We were lucky to catch up with Joe Jurado recently and have shared our conversation below.

Joe, appreciate you joining us today. What do you think it takes to be successful?

An ability to not be defeated in failure. So many people in tech fields, creative fields, and even service jobs are getting laid off and having the path they set out upon being abruptly ripped from under them. It’s so easy to give in to defeat and feel like these failures define you. I was laid off from my producing job at G4 (by tweet no less! Gotta love that Joe Marsh) and it took a minute to process that failure. My lay off came right before the Writer’s Strike and industry contraction. I had to process that the path I set out upon may no longer be available to me and game plan a new one. It’s required me to adapt to some new ways of thinking and being creative, but it’s honestly been the most fun I’ve had creating art in years. It took some pain, but I’ve come out the other side hopeful and confident in the plan I’m now embarking on.

I think as creatives, we have to be clear eyed about how the game has changed. Legacy media and studios are bleeding cash and struggling to catch the future. Just because we can’t rely on them anymore doesn’t mean we can’t rely on ourselves.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I’ve worn many hats in my career. I’ve worked as a journalist for The New York Times, The Root, and the Grio. I produced a nightly news show and the short-lived relaunch of Xplay on G4. These days I’m a content creator and independent filmmaker. I write weekly essays for my Substack, Tastemaker, with video content soon to release. As a content creator, I focus on thoughtful yet humorous takes on pop culture that are intended to be an antidote to the hyper-reactionary nature content creation.

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 think one misconception about creatives is that we’re not pragmatic, when in my experience it’s the complete opposite. To successfully execute any creative idea, you need a clear and concise plan for how you’re going to bring your vision to life. It requires planning, collaboration, and a granular level of detail. The best laid plans can easily get derailed, and if you haven’t thought through contingencies you’re screwed. A true creative is pretty much a human swiss army knife.

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

I want to remind the audience what fearless storytelling looks like. Be it studio filmmaking or content creation, there’s this trend where it feels like a lot of creatives are trying to be all things to all people. There’s a fear of alienating any one audience member because that’s a potential dollar out the door. Everyone wants to be the next Mr. Beast instead of something entirely new, and I find that quite depressing.

I’m not chasing likes. I want you to either love my work or hate it. I don’t want anything in between. I need to prove to myself that art can still be dangerous, that it’s still possible to use the mediums of film and digital media to shock and electrify an audience.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://joejurado.substack.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joe_jurado/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@Joe_Jurado