We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Jaćhai DeJesus a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Jaćhai , thank you for joining us today and sharing your experiences and acquired wisdom with us. Burnout is a huge topic these days and so we’d love to kick things off by discussing your thoughts on overcoming or avoiding burnout
Having dealt with burnout in college and even in high school, I developed a personal strategy to avoid falling back into burnout. I’ve titled the strategy S4L3R2C1; a long winded titled with a simple meaning – growth. S4L3R2C1 is a sort of acronym that I’ve curated to always maintain my sense of self, following the natural laws and theories of the world around us. “S4” equals the four elements of my being – Self Care is Self Control, within Self Respect for Self Love. These are my fundamental principles that I keep with me in times of stress, strife, trials and tribulations, assigning each of these principles a basic element. Now, they can be rearranged into whatever order I see fit to get the results I need but these four aspects are embedded within the system:
Self Care is Water. The universal tool that keeps everything in motion. When I feel I need to cleanse, I bathe in it. When I am thirsty, I drink it. When I am cooking, I boil it. When I’m helping others, I share it. As convoluted as it sounds, it’s very much rooted in reality. I have to make sure I’m giving myself as much time, energy and attention, ‘TEA”, as I would give to someone or something else. It may mean turning down a project or staying in the house for the night; buying myself a gift or taking a trip. I measure how much I have for the day and gauge my interactions accordingly, always saving 10% of it for my personal reserve. A lesson I learned from Michelle Zauner’s mother.
Self Control is Air. Always remembering to breathe. Taking note of what I’m giving out and taking in. Whether we realize it or not, everything around has breath. From photosynthesis to motherboards, it all has some aspect of inhale then exhale, repeat. To master self control, I have consistently budget my energy to pay to attention. Understanding that I can’t always be the one to show up or help out, if I don’t have it to give to myself first. Taking control of my own reality is the one thing I can always affect and effect, when I feel like I’m loosing it. Tapping in with me first, to make sure I’ve got all that I need to keep going or have all my belongings before heading out, burnout might feel like I’ve lost control but there always room to rise out of it because I have to deal with myself no matter what, through the good, bad, and the ugly,
Self Respect is Earth. You can build it up or it can weigh you down. There are plenty of examples right now, that are proving how important it is to have self respect, because it goes both ways. It’s an internal and external exchange that I have to tap into when I find myself in spaces that are for me and against me. I have enough self respect within me, to know when I’m wrong and should check myself. When I need to leave a situation that no longer benefits me; in moments where I may have to politely tap someone on their shoulder and remind them who I am. Self respect is what enacts growth, “it costs the earth, the earth. It means you take responsibility for the time you take up and the space you occupy. Grow Up. Serious business.” – Dr. Maya Angelou. No matter what stage of burnout I may been in, I have to take accountability of how I got here. Take inventory of the actions that led to this and adjust myself, so I can be aware of it next time and know to check myself before becoming a repeat offender. Insanity is doing the same thing every time and expecting a different result.
Self Love is Fire. Enough of it will keep you keep you warm in the darkness of depressive spaces, while too much will lead to burnout. Scorched from my own sun because I was too invested in the mode of getting it right and/or done. Whether it be work or vanity related, the passion to achieve is within all of us. That drive to go hard in the gym, make that sale, promote my products, get the job, accomplish my dreams; it’s all a fire inside of me to be better than I was yesterday. It’ll wake me up in the morning and light my way at night. Self love might be the hardest element to master when in the face of burnout because I have to address the first the three elements to even realize that I’m standing in the midst or by the wayside, of this one.
It’s all interconnected, running deep within the core of myself, that I can pinpoint where I need to check in before, during, or after burnout. Not always easy, not always something I want to do, but I have to do it in order to move forward. In whatever direction or capacity that may be; I’m consistently in motion because I’m forever evolving. Never an object. Always human.
Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?
Hello World,
My name is Jaćhai, I’m a Florida born and raised creative, expanding my artistic talents beyond what I thought was possible. I recently released two books, a personal anthology last year – Nineteen Ninety Eight: 1998; and a photo zine this year, ideate: Vol. 1, with my good friend J Sparks. Both are available on Amazon, The TikTok Shop, Meta Marketplace, and if you would like a signed copy of either or both, DM or email me at [email protected] or @jac.hai on Instagram.
Now having added, published author to my portfolio, I’m gearing up to release a few pieces of artwork this year. I’ve completed a colorful collection of mixed media pieces that chronicles my time in Atlanta. A reimagining of furniture pieces that I’ve acquired over time and given a new life, as to not add to the ongoing pollution of the world. I’m thinking of titling the series “COA” – Colors of Atlanta, but I thinks it’s a bit too on the nose for my taste, so I’m marinating it, but there are some previews of the collection on my instagram (@jac.hai) and website (https://jachai.art).
