Today we’d like to introduce you to Jasmyn Franks.
Hi Jasmyn, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I am a Socia Media professional working at a large advertising agency by profession and a creator by choice. I’ve always been into creating. As a kid, there were always art projects and paints and markers all around but I never considered going to college and making it a full-time career. I actually left high school thinking I would be going to school for journalism and decided literally during orientation to go with Advertising. I’m dating myself, but this was fairly early on in the social media era – Facebook was the big thing still and no businesses had really tapped into its power yet. It was during my time at Missouri State University that I decided that design was a very important aspect of what I wanted my career to be and decided to study that too. It was those years that really gave me the push and foundation I needed to be able to dabble in so many creative endeavors outside of digital art and branding – photography, painting, etc. It just so happened that social media progressed into what it is now (the perfect mix of marketing and design) and fell into by lap – but it wasn’t the plan from the start. Being in the social media field has given me the opportunity to continually sharpen my graphic design skills. Taking 0n projects outside of my traditional job gave me the freedom to try new things – especially when working with my brother, The Royal Chief, on his various aspects of his music career. The ability to keep design and creativeness a central part of my career, it naturally spills into my projects and interests outside of that. While it sounds like I do a lot of work for others, I do make it a point to always spend some time creating for myself. I enjoy working in and on different mediums – one of my favorites being jean jackets. I often find inspiration in pop culture and find that my jackets are often a celebration of the music I love. I’ve taken my love for design and color and began my hand at textile dying as well as rug making and hope to be able to share some of those projects with the world soon.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
No, because I had no idea what I was doing. There’s no rulebook or guide that teaches you how to work in a field that’s brand new. Everything is learning by trial and error and figuring out how to make something out of nothing. I am lucky enough to be connected with some incredible people who have constantly given me the opportunity to work and partner on projects that have given me priceless experience.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
As an artist, I’m a woman of many interests! I work in a few areas. Branding and graphic design are at the forefront and likely what I am most known for. I have done some incredible album art and worked on some of the coolest event flyers across the city. By extension, I also do photography. Getting a foundation for it in college, I quickly realized it was another one of those things that would help boost my career skills plus I just love it. I also customize clothing – mainly jean jackets and purses at the moment but working to perfect customizing tennis shoes as well. I also have spent the last year working and perfecting textile dying, which aids in a lot of my customizing endeavors. One of the most popular items in my shop (when it’s open) is custom-dyed Nike socks. And lastly, I’ve been working on rug tufting for the last several months and hope to be able to share some of those creations with the world soon! I ruptured my Achilles about a month ago and had to put a pause on tufting for now.
I think the one thing that makes me stand out is my attention to detail. It’s also the thing I am most proud of. I take a lot of pride in quality work and always try to deliver above and beyond expectation
If we knew you growing up, how would we have described you?
I was the kid that wanted to know about everything. I was really competitive in school and always wanted to be at the top of the class. I had two best friends from very early on in elementary school (who are still my two best friends today!) who always gave me a run for my money in that department. I also read a lot of books as a kid. I love reading fiction and that started from an early age – you can credit that to my mom. I always kept a notebook that was often filled more with drawings and comics than journal entries. I was also the person who took extreme notes in school and color-coded EVERYTHING. I was in dance from pre-school through high school and played basketball from 5th grade through high school.
Contact Info:
- Email: jaselainecreative@gmail.com
- Website: www.jaselaine.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/jasmynelaine
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/jaselainecreative
- Twitter: www.twitter.com/JasE_Creative
Image Credits
Jasmyn Franks
