aligned and purposeful path.

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

Hi, I’m Jocelyn (Josie), a creative designer, educator, and aspiring instructional designer who is passionate about blending creativity, storytelling, and learning. My background is in education, where I’ve worked as a math teacher and currently as a paraprofessional supporting students with diverse learning needs. Through that experience, I discovered that my passion goes beyond teaching content, I love designing meaningful learning experiences that help people feel confident, supported, and engaged.

That realization led me to transition into instructional design, where I’ve been actively building my skills by creating learning modules, developing interactive content, and learning tools like Canva, Google Slides, and Articulate.
Alongside that, I’m also deeply passionate about creative storytelling. I’ve started creating short-form skits on TikTok and developing ideas for short films as a way to express stories, emotions, and real life experiences in a visual and relatable way. This creative side allows me to explore storytelling in a more personal and artistic way.

I’ve also recently begun working as a graphic designer for a faith-based film and creative company, where I’m gaining hands on experience in design, branding, and visual storytelling. While I’m still a beginner in many areas, I’m committed to learning, growing, and improving my craft every day. Through my brand, JosieBoho Crafts, I combine crochet, digital design, and storytelling to create work that feels intentional, inspiring, and authentic. Whether I’m designing a learning experience, creating visual content, or working on a film idea, my goal is to connect with people in a meaningful way.

What sets me apart is my ability to blend structure with creativity. I bring both an educator’s mindset and a creative perspective, allowing me to create experiences that are not only informative, but also engaging and emotionally impactful. I’m most proud of stepping into this new chapter of my life, trusting God through the uncertainty, and choosing to pursue a path that aligns with both my purpose and creativity.

I’m still growing, still learning, and still building—but I’m passionate, intentional, and excited about where this journey is taking me.

We’d love to hear the story of how you built up your social media audience?

Building my audience on social media has been a very intentional and evolving process for me, especially as I’ve been discovering my voice as a creative. I started by simply showing up and sharing what felt natural to me, short-form skits, short films, storytelling moments, and creative ideas on TikTok and YouTube. At first, I didn’t focus too much on numbers or going viral. Instead, I focused on expressing myself, experimenting with different types of content, and learning what felt authentic to who I am.

As I continued creating, I began to understand the importance of consistency, storytelling, and relatability. My content is often rooted in real life experiences, emotions, and moments that people can connect with, which has helped me slowly build engagement and confidence in my creative voice. One thing I’ve learned is that building an audience isn’t just about growth, it’s about connection. Even if the audience is small, creating content that resonates with even a few people can be powerful. I’m still in the early stages of growing my platform, but I’m intentional about improving my content, being consistent, and aligning my social media presence with my overall brand, JosieBoho Crafts, where I blend creativity, storytelling, and design.

My advice to anyone just starting out would be to focus on authenticity over perfection. Don’t wait until everything looks perfect, start where you are, experiment, and allow yourself to grow. Consistency, patience, and staying true to your voice will take you further than trying to follow trends that don’t align with you.

How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?

One of the biggest pivots in my life has been transitioning from the traditional classroom into a more creative and design focused path. I started my career in education as a math teacher, and while I genuinely loved working with students, I began to realize that the classroom environment itself wasn’t fully aligned with where I saw myself long term. What I did enjoy the most was creating lessons, designing materials, and finding engaging ways to help students understand concepts.

That realization led me to reflect on what I truly wanted, and I made the decision to pivot into instructional design, a field that allows me to combine education, creativity, and storytelling. This transition hasn’t been easy. I didn’t have everything figured out when I started, and I’ve had to learn new tools, build a portfolio, and step into unfamiliar spaces while still working fulltime. At the same time, I also began exploring my creative side more deeply through short films, TikTok skits, and working as a beginner graphic designer with a faith- based film company No Popular Fruit founded by Joni Elaine.

All of these experiences have helped me grow, not just professionally, but personally. I’ve learned how to trust God in uncertain seasons, stay disciplined, and keep moving forward even when things don’t feel fully clear. Looking back, that pivot was necessary. It pushed me out of my comfort zone and into a space where I can truly align my skills, creativity, and purpose.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.josiebohocrafts.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/josieboho_art_/?igsh=MXZ1dHl4ZGt1MG84Zw%3D%3D
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jocelyn-gresham-b38ba3206
• Youtube: https://youtu.be/QyOPYnbQzcE?si=XpQb3Nwsmu3n7k7T

Image Credits

Jocelyn Gresham
Joni Elaine
Maria Cecilla Visuals