Having recently moved to New York, after graduating from SCAD ATL in June of last year, I’m working on a more personal collection that is expanding on my personal ideology of S4L3R2C1 – Self Care is Self Control within Self Respect for Self Love = Growth. The thesis of this article and of my own being. A modular concept that I curated from experiences, observations, and concepts that I’ve learned along the way. Noting a trend in my artwork, these new pieces are also reimagined found canvas and old furniture items that I had. The reality of it is that certain materials are too expensive to get brand new, so I just use what I have or find to get what I get what I need, and want.
I’m ecstatic about this new artwork collection, the completion of my first artwork series and the publishing of my books. I’m big on not sharing too much of the behind-the-scenes process, mainly due to the fact that I believe social media has invaded the artists process of creation. Yet, I do see the value in showing people how you did what you did, it just doesn’t have to be a step by step walk through, the trickle up theory is very much real. Full tea, all shade. Despite my personal biases, I look forward to showcasing this artwork and producing a book launching, somewhere in NYC and hope that you all will come out and support; whether a collector, spectator or hater, stay tuned, there’s much more to come!
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
One quality that I learned along the way, was PATIENCE. Please, please, please, have patience with yourself. Give yourself grace and mercy just as you would someone else of notoriety. Your timing is divine and the things that will happen will happen, good, bad, and otherwise. And while in the midst of it all be patient, and soak it up. Stand on it, and stand in it, it’s okay not to be okay, and it’s okay pop off and flex the things you’ve done, because you did it. Celebrate your accomplishments and study your lessons; rushing only leads to headaches and wrinkles.
A skill that’s impacted my journey, would have to be EXPERIMENTATION. I’ve never let myself be limited to one thing or one title just because I’m good at or got a degree in it. The best part of being an artists, and why many outsiders never fully grasp the vision is because, we are allowed to effortless trial and error. Even within the mess we create, there’s beauty within that. True artistry has the innate ability to remain in the wonderment of child’s imagination. Thinking inside, outside, around, upside down, underneath and above our box of creativity, while simultaneously using the tools within that box, and acquiring new ones. It’s a lot of fun, but it’s damn hard work.
An area of knowledge that’s influenced my evolution as an artist, is ARCHIVING. Keeping a curated collection of your past works and processes, and that of others. Having hard drives, zines, books, journals, posters, photos, videos, recordings, of who you were at particular moments in the past and in the present, to better understand where you want to be in your future. Within my own personal library, I have a hoard of my own books and a collection of materials from artists that I adore, worldwide. From a vintage Latin edition of the translated plays from Roman play writer Terentius ‘ Terence’ Afer to Kramer Brathwaite’s Black Is Beautiful photography book; I inherently keep a dedicated collection of artist materials to have at my disposal to consistently stay in the realm of creativity. A habit I got from my mother, who still has a collection of macaroni art and hand turkey paintings I did as a child.
One of our goals is to help like-minded folks with similar goals connect and so before we go we want to ask if you are looking to partner or collab with others – and if so, what would make the ideal collaborator or partner?
I am always open to collaboration and partnerships that align with my creative visions. Although we may not be able to work together in that specific moment, keeping an open door of outreach for others to come into keeps my mind alert to the different perspectives that around me. Whether they’re in Florida or Tokyo, I always pay attention to those who are willing to reach out and share their vision.
I keep an open door policy because, although I may not be the person for that particular project, I will always connect others that I think could mutually benefit each other. Speaking positivity over the names I plug in who are physically in the room, in hopes that this shoutout will lead to their next success. Everyone deserves the space to shine, and sometimes we are the vessel to help push that light further.
If interested or inspired to work with me, you can contact me via email or DM, @jac.hai (Instagram) or [email protected], I look forward to hearing from you!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://jachai.art/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jac.hai/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jachaidejesus/
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/@jac_hai?si=zrjVwV1Bar-p_Y4p
- SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/bamffrtpnch?ref=clipboard&p=i&c=1&si=31B150E54B824E5F834E2DC088994E60&utm_source=clipboard&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=social_sharing
Image Credits
1. ideate: Vol. 1 (Photo Zine by J. Sparks & Jaćhai) 2. LOUD PACK (Mixed Media Wall Art by JAĆHAI) 3. WHITE WASHED (Mixed Media Wall Art by JAĆHAI) 4. Untitled (Mixed Media Wall Art by JAĆHAI) 5. Untitled (Mixed Media Wall Art by JAĆHAI) 6. Nineteen Ninety Eight: 1998 (Anthology by Jaćhai DeJesus) 7. Promotional Flyer (Aweng Chuol’s 25th Birthday, Produced By Multii Media, Flyer by Jaćhai DeJesus) 8. Promotional Flyer (C.A.Y.A. – Come As You Are, Produced By Multii Media, Flyer by Jaćhai DeJesus)